Gold, silver or white would be fabulous!

is refinishing what you love to do? would chinese red go with your other decor? it might look nice in chinese red lacquer, the set has that kind of detail...but i still vote for selling on craigs... is it worth all that work, esp. with all those details to sand and paint? honestly, i'd sell!

Definitely keep the furniture. I would be curious to see what your decorating style is generally to get sense of where you might go stylistically. You could go big and use a high gloss red. Or a high gloss and slick black. Personally, I think a warm brown would work better. You would definitely get more use and be less tired of a neutral color. Then pop with a bright color (red) on the seat cushions. The problem with using bright color on all the pieces is it can get tired fast. I think one bright colored piece works to make a room pop. In your case choose something you love that is not too overpowering and you can live with when the fad changes would be a good idea.

It seems to me there are a few factors involved in this decision. Are you moving far? If so, do you really love the furniture and have good associations with it? Otherwise, you'd be shlepping/paying for moving(?) stuff you feel so-so about. Also, what kind of market are you in for selling stuff?

Are you a DIY person who would transform this into something you love?

this style is so hot right now, you could probably get a good price on Craig's list if it isn't your style. I think you would get sick of a bright primary color on all the pieces. I agree with the white recs, or maybe an ivory without the muddy yellow overtones

I think it's a lovely set. I say keep it all and paint it any color you see fit...HIGH GLOSS!

good luck with your move!

high gloss deep pink with designers guild fabric (designersguild.co.uk) would look AMAZING with this set. I say go for it!

if that's a bit much for you, have a look at this option from SJP's home in the Hamptons...

http://www.pointclickhome.com/image/tid/1978?page=7

good luck!

Leave it alone and accessorize (table runner, bowls, etc). Emerson is right--Hollywood Regency is so hot right now. It's what Jonathan Adler seemingly bases all of his designs on.

Or sell it on eBay for $$$$!

I think the sideboard is definitely a keeper. Love the detailing.

To me, the problem isn't the "dingy" ivory, the problem is that the furniture doesn't pop. The pattern on the rug under the table and chairs competes with the lines of the furniture. I'd try a solid rug in a gold or rich red. I'd also try one solid color on the walls of the room to offset the sideboard. Going with the same color as the solid rug but lighter would pull the space together nicely. If you want to add some snap, do with accessories on the sideboard. The current, busy three-color paint job makes the sideboard disappear.

Personally, I'm okay with dingy. That happens over time, with wear and tear. What I'm not okay with is dirty. Try giving all of the furniture a good cleaning if you haven't already.

agreed high gloss whatever you do.

I'd go with a chinese red, orange, fuschia or a nice lime green.

Keep it, paint it, but SPRAY it. Unless you are getting it professionally painted.

Brush marks will kill it.

(but the only piece I don't LOVE is the table... but I also hate breaking up sets.)

What about doing the chairs in lime green, the table in white, and the credenza in bright yellow?

On second thought I think maybe Pinkushi or Doug might have an idea. The gold might be cool. Also painting different colors might be an idea. Just type in Hollywood Regency on google and you will get some great inspiration. Check out this one post about it. The first picture has chairs in lime green http://dearada.typepad.com/dear_ada/2005/12/hollywood_regen.html. Looks sexy but to get that look accesorizing(sp?) with runners, rugs, art is important as Jeffrey K said.

I would recommend a high gloss bright turquoise with a small printed red flower seat. http://reprodepot.com/ktdfgr.html

Maybe new hardware on the buffet.

Make it so glossy it hurts. Follow instructions on the paint very carefully; prime the Hell out of it.

I'm thinking Black, White or Red. But seriously, it depends on your style. There are fabrics that also imitate this style, and they might be VERY fun to upholster the chairs in.

If you're NOT going to spray-paint it, then you have to be very slow and patient with a brush, and use as thin a coat as possible, to discourage dripping, and there are THOUSANDS of opportunities for drips here.

For the table, you need to either spray it, or be VERY careful with your brush strokes, to keep them even and flowing and as good as you possibly can. "Be the table" so-to-speak, and just decide to make the surface as flawless as possibly possible so you can have an un-abashedly blindingly shiny surface.

How about yellow? With lime/white/yellow cushions, or brown/coral/cream cushions.

I think you should start with an upholstery fabric your really love (which fits in with your overall decor) and pull the solid colour from the fabric. Makes the decision easier somehow ;)

All good comments. JeffreyK is right, you are losing the furniture against the rug and walls. If you really want to paint, consider doing the table & chairs coral and the credenza in black (or deep blue or white) and change the rug to a solid. The brown suggestion is a good one, if your next dining room will be full of pattern and you want to tone it down a bit. Then the accessories/walls/rug can be the standout players.

RED & LIME pretty please!!

The minute I looked at them I thought "coral"; I see Pelicolina had the same thought. I like the idea of a couple of colors such as one piece coral, the others in a dark color or a white depending on where you want to use the furniture. They're very pretty, it would be a shame to let them go if you like them.

colors: poppy or navy (high gloss)

fabric: botanical (not too "Miami") or geometric

inspiration: Kelly Werstler

KEEP IT.

Well done lacquer effect requires serious skill. Contact a pro refinisher about the costs of doing it right. This should be the determining factor in deciding whether to keep the set or sell it and buy what you really want. DIY lacquer on such large and detailed pieces is going to be a complicated affair. You could also try finding a place with a spraybooth that would do a glossy custom paint on wood pieces. Its not exactly the same as lacquer, but you should come out with a fairly passable result. Start with furniture refinishers and auto body paint shops and see if anybody can do it for a price you find reasonable.

Love the blue lacquer idea - I think it could look great.

OO I picture the chairs a nice bright turquoise with some black and white pattern on the seats. You could really do something fantastic with the chairs! Cane is on its way back in. Get them refinished or repainted.

Speaking as the person who always has Big Plans to refinish things... redoing that dining set will be a Project. It's large. It has details. It needs sanding, if not stripping, before the new finish will take (even if you spray prime...). The new finish has to be flawlessly smooth. It will take a lot of space and ventilation to get it done.

There's someone out there who can do it brilliantly (and it would look fabulous in a bright color), but be honest with yourself about whether you are that person. I'm usually a couple cans of paint into a project before I face my limitations.

I would keep the chairs and the sideboard--painted either gloss white or a glossy white color and get another table with a glass top, even though it's hard to break up a set. Some colorful fabric on the chairs would be amazing.

I meant, glossy BRIGHT color (like Chinese red). Sorry!

wende - and we know Curtis is that person out there.

ditch that table ... everything else is good. sets are so ... dated .... get something else to mix it all up ...

if painting, it has to be sprayed ...

Pixie -- indeed!

I agree with the high gloss Chinese red!

I'd keep the chairs, repaint and reupholster them, sell the table and use the credenza in another room; get a cool table and with simple lines and you are good to go. Depending on your color palette, the chairs can be painted a variety of colors and would read more updated---I am not a fan of sets, so that would be my suggestion---good luck and post after pics.

IQAmsterdam:

That's exactly what I was going to say! I love that photo, and the design of the chairs reminded me.

Bravo.

I wouldn't go red - but I agree these pieces are SO HOT right now.
I agree it has to be GLOSSY - a bright color. Check out www.dominomag.com (http://www.dominomag.com/galleries/objects/furniture/tables/tablesandchairs) or even www.blueprintmag.com (check the article Bungalow Great in the July/Aug Issue) for some inspiration, they've got pictures of several of these types of pieces painted bright and glossy, and the chairs with great fabric on the cushions.

What a nice set!

Totally agree with with wende - if you love it keep it, but be sure that you can pull it off before you start, or hire someone who can.

I love the idea of bright colours, if you do them in chinese red or similar keep the rest of the room white/light so it doesnt become a bordello red room!! Doing the chairs/table red and the sideboard gold as a contrast, and lighter colour is a great idea.

Loved the SJP house link....I'm totally redecorating my bedroom now!!!

Whatever you do, make it a bright color glossy paint and coordinate it with a fabric that I would put under a custom cut glass top on the table.
Repost when you are done and good luck!

your nuts if you get rid of the chairs and sideboard! you couldn't touch what it would cost today for repros, or other vintage pieces. your lucky that you have what you do! great classic stuff.

to me, it would be totally worth taking the time to refinish. if you laquared the sideboard, why not highlight the bamboo with metallic gold? i would just ditch the table for something very modern in glass, so you get a more "light" feeling.

I would love to have the dining set and the credenza as there are so many possibilities. Here are my 2 cents:

1. The idea of red lacquer sounds good but it's more common to see chinoiserie in red but if you are inclined to paint the furniture red, I would suggest re-upholstering the cushions in a fun retro turquoise fabric. Ooh lala

2. An alternative is to paint the furniture in tiffany blue lacquer (similar to what Dorothy Draper used in one of her dressers) and again, re-upholster the cushions (this time) in a fun retro red fabric

As for the table, paint the legs and the edging but strip the table top and expose the wood (either dark or light stain will work)

I hope you keep the table but in case you decide to sell it and you're in the Washington, DC area, I would love to have it!

On an episode of Divine Design (HGTV), decorator Candace Olsen re-did what looks to be the SAME EXACT CHAIR. She painted them a high gloss ebony black and did a neutral brown fabric for the seating. She paired the chairs with a Saarinen white tulip table. I would have never thought of that but it looked stunning and incidentally, I saw that episode just yesterday.

If you needed another reason not to sell this piece. Check this out http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=2594 !