Dining room decor, help!

Question

I just can't seem to put the finishing touches on my dining room and am tired of it feeling unfinished! Any suggestions would be great as I feel like I'm at a stand still at this point. I would like to add some pops of color (my main floor is espresso, blue and red) but not sure where to put it in the room?? I have changed a few things recently (got rid of the small table with lamp) and bought a few new curtain panels with more pattern in it just need to decide which one to go with...thanks in advance for any pointers you all might have for me!! :)

Becky Greenwald · Answer

I'd add red to a centerpiece, the urn with the twigs, and the curtains.  And I'd lower that mirror and the other wall art a good 6'.  Just MHO.

Judianni · Answer

Good morning!! I love all the light coming through the window! It makes for a happy dining room. Regarding the curtains, it looks like you have a brown chair in the living room, so I would go with the brown curtains with the circles; its a fun design. 
The dining chairs seem to have blue seat coverings so I would put a blue runner on the table with a lush green plant in the center. If you wish to do more, you might rearrange the pictures...maybe with the rectangular frames on either side of the mirror and the square ones beneath them. Perhaps a grouping of plates on the wall which currently holds those pictures. I'm confident you will be receiving many other suggestions and look forward to seeing what you finally decide to do. Have FUN decorating..nothing has to be permanent!!

Arlene damico · Answer

i think it needs more color this is to bland brighten with different curtain an do a nice accent wall

Debbie McGarrity · Answer

Yes it needs a pop of colour add one main piece whateve you can afford for me it would be the curtains or a nice sideboard tie it in with frames, central piece say the vase and a some color frames. HtH

Jacalyn · Answer

How about an area rug with red in it?  Or maybe you could reupholster the chairs.

Sbsb1005 · Answer

I love the idea of red and when I look at the pictures I can see a red area area rug. If you dont want an area rug then recover the seats in pops of red. I would also paint the frame on the mirror red.

Kathyanne Pera · Answer

I suggest a pop of gold or medium yellow paint on one wall...It will just open up the space a lot! Make sure it's a muted, lighter color not BRIGHT or DARK. Also change out the wall decor to something with color. You could do watercolor washes, bright acylics or something that will pop on the gold wall. I have bright blue, bright red and white as accents. The artwork on the wall can be canvasses from Michael's painted in an abstract way without any specific design. The idea is to add COLOR.

Kathyanne Pera · Answer

Also spray paint your twigs in the corner vase. Make them white or beige.

Nancy · Answer

Hard to tell the style of your house with only a photo of the one room....but for starters I'd ditch the curtains...and put in Plantation Shutters (if the style of your house would go with that....) or possibly no curtains at all....as there is lots of lovely light coming through the window.....and if no one can see in...why not have a bare window. Put an area rug under the table to 'center' it in the room....get a much larger mirror and hang it where the prints currently are....facing the window...it will have a prettier view than where it is hung currently....and also bring even more light into the room....and then use the wall where the mirror is now to hang the prints etc...but you need a lot more...and I'd also put a low narrow chest under the print display...for storage etc. Ditch the placemats and go with something neutral with texture....and then use colour in your napkins, glasses etc.

Josephine Howland · Answer

Can we just get rid of the beige walls? Beige doesn't flatter anyone's skin tones. I would find a fabulous fabric with some color, then recover the seats, make some curtains, or roman shades, do something creative for a centerpiece. A centerpiece with a bit of height to it. If you take a scrap of the fabric to the paint store they can even match it to paint. See how using a great fabric can really make a chair uplift the room. My chairs do not all match, but I've recovered the seats in matching fabric.

Debbie Johnson McDermott · Answer

I would anchor the room with a large rug under the table. Bring in a buffet, dresser or sofa table for the wall with the mirror. Lower the mirror and put tall but thin buffet lamps on each side. Maybe a large fern inside a big beautiful bowl.  The small pictures on the other wall replaced with one very large picture or 5 pictures no smaller than 11×14 placed horitonal a few inches apart along the wall. Black frames all the same with a theme. Like black and white photos or colorful kids artwork or pictures of colorful birds...  On the table a colorful runner with different size candle holders and candles.  Larger light fixture.

Debbie Johnson McDermott · Answer

Add splashes of red, yellow, black, brown

Valerie Stuermer-Walker · Answer

I would hang the mirror on the right wall to reflect the outdoor light, the existing grouping is too small.  On the back wall add a large piece of artwork with color.  Pick up that color in textiles for the table.

Ann Carney · Answer

If your on a budget I would change take down the curtains and put up some nice blinds maybe roller blinds more light in the day and privacy rolled down at night  go for some bright ones and cover chairs seats in the same colour may be paint your mirror and move it to facing window to open room up

Pat · Answer

First, I would upholster your dining room chairs. and put a runner down your table with the same colors and/or a centerpiece with the predominate color.......I would get drapes the color of your walls. I am not fond of either of the ones you have chosen now....if you have shades (which it looks like you might), you could use sheers. I would put a console or narrow depth chest under the mirror and take away the vase with sticks in it. Two buffet lamps on the console with a pretty low-light plant in the center would look nice. I believe I would take two of your chairs (one from each side of your table) and put them on either side of the console table. Six chairs around your table seems a bit crowded to me. A rug under your table would look good but is not necessary (easier to clean without).

Funnygirl · Answer

I would move that small table to below the pictures on the right side.The mirror is a little too high. I also think it needs to be painted more of an accent color.I would like to see you put a buffet on that back wall,because there is too much 'empty' space. It would make the room more complete and finished.Even a plain long table along that wall would add a lot.I would replace the twigs with a palm plant since you have a nice large window.To me,there is too much brown.A bright wallpaper on that back wall would really make a huge difference for a small cost.Instead of the heavy drapes consider a rattan roman shade or blind with a contrasting valance on top.If I were going to spend any other money on your room,I would look for a slightly larger chandelier.Craigslist would be a great place to look.I would buy a brass or silver chandelier for 20-30 dollars,and spray paint it a funky color.Use that as your accent color for napkins,placemats etc.Have fun!!!

Lana Bradley · Answer

I'd consider moving the mirror to another space where it isn't so lost by that big wall. The good news is it's a BIG wall and can carry lots of color to tie your room together. One wall of colorful print wallpaper of a modern or outdoor design could really pull it all together. Good luck! You'll get there.

Lisa · Answer

I would paint the table's legs and the chairs in a bright blue or turquoise color, and the mirror frame as well. Leave the table top the way it is, and the chair seating as well. That will instantly brighten it up!

Leslie · Answer

I would go with curtains something like this..... http://www.walmart.com/ip/36685527?productRedirect=true Then buy a large painting that has a touch of red in it and hang on the wall where the mirror is. Remember your artwork and wall decor should be hung so the center of it is about eye level.

MikkiGirl · Answer

How about wainscoting and a chair rail? I'd paint the table and chairs a lighter color and, like others suggested, go with red in an area rug and chair upholstery

Sandra Whitmarsh · Answer

Ditch the placemats-use a bright runner. Pier One has some great ones. Recover the chair covers in something cheery. Mirror a little too high-needs a focal wall-bring in another color and accent that wall. Remove the little table with light-Instead find a garage sale buffet and paint to match the chair cushions. I would also ditch the curtains-too overpowering for the room size. if in the budget replace the light over the table to something more 'airy' feeling. Have fun.

Susan · Answer

I would paint a large red square or rectangle on the wall with the little pictures, then position them inside that pop of color. A table runner with red, cream and blue would add color as well. The small table you showed in the back corner, buy a longer piece of glas for it, center it on the back wall with a lamp on one side and some crystal decanters on the other for a bar/ serving center. I would add about 3 or 4 tall rods of metal to your branches in the vase for a more modern industrial look instead of the country twig look.

Country Design Home · Answer

Hi! Personally, I like the check curtains, the ones with the circles are more of the same colors as the rest of your room. When you step back and look at your room as a whole, (do the squint test) there is essentially just brown and beige with very little contrast. Adding a pop of color for is what you are looking for, I think. How about if you painted that mirror frame in your contrast color (corals and reds for warm, greens or aquas for cool), then added seat cushions, table runner, pot for twigs or an area rug in that same color family? The easiest way to do that is to find the largest piece first (the area rug) and then work back from there, co-ordinating the colors in the rug. That will pull the whole room together.

Shanandoah · Answer

I'm really wanting to say repaint the walls -- this is a nice room but the beige is depressing. You can still get a nice (but brighter and warmer) contrast with the dark browns if you go for some kind of a more yellowish wall colour. There are lots of ways to add a nice (say green or red/rose coloured) pickup, such as adding a lamp with a rose shade, doing a bright coloured centrepiece, adding more vividly coloured curtains (or blinds, for that matter). Maybe the best way to add pizazz, though, is a wall runner -- one of those wall-paper-like strips with lovely bright coloured patterns on that you paste around the walls close to the ceiling. A friend of mine did this in her pale-coloured kitchen and dark-coloured dining room and it worked abu-fab in both.

Shanandoah · Answer

There's also lots you can do in the way of art/frames. Bright art, and especially bright frames (and/or the mirror frame). However, it is also good that they match the dark dining room table as is, so that's of course your call.

Carole jackson · Answer

Pictures and mirror too high! You use this room seated, so they should be able to be seen in the seated position. Your ur guests are staring at painted walls. So turn the mirror the long way. Lowering so when you are seated across the table, the bottom of mirror is intersected by the opposite end chair. Then place a square box, 8x8, in the bottom third of the mirror heights. Put vases, colored glass, etc. on each box. Stabilize the glass with museum putty,miso they can't be knocked off. Or you could add  wall planters with vines on each side of mirror. You need different depths to make the room easier to live in. Try angling the table, for special occasions.

Sue Peet · Answer

My first question is what do you like? Do you collect anything? I see you have what's look like family photos on the wall, that's a start. Add color with a beautiful centerpiece and it doesn't have to be just flowers. Add wall sconces on either side of the mirror. Add a potted tree in the corner in a prettier pot. Put some color, look back and take a look, don't want to add too much or it could get to be too much.

Miriam · Answer

You have a very nice space there.  I think a large colorful piece of artwork would bring that pop of color you need.  Interesting, abstract artwork will provide a focal point and serve as a conversation piece.

B. Enne · Answer

I see something like this in your room. If you like the brown paint but not on that wall, you could put it behind the mirror and lighten the frame.

Excuse the computer 'paint'.

The picture is originally from http://nixonsleeves.blogspot.ca/2008/11/dining-room-walls.html via Pinterest.

B. Enne · Answer

WOW this is an old post, and the old answers just showed up!!! There seems to be a big lag for me today when I post. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed decorating your dining room.

Dining room decor, help!

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