I really like the idea of some kind of green color, it would go nicely with that beigy color to the left (assuming that color isn't changing too). Then you could do orange decor/accent pieces and they would go nicely with both colors on the walls

Unlike navy blue, orange will reflect rather than suck in light, so it will appear vibrant and bright. I agree with trying the left wall as an accent, at least first-off, and see how you like it. I think that the limey-green won't work as well with the beige colour if that beige is browny in undertone. And, you love orange, so go for that first and see what happens.

You can always repaint...

Lowe's (Signature Colors line) has a color called Sweet Tomato which is a reddish-orange. I did my kitchen (which is open to the living room like your dining area) in that color and love the results.

I was going to suggest a red-orange as well. I think it would go well with the beigey color on the other wall and any orange accents you have elsewhere.

How about vertical stripes in the same color, alternating flat and semi-gloss or satin finish?

Also, another coat of primer might save you a third coat of your colored paint.

navy blue will definitely suck all of the light and life from a room. i recently painted my navy blue bedroom with a bm color called pale daffodil. it's orangey but more yellow and I absolutely love it. it made a huge difference in the way the room feels. you might also consider going with a warm green, like lime.

I like your idea of stripes, but how about horizontal wide ones? On two walls it would have a great effect of really drawing your eye in, with out over powering the rest of the place. And yes, I say go for it with the orange-maybe a red orange and orange combo. It won't be dull or lifeless and light won't be a problem. Divide the wall into an odd number, either 5 or 7 stripes and it's a simple project.

Possibly a stupid question: why an odd # of stripes?

My vote would be for a solid color, not stripes - I just don't think the busy-ness will give you the look you're going for. I'd also recommend moving the wine cabinet to the other wall (maybe a foot or so from that beige fireplace-looking section of wall).

I think the red-orange suggestion would look great - warm and inviting (and appetizing). Don't be afraid to just go for it - it's not that hard to repaint if you later get a different feeling about it!

Just one more quick thought - you might also want to consider getting a great red-orange carpet that you love to define the dining area, but keeping the paint there the same as the rest of the space to help make it feel more cohesive. And do add some art to the walls!

just a thought here - only because it occured to me.

But rather than stripes... why not squares? 2 x 2 of squares in alternating colors. That way your line of sight isn't brought up and down... but will bounce around the room - the way you want the light to.
Similarly, I like the idea of gloss paint and matte paint of the same color - done in squares.

Oh, and you're going to want to get rid of that lame mirrored wall.

Decor8 (in the sidebar) is featuring rooms in orange right now. Well worth checking out. I've been considering the same for my room: but feel chicken about it too.

What is that colour on your living room wall? It looks like a nice yellow on my moniter.

a couple of color and application suggestions: in three of my rooms, i've painted one color on the bottom 1/3 of the walls (where the ledge is in your photo) and ralph lauren's picket fence white on the top section. you can also paint a stripe in an accent color where they meet OR paint a series of 2.5 inch squares or circles(separated by 3") to delineate. i usually start with the artwork(one source for COOL posters is polishposters.com) and i would choose an oversize poster for that space. the light reflected off the glass would light up the space, and would give the impression of a window. some colors to look at: manila(ralph lauren), lime foam(can't remember company) plus i created a custom color by mixing cerulean blue hue(liquitex acrylic tube) into a color similar to linwood beach(glidden), which yielded a soft "limey" green. benjamin moore displays always include a brochure with swatches of the same color in flat,eggshell,semi-gloss and high gloss. orange needs to be in there as an accent: paint, rug or chair color.

Thanks for all the comments & advice everyone, I really appreciate it! I think I'm going to go forward with the orange! I'm going to check out Lowe's, Annmarie, for your Sweet Tomato suggestion, but I think I may end up going for a true orange. I really like the idea of horizontal stripes in alternating paint finishes, so I may try that as well! Thanks again, I'll let you know how it turns out...

I just painted one accent wall in my dining room in a deep burnt orange by Behr called Summer Heat (at 50% saturation rather than full strength). It is fabulous! Gives the whole place character.

I vote orange too! There are so many nice oranges out there (from butternut squash to pumpkin to citrusy bright oranges to red-oranges) and I don't think any of those would make it look cavey.

Definitely red-orange!

Stupid question: I am about to paint my new apartment and am a total novice. How long can you leave primer on the walls before putting the actual paint on top?

janbrady: you might want to ask this on an open thread. I'd say 24 hours--but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the sugg.