Decorating ideas for dining room
We recently added this trim moulding treatment and the high window to our dining room. We love the look, but can't figure out how to decorate now. The furniture and chandelier are staying for now, although I'm not opposed to looking for replacements. Need kid friendly (just 1) and cat friendly (2) suggestions. I do NOT like an area rug under the table because of both cats and cleaning. I also prefer not to put treatments on these windows with the exception of possible half shutters on the tall window.
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My dear husband loved molding too, and he put it everywhere in his house, and then painted it all the same color. I went back through and picked out the trim in white paint, but put the main portion of the wainscoting (the low part) into just about the same dark chocolate color you used. The top, however I painted with Behr Only Natural, again picking out the frames of the molding with white. If your wainscoting had ended in a wider top board, like in shaker style, you could use that as a shelf for displaying large platters or plates, or even placing paintings--a big plus since you won't need to put HOLES in your walls.
On your upper dark painted wall, it might be great to find square-framed geometric subjects to add visual contrast to the dark regions of the room. I'm thinking, depending on your furniture style, to make it like silhouettes for a traditional home, black and white prints with lots of white in them, frames the gallery style. I'm fond of the zebra look, but that might be too bohemian for your likes.
Whatever you do, I think if you have upholstered seats at the dining table, make the host's chair something to knock your socks off. This is a very dramatic color scheme and needs only a few furnishings and strong ones. To warm it up, the live plants could help, also softening it a bit. You want to be able to feel relaxed and comfortable, and digest your food with pleasure.
Consider redoing the three chairs or adding white slip covers to them. It should be an easy thing to find them ready made. Even if you'd rather a different color, a simple change like that can bring the room together better. I betcha that in less than a year, you'll be moving that bench to another room. It may be useful in the entry, mudroom, or as a coffee table in the family room--putting feet up on it would not harm it in the least. I gather your family is young, because older people do not sit comfortably on a bench after a certain age. And it is always nice to see the people you are dining with, without leaning over another person to chat with them. At a table for 8, where 3 are on each side, you have folks all around to chat with. Then, if the adults are all lined up on one side of the table, make the view they are looking at really great.
So like someone else said, consider painting the spindles of your stair rail white, leaving the top a high shining wood finish. Pretty space. Love what you are doing with it.
Note: I like the bicycle painting, but its subject matter is more for the family room than the dining room. A painting of a black and white spotted cow would work, be very graphic, and have a bold look to it. After all, you can eat a cow but not a bicycle. :)
As for the stairs, I definitely want the spindles to go white, but first I want to replace them and the newel post with a more square craftsman-style. We had the risers and mop boards painted (see attached photos), but with over 40 spindles to replace and have painted, that's an "at-a-later-date" project.
We have a fairly open main floor at our house, so I have a color palate that I am trying to stick to on the main level. It's based off Pottery Barn's Duncan stripe fabric which I have furniture, pillows and window treatments in our breakfast and family rooms. The dark brown comes from that, and the chair print fabric coordinates with it as well. We are also cycling enthusiasts, so almost all the artwork in our home has a bicycle in it, some are more obvious than others :)
Truly, Rome wasn't built in a day, and tweaking a house takes time as well. It is always a process, so enjoy the ride.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Deco-Bacall-Velvet-Dark-Minky-Grey-Side-Chair/6007923/product.html
What about one of these as a "host" chair that would go at the end of table. Would get fourth side chair, put two on each side, and eliminate the bench.