apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

saxaphone?

Sorry, but my suggestion would be to paint it a brighter color to offset/show off all that overwhelming WOOD. A light teal from the big artwork, maybe. If you're dead set against painting, bring in a bright color with floor to ceiling window treatments across the window wall and a colorful rug. Multicolored Flor tiles would be a good option if you'll be using it as a playroom.

In terms of the light fixture, I'd either go with the default large white drum shade or something colorful as a statement piece if you're going to leave the walls plain.

A solid color rug. All the different color wood distracts me.

Hire a designer.

It's a shame that you will not consider paint. I think the wood on wood look you have here is really beautiful (table, trim, floor), but I think that some paint modernize and brighten the space.

I got nervous when you said that this was going to be a play room for an 8 month old. There are a lot of sharp corners here.

You may want to think about some boldly-colored curtains.

*might modernize. :)

I love the scrapile table/bench, but it doesn't work with the flooring. I'd go with luvdecor's suggestion and get a large rug with some color under the table.

- A colorful rug under the dining table would bring in some color. Plus it would create a seperation from the table and floor, which kind of just blend together right now.

- A cushion on the bench under the art would be nice.

- A runner for the table.

- I don't know if you want to change the shades on the winddws, but I definitely don't love the white ones in there now.

I spy some orange/red stripes in the painting that I think would look great with the wood.

You have a lot of lines and hard edges: in the furniture, the artwork, and the windows. It needs some softness and texture. Cushions for the benches, a table runner, a rug, simple curtains would all add softness and color. Or you could customize your shades with ribbon or paint. When you choose your new light fixture, mimic the proportions of the table.

What a beautiful room.

While the low bench under the art is fine, it seems too low to be functional as a sideboard. Maybe a taller piece with some storage (perhaps in white)? You could set a bright object or two on top of that and bring a lot of color into the room.

Maybe adding two brightly colored chairs on either end of the table?

Well, while I love the table, I think you should replace at least one of the benches with simple painted chairs--not another wood tone (you could use the spare bench at the foot of your bed, maybe? or an entryway?)....You also need a rug to visually break up all of the wood. I would stick with a simple light fixture...I think the Duncan Chandelier, from Crate & Barrel, with its nice polished nickel finish and white shades would be great..it is $399 too.

I LOVE this space. I think the only thing I'd do is replace the benches with white chairs, and replace the blinds with roman shades in a color borrowed from the map.

How about painting the window trim white? That would help eliminate the tan overload.

For the light fixture, the internet is a beautiful thing. One of my favorite blogs, This Young House, makes lots of recommendations of neat light fixtures in their room makeovers. Check it out.

Another idea is to replace the benches with some more comfortable chairs. Move the benches somewhere else in the house perhaps, so there isn't so much striped wood overload. And definitely a solid color rug - I got an amazing deal on a wool rug on rugsusa.com, and they delivered it literally the next day (free shipping).

The woods are very nice, if heavy. I don't like the idea of adding much more color here. Rather, I'd let the woods and painting be the focus, keeping to neutrals, and add either a very pale or very dark, simple rug or Flor tiles under the table to break them up. If you add curtains, keep them light and airy, in cream or very pale grey. Enjoy all that sunshine!

The table and artwork are beautiful. I think the room just needs something to soften it. The windows are beautiful so I wouldn't cover them up too much. Simple drapes on the sides or perhaps solid colored roman shades would be enough to soften the hard lines. Some brightly colored accessories would also help.

I think softening is the way to go - fabric, curtains, rug. I wouldn't put a runner on the table with a child around - my cats did a lot of damage pulling tablecloths and runners down. But put something on the table.

lots of potential. definitely get a bright, solid rug under the table. I'd say put the bench under the table elsewhere-- it's one too many with the benches at the table. get a sideboard instead. I like the idea of two upholstered chairs at the ends of the table-- nothing stuffy or fancy, but it's break up the strong horizontal lines the table and benches create. get a very simple light fixture-- a white drum shade would be fine. and maybe adda few potted plants by the window?

roman shades, a rug under the table, and an upholstered bench under the window.

Your dining room table is amazing. I would love to see a closer photo of it. It just looks so special, which is harder and harder to find these days...

http://www.beirutband.com/

How does this make you feel? Maybe take the concept of the art and music and translate it into your room. Just think a little deeper than the surface.

Anywhoo, the painting and table made me think of this.

I'm not sure if you're attached to the table/benches, but I think while modern and fun, they actually detract from the room and make it feel really boring. I'd get a table and (non-matching) chairs more appropriate for the details of the room.

I like a light fixture like this:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1319050&navAction=jump&link=link=ci_rectangular_shade_chandeliers_and_sconces&cm_re=CI-_-CategoryImage-_-RectangularShadeChandeliersAndSconces

and some softer roman shades like this:

http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/product_detail.jsp?sch_cat=Relaxed%20Roman%20Fabric%20Shades&prod_oid=250333&nav_cat=-17993&view=swatch

It looks to me like there is a blue green in the painting, and there is a wood undertone in some of the wood on the table. Perhaps the shades could be in that color.

Lastly add a rug. I would use a rug that is so large it is nearly wall to wall, say 12" from each wall. That way you will still know that there are wood floors, but it will minimize the tan overload.

I agree that this table is amazing. But all the wood accents in this room distract the eye from looking at it. I think it's the best feature for this room. You definitely should get a bright rug of some sort to put underneath the table and to cover up a majority of the wooden floor. Perhaps you could paint the wooden accents on the window white? I think more color in this room would help brighten it up too.

Hope this helps!

I love the table, but I'd definitely replace the benches with comfortable dining chairs of some sort, maybe even mixing them up a bit. I wouldn't subject people to sitting on wooden benches unless you're talking about a picnic table outside.

I'd also put down a rug (which will protect against the chair legs scraping), maybe even something like Flor tiles. I don't love them, but they're far easier to clean than the cream shag run I chose for under my dining room table!

I think chairs would also help you avoid the problem of having too many hard edges and horizontal surfaces. You need some variety in heights, finishes, textures, etc.

Solid colored red (West Elm has a nice jute version that could work), bold round light fixture that hangs lower than current lamp (please don't get anything rectilinear since there are a lot of boxy things in this room already), and finally I second everyone's vote for replacing the bench under artwork with a sideboard. You can group some nice colorful round vases on top to add color and break up the linear elements.

Nice room!

Omitted "rug" from first line. oops.

Painting would be my first choice since there is so much brown wood, but since you're opposed to it we'll have to get creative!

How attached are you to the table's matching benches? I always dislike benches because my back tends to hurt if there's no support, so if you have guests eat here they may not be too comfortable. If you're open to getting chairs I'd find some at a garage sale or thrift store and paint them different colors. Maybe light shades of yellow and orange to go with the big piece of art. Or paint white, and add patterned seat cushions. If you do this, you can push the benches against the wall on each side and use it as extra seating when you have guests. Then move that bench that is currently under the art to under the windows and put either a cushion or plants on it. The Ikea Gilbert chair--http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60059441 --would look good with the table and give a more mid century vibe, but it doesn't do much for color. The Snille chair would look good too.

If not, then buy or make some colorful long cushions for the benches. Something with removable covers would be ideal, since you have a young child, so you can wash them easily.

I like the idea of a rug to minimize the amount of wood, but I'm not sure how realistic that is considering you'll have a baby eating and be doing crafts there.

Definitely some window treatments. Get some curtains to frame the window or some pretty roman shades-you're current ones are so plain and add to the overal brownness of the room.

I think this light would look good in the room. It's kind of modern, but not too much. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10&productId=100446135&N=10000003 90401 500192

It's kind of hard to see MCM in this current room, particularly because of the art, which I'm assuming stays, and all of the brown window frames, so just work with what you got.

sidewalks, I second the runner idea.

Use the matching benches as sideboards and put matching orange chairs around the table to make the painting pop.

Also, a solid teal rug to match the painting would look good under the dining table.

As for a pendant light, you can get a large George Nelson saucer for under $500.

It always seems to happen that people start suggesting major changes that the homeowners is not asking for. This person obviously likes wood, so she is not going to paint the window frames or otherwise downplay the wood tones. She obviously likes the "stripeyness" of the table, since she has highlighted it with a striped piece of artwork. I see that there is a small bit of red in that artwork, and there is red in the piece on the other wall. I would suggest a large, thick rug (Tibetan if you can afford it) in a soft red, like this:

http://www.tufenkianoutlet.com/outlet/Tibetan/Modern/9-x-12-Area-Rugs/ALIK-TAMARIND-9-X-12.html

that would extend well beyond the table. And I'd change out the window coverings for a light-colored (like the lightest wood in your table) natural fiber shade, such as a seagrass weave. The light certainly does need to be changed. Since you like the craftsman look, which is related to Japanese design, how about:

http://www.lampsplus.com/products/George-Kovacs-Kimono-Collection-Five-Light-Chandelier__05940.html

It is well within your budget, and looks more expensive than it is.

I can't read everyone's posts right now, so sorry if I am repeating myself. First off, I think it would be great if you considered painting the walls, but I TOTALLY understand not wanting to... here are some of the things I would do, in a list:

1) Start by picking a color... I would choose something bright like orange or a limey green. Make sure everything you add is around this main color and then pick an accent color, a little lighter. Like you pick orange and a lighter blue. Or a dark blue. Green and red or pink. Check a color wheel.

2) Use How About Orange's idea and put colorful tape toward the bottoms of your shades. Then go out and get a curtain rod and some colorful curtains(that have a pattern)... even if you only put them at the ends and don't extend them out.

3) Rug under dining table.

4) Take down your chandelier. Get a can of spray paint using your bright main color. Cover all the places you don't want painted with tape. Spray away and rehang when dry. You could get new shades or cover the ones you have with paper or fabric. Take the money you were planning on spending on a new fixture and put it towards a rug.

5) Get a table runner and some kind of thing like a terrarium for the middle of the table.

6) Put some baskets with toys for your little one on the bench behind the table. You could use crates and cover them in fabric. It is a great way to keep the clutter at bay and kids love to clean up when all they have to do is dump them in a basket (mine do anyway.)

Good luck! I would love to see some pictures when you are done!!!

...and I would love to see this table under the black framed artwork:

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19140

definitely a solid-color rug under the table and benches ... FLOR tiles might be be your best bet due to their easy-to-clean/replace factor. cream or white would look awesome, but i can see why you'd want to avoid those with the crafting, eating, and kid-having you've got going on. :) really any color that provides high contrast against both the table and the floor will do. i'd be wary of anything red or orange-y ... seems to me those two colors would melt right in.

i'd also love to see some plants in there ... a big tree-like thing near the windows would look awesome and bring in a non-linear shape.

have you considered moving that bench that's currently under the painting and against the wall? you might try centering it in front of the windows and "adding some soft" by topping it with a large cushion that runs the whole length of it {again, be sure to use a contrasting color to break up all that wood}.

Jeffur, there is a heat register under the window and the bench is too long to fit in the nook of the bowed windows. In order to put a window bench there, and not impede the heat, one would have to get a carpenter to do a built-in, and redirect the heat out a vent in the front. It would look nice, but would be pricey. And stick-on Flor tiles would ruin this woman's beautiful floors (I don't care how hard Flor insists that they won't)!

1). Nelson Pendant Lamp -

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19531&menuCatalog=room&menuSubcategory=197167

2). Flor Tiles under table in blue/green (Brook)to match large painting, also kid friendly -

http://www.flor.com/service/flor/shop/item/Corrugated-Rib/1384002500-8081.html

3). Chilewhich table runner in Coral/Red

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/basketweave-table-runners-c-278-p-1-pr-16790.html

4). Move bench under window, add colorful pillows or cushions to coordinate with colors of art work in the room.

5). Credenza under the large painting - http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf679&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNCON&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNCON

6). Plant stands under the smaller painting -

http://www.hiphaven.com/Pages/A_Retro_Bullet_Planter.html

*By the way - I LOVE that table!!*

start by painting the walls, a dark teal or peacock blue would look great with that table

beautiful table and benches! i wouldn't put a rug under it - spills from people dining - eek.

how about painting the window frames? i'd go glossy black and put some sort of chaise/love seat with cushions by the windows to introduce some colour.

a low light fitting that's leaning towards modern and has a bold colour would be cool too. i don't live in the US so it's hard for me to make specific suggestions re shops/products.

and the sharp edges comment above re an 8 year old is extreme...an 8 year old can navigate a space like that! geez

The best feature is the style of the house. Get rid of the table and benches, they clash with it. Capitalize on the bay window - maybe a window seat combined with a style neutral or Arts & Crafts dining table and chairs. Get rid of the eyesore on the wall and hang some good art or, if you can't afford it, a tapestry or framed fabric IN STYLE WITH THE HOUSE. If you don't like the style of the house, please move. There are plenty of people out there who will cherish it.

And whatever you do, don't even start thinking about painting that chandelier.

You must tell me who made that great kitchen table and bench???

Bromelia, that is very mean. The "eyesore" is obviously something this woman treasures, as is her table.

The table and benches are beautiful.

"I do not want to paint the walls any color - we just paid to have it done! We love the large painting and want it to be the focal point in the room."

That's what the homeowner stated, folks.

Forestdweller, they asked for suggestions. If they treasure the painting and the furniture so much, I suggest they move to a house that fits their style.

Hey:
I'm the homeowner and really appreciate all of the ideas! I think that there will definitely be a few that we can use immediately and some others down the road when we are not so cash poor after buying our house.

I agree that painting the walls a color would make a huge difference, but we don't want to do that right now. We spent days stripping the house of dark, floral wallpaper and we just wanted the whole house to feel bright. Also, the pass thru from the kitchen to the dining room supplies most of the light to the kitchen (which is dark cherry wood) so that also affected our decision. We definitely needed to brighten the kitchen up a bit.

Love the rug, pendant lamp, and plant ideas. Table runner too once the little one is bigger. & we will probably go with insulated blinds since our gas bill is so horrific.

The best takeaway is I'm definitely going to get rid of the bench under the large painting (too much) and probably replace one of the benches with some white chairs.

Love the tables recommended from Forestdweller and Twenty Twenty One (also, thanks for the link to the Pendant lamp).

LA - we got the table from Tommy at www.manymoonsdesign.com. He lives in Kentucky and build beautiful things out of reclaimed wood. Tommy is very nice, talented, and was a pleasure to deal with on all levels.

Forestdweller - thanks for sticking up for me. That painting is not everyone's cup of tea (still no need to call it an eyesore!) but it means something very special to me and my husband.

Bromelia - thanks for the great advice. I'll just get rid of something we love and scrimped and saved for and replace it with a tapestry or piece of fabric that means absolutely nothing. & sell my house! We LOVE our house and some of the things in our house and are just trying to make them work together as best we can. No need to be so angry - it's just a little question about decorating - jeez! BTW - the previous owner was all about Arts and Crafts and while it fit the house - it was also very dark, depressing and overwhelming.

Again - thanks to everyone for all their advice!

I think you've got too many stripes/lines going in this room. The table and benches are beautiful. The wall piece is interesting, and the rest of the woodwork is quite handsome. But the sum total of all those lines and stripes makes my eyes quiver.

So I second the notion of adding some softness and covering up portions of the table and bench. A table runner and maybe a cushion on the benches might be good. Swapping out one bench for some chairs (some curvy ones) is an idea. A roundish light fixture as well.

My first impression is that changing out the pendant lamp for something modern and dramatic would give the perfect oompf to the room, without fussing around with anything else.

Lupadog, I don't think anyone has mentioned this. Try turning your table the other way and pulling it a little closer to the windows. That, along with adding some chairs and new lighting, and I think you are there.

The simplest change would be flowers. Perhaps in a brightly colored vase. I have tiffany blue vases that would look great offset against the neutral palette of your dining room.

Needs less jazzing and more softening. Bring in some fabrics.

dtich the benches which give it a picnic table look, swap out the chandelier for something more contemporary and get some paint on the walls.

bromelia, your post makes you look ugly.

go get a cuddle or something.

I would have said paint, but since you're against the idea right now, here we go.

1. Rotate the table so that it's facing the window.
Only keep one bench, and get some white chairs.

2. Picture in the black frame has got to go. You want the huge blue/orange art to be the focal point. Ditto with a real credenza under the art, and I feel like the art should be hung a bit higher, but maybe its just the angle in the picture.

3. The table is not to my taste, but I can see that it still is a beautiful table, although it might work better at another setting (ie with painted walls). You are going to have to bite the bullet and get a tablecloth until you get a paint job. Or a wide runner.Get a tablecloth with some dark blue (darker than the blue in your art). There's too much wood in the room and you need to tone it down.

4. Rug would be nice, but it probably isn't practical to have a rug under the dining table, especially with kids. So skip the rug and just get a tablecloth to tone down the wood.

5. Lighting. The suggested Nelson lamp would look really nice. Anything with simple round lines would do.

6. Window treatments. shades? curtains? Get whatever you like to soften the room. Maybe you want white roman shades with pink/orange ribbon trims to tie in the whole orange/blue/white theme?

I am sure you love your scrap pile table but personally I would choose something other than wood for the table paired with some type of mismatching of chairs in assorted colors etc. There is so much wood in this room. All I see is tan and wood. I am not usually a fan of a rug under a heavily used dining table but in your case I would make an exception and would suggest like someone else's post of using Flor tiles b/c they are easy to remove and clean.

I always like to bring out some of the colors from the art work but lighter hues of those colors. the windows could be softened up by a light airy drapery. I would do a solid perhaps woven wool or linen. If the window get a lot of direct sunlight remember to film your windows and/or line the drapes. A simple wrought iron rod and ring system would do the trick and combined with a cream or off white drape would really work wonders.

I realize that you are probably a fan of your wood window framing but a good way to soften the room up would be to get rid of them or paint them. They are breaking your room up and making if feel bulky/chunky and combined with the chunky dining table you've got two things working against you.

the light fixture could stand to be updated as well. I would choose something light in material. Especially if you dont want to paint or get rid of the window framing; definitely spruce up the lighting.

A terrarium, or some type of organic table setting would help as well.

I didn't read everyones posting so perhaps some of what I mentioned has already been said but hope this helps.

L

Get rid of the benches and add chairs -- asap!

I am so jealous that you have that table! lucky you! Shame on the previous poster who said get rid of the benches!

I agree with the white rug comment. or paint wood floors white wash? just a thought. Also, I suggest painting all wood window trim white. You need to minimize the wood, but of course, this is all working around your gorgeous scrappile table.

Bring in some yummy. You've got great bones. Paint the walls a delicious coral. It'll make that wood sing.

OK so we've had an example of how NOT to furnish a beautiful period house. Here is one example of how to do it right: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=988&NewsID=949371&CategoryID=17976&show=localnews&om=1

I like the light fixture that TrueTex came up with, as well as that rectangular one that someone else found. Whatever you do, you really need something that hold its own against the thickness of the window frames.

But for window treatments, I think it would be great to just go whole hog on the wood thing, and get 3-inch wooden blinds, but maybe see if you can get them customize in such a way that most of the blades are kind of a light wood, but that toward the top, they're various kinds of woods, so that it's KIND of like a horizontal striped valance idea, and yet it's really kind of an echo of what's going on in the table. Whatever configuration of colors you used on one, you'd have to make sure you used on all three. There's a limit to how much random one could take.

That's all I can think of for the moment.