The rug is perfect!
The chandelier size will be fine, I think. And it's very nice.
I agree with others that the colors in the painting don't seem to go in the room. But, then dianalo might be right and you may be able to make it work with her suggestions.

abundantblessings - do you have that chandy and know the crystals are plastic? I bought a different chandelier from overstock with crystals and they are glass. I was actually amazed at how beautiful they were given the price. It's hung over my kitchen sink in front of window and they make the most amazing rainbows of color around my kitchen when the sun hits it just right. Love it! And my DH thought I was nuts when I bought that. Now he loves it too!

Looks to me like you're off to a great start. Have you, by any chance, browsed the dining rooms thread in our Gallery? Loads of good ideas in there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dining Room Eye Candy

I am seeing a more suppressed palette for art, at least at first:

Renoir:{{!gwi}}

Pink Magnolia:{{!gwi}}

Glamorous II:{{!gwi}}

Glamorous I: {{!gwi}}

Fragrance of Spring:{{!gwi}}

First Blush:
{{!gwi}}

Night Blossoms:
{{!gwi}}

Wild MushroomII:
{{!gwi}}

Thanks so much everyone for the input!!!

lisa_mocha- thanks for the heads up on that post. I showed the longer chandy in there to hubby and he was instantly excited about the idea- and so am I. I think since our table is so long, it needs something more substantial. The question is: will that be too many rectangles???

beekeeperswife- I am always so happy to get input from you, because I have drooled over your pics many times, lol. I love your design sense. My style is very similar to yours... or at least the style that I would *like* to achieve.

awm- I love your buffet and wallpaper. Very cool! And thank you for that photoshop - I always wanted a roman shade like that. and I get to see what the charcoal gray looks like in there. and it makes me feel that the chandy I have chosen... a little too small.

dianalo- that's what I was hoping- that I would be able to use other accessories to bring the color in. But, it still might be too much. The wall color is very gray and subdued. I wish I could just turn down the color a notch, but keep everything else.

Oceanna- thanks for the gallery link!

Palimpsest- See, I agree that it's calling for a more subdued color palette... but I always wanted rooms with color, sparkle and a bit of that "wow" factor. But, maybe by going so bright, I am fighting against a naturally evolving traditional room?

okay, so if you had to pick between these two longer ones, which would you guys pick?

A. (white shade, no arms)

B. (light beige shade, with arms)

I think I am leaning toward B. but hubby seemed to like A. more.

Oooooh I love B!!!and your room is looking great.

Love B as well, but then maybe you will want to change to a rounder mirror at some point. I think the softer color shade will be nice.

No, jillinnj, I don't have that chandie, but a friend bought a similar one and returned it as it was flimsy with plastic smooth dangles. That's why I raised the question, but still think it a good look for budget and suggested swapping for crystal prisms when one can afford. HTH!

For me, I'd like A. For your dining room, B works better. Both are quite nice.

Can you mock up the art with a large mellow mat and within a simple frame? That may tone it down. BTW - How large is it? If it is very big, it would be overwhelming. If it is more modest sized, you could make it work more easily.

check out 'uttermost fascination 3 light chandelier' (don't know how to insert pics...) at lamps plus... it is 22"wide, and i think the round shape might look better over a dining table than the rectangular...

I like the idea of putting a pale blue fabric on the chairs!

Thanks, abundantblessings. Good to know that some of the crystal chandeliers don't have glass crystals. I got lucky with mine!

busybee- I love the uttermost chandy. I think it's perfect. But, it's way above what I can afford to spend.

By request, here are some new pics of the dining room in the daylight. I can only take them from this side of the room, because even with a backlight setting, facing the window makes the pics come out too dark.

What do you guys think of me doing a gallery wall as opposed to a large piece of art? I would do it somewhat free-form to get rid of the some of the hard angles in the room. I could choose some small prints with the colors I want to incorporate, some pieces of fabric that I like, and mix them with black and white photos of hubby and I, and of family. Might be more visually interesting than a single piece. More of that "wow" factor. Remember, this is to go on the wall opposite our mirror.

If I went this route, should I do black frames or silver? Mat or no mat?

Also, I have never asked anyone to photoshop anything for me, and you have been so kind to help me out. Would someone be able to photoshop chandy "B" along with the round bellesol mirror from Ballards? I want to show my hubby that they will work really well together. He has a hard time envisioning these things.

Thanks so much for all your help so far!!! I really love this forum and the people in it.

If you are doing a free form gallery, I would recommend using various frames. Identical frames work best in order grids or layouts, imo. Its easier to add on and be really free with it if you don't get too rigid with the frames.

pal- good to know! thank you!

First, I need to apologize as my monitor was showing me your wall color as a tan shade and not the pale grey that I now see!

Second, I want to say what a great job you did finding the most absolute perfect rug for your space. It is a timeless pattern in a modern color way and should serve you well for years to come.

Third, I just want you to know that I love that this room is becoming traditional with a twist. The fresh colors, the informal fabrics, and the traditional foundation make this entire room a WOW in my book. It is calming and refreshing and I would love to be invited for dinner!

The following comments are just my opinion, so feel free to ignore! :)

Not loving a rectangular light in your space. Too cold and static and industrial even with bling! Also not loving the combo of chains and cord making it look even worse. I would stick with a circular fixture to add a calming balance to all the other hard angles in the room.

Not loving the large floral print. Love the idea of a free form design picture wall using framed fabrics and photos. Easy to change, add and delete. That would be something unexpected and a quiet WOW.

Stop thinking about a round mirror for now and paint or silver leaf the one you have. A round one may come your way when you least expect it and you can sell or use this one somewhere else in the house.

Not loving the sconces. Too delicate and bedroom/bathroom like.

The corner cabs (love!) are acting as large cold blobs in the corners. I would not back with mirrors as someone suggested. I would paint the insides the robin egg blue you are wanting to bring in. Or I would back them with sheets of colored or patterned giftwrap/fabric/scrapbook paper using glue dots for easy changing later on. I would be looking for thrift or dollar store items that I could paint out as white/silver/grey/robin egg blue to beef up the interior. Change out the knobs to the crystal and look for some additional crystal items to shimmer in the interior. Please do not paint the insides a dark grey!

Your chair seats are fine as they are for now and I would not recover them yet. If you do add wainscotting later on, you might want to add a color print or fabric so they don't blend in with that.

I know you want this room to be done sooner rather than later... but the journey takes time and you are learning a lot about your taste as you go.

ok...sorry-- didn't know what your budget was.

staying on the overstock site, there is the 6 light 'iron' and crystal chandy which is traditional in style, but the black gives it a more modern touch...it is 24" which is a more appropriate size for the table...it's shape and style would fit in with your other decor better than the rectangular light, imo. the shades are pretty traditional, but probably wouldn't flavor the room too much, and can always be changed out later...

I agree about the back of the china cabinets, pick a grey -blue out of the rug, go a bit deeper or bluer maybe, and paint the back of the cupboards.

busy- no problem. Like I said I ADORE that fixture. I wish I could afford it because I would snatch it up in a heartbeat.

How about something like this?

Too blingy?

Here's a question... can you just buy a lampshade and put it on a chandelier?

Syllabus- your response was so kind, I had to respond to it. Thank you for your honest advice. Hubby wants to paint the cabs robin's egg blue too, so I think we'll be going that route. :) As for the hard angles of the chandelier... I somewhat agree... but, I really want a chandelier that has IMPACT and really adds some pizazz to the room. And I thought the length of the chandelier would make it unique and give it impact.

If my dining room was a woman, the chandy would be her 10k diamond necklace, lol. :)

Now I am torn.

Yes, you can add a shade...look at this!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: younghouselove chandy redo

How about a drum shade?
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Here you go, has a split harp on the top to get on a chandelier.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organza Chandelier shade

Love the rug - nice choice!

Love the drum shades Pal selected. I agree on back of cabinets painted another color (and suggested it earlier).

DD2 has a drum shade in her DR - she has eclectic taste. Likes new pieces mixed with repurposed and vintage pieces. I think a drum shade would be perfect for your room and give it the transitional touch you talked about in the last thread.

I agree, this artwork is too strong for the room with your other choices. My favorite - color wise - is Pal's "Fragrance of Spring" since it will bring some color to the room. Shades he's shown would repeat the color.

The chandy was a little harder to do, so you need to squint your eyes & stand back from the monitor to make it "blend" better, lol!

This is with pal's gray/blue suggestion. Now that we can see the true room colors better, that's a better color than charcoal. This is turning into a room with elan!

Check out the Art on Z Gallerie--seems to be some neutrals plus that would work in the florals

Here is a link that might be useful: Art

I added a tad more blue to the cabinets because the first cabs didn't look very blue gray after uploading:

Now that you have the curtains and rug in place I would go ahead and paint the walls darker, either a darker grey or a blue pulled out of the curtain print, a Gustavian grey-blue. Both the curtains and rug are lovely but they are both very light and your room is floating away. . . You need at least one strong color. I would keep the corner cupboards the same color as your moulding and paint the insides a beautiful true blue (including the backs of the glazed upper doors), fill them with white creamware or your china and leave the doors open to display it. Also love a true blue for your upholstered chair seats.

I don't like the rectangular chandelier, it looks like a gimmicky hybrid that cannot decide what style it is. . . . Love that embroidered drum shade palimpsest posted, could you use that with the first light fixture you pictured on this thread?

I would take down the mirror and not use anything until you find the perfect thing.

And cannot wait to see your finished room, it's fun to see it take shape, and the rug is perfect!

And agree with others that vibrant print is not a good fit for your room . . . On my monitor it looks aqua..

I would repaint the room almost the colour of the trim of the new area rug. Your chosen colours, while beautiful and calming, are losing themselves in one another. There is nothing in the room so far, that is taking the lead in holding the space together. Accessories can't do that and they can't anchor a space. If the walls were darker that would also bring the dining room set (which is beautiful) into being a part of the room and the corner cabinets could be left as the white for some punch of contrast which is lacking.

I feel as though I need to address the wall color issue as that seems to have taken center stage now. I have a very love/hate relationship with the color. When the sunlight hits it- it's absolutely perfect. The perfect "greige" that I was going for. At night, when we have nothing but the chandelier light... the paint looks like a pinky-purply-brown: of which I am not a fan. I am not sure if switching out the bulbs in my chandelier could help combat this.

Now, I realize that everything is looking very brown right now. But, honestly... I have too many other walls to worry about before I go and repaint this room. Like the highlighter yellow in the sunroom, or the dingy basement, or the kitchen where I just finished removing the wallpaper. Yes, maybe someday I will repaint this room... but it won't be any time soon. Not to mention, hubby would have a fit if I told him I was repainting after a month. Especially when we went with the color I picked.

awm- thank you for putting the chandelier in the room. I realize it's another hard angle, but I actually really like it.

I also feel like I connected more with your previous photoshop with the charcoal gray cabs. I dunno, for some reason, the blue doesn't seem to have the same impact for me.

Pal- your drum shades are lovely.... but I am looking for some sparkle. If I could stick one of those shades on a crystal chandelier, that would be ideal.

kswl and blfenton- I hope you don't take offense to my above comment on the paint color. Both of your suggestions are valid. I never intended for the room to be so... brown. It just kind of happened. However, I have a very limited budget for working on the entire house (which all needs work, trust me... just wait until I tackle the half bath with teddy bears and outhouses all over it), and I feel like I have to just kind of stick it out for a while and work with what I have. Is there any way, that you both can see, that I can ground the space?

Does everyone else feel like my paint is the problem?

Believe me - no offense taken. I understand trying to spread a decorating budget!
I can't tell if the wall sconces on either side of the mirror are light or candles. If they can be moved, move them closer to the mirror so that that vignette reads as one thing on the wall instead of 3 things on the wall.
The plates/crystal in the corner cabinets - do you, in other cupboards or cabinets, have things that are more colourful that you can put in there - vases, bowls, plates, anything and it doesn't have to be expensive or fancy - try to balance the two sides. Or pick up a couple of things from HomeSense (?) or a Winners-like store of your favourite colours and intersperse them with your white.

I like the blue-inspired drum lampshades that pal posted. Your room is already quite angular and a rectangular shade will emphasize that. (DR chandeliers should be hung about 36" off the table - yours appears to be hung higher than that). I wouldn't be bringing in any gray to the room if you are wanting to perk it up. How about a pale sunshine yellow?

Then bring (I think dianalo suggested this) in a table runner for the table with the stronger tones of the colours in the rug and add a low wide bowl of one of the colours to put on the table. It might be that with the strong brown of the DR table with the colours from the rug you might be able to use it to ground the space. By connecting the colours in your corner cabinets with the colours on your table and in your chandelier you will have colour and accents that are connected to each other from the different areas of the room all wrapped up in your brownish neutral colour of the walls and area rug.
If you are still thinking of doing the art wall don't forget that that will be reflected in your mirror and may give the room a very choppy feeling. The picture that you chose is much too strong for the room.

Ok I know I jumped in before and said I loved the chandy B which isnow photoshopped-- now I am concerned about the scale ( I know photoshop is not so simple) but in the example above it does look like it is too large? ( I know the other one was too skimpy but just want to bring that to your attention..... what are the dimensions of the table and new chandy ?).
I also think that once you have "stuff" in the corner cabinets it will really add some zing. I think the wall color is great as is and TOTALLY understand how different the color looks at different times of day/lighting.

Oh, makeithome, I also understand paint issues and my "reading" of colors on my computer screen is not always accurate! Believe me, no offense taken it is just so tempting to sit here and be an armchair decorator , lol. If you are going to leave the walls I would go for a white, silvered, shell, or mirrored-frame mirror to accentuate the lightness. You could paint the cab interior a robin's egg blue and fill with white and silver, and do the seat upholstery in a stronger blue. I still like the first light you showed in this thread. IMO it is large enough for your table, ESP. If you
are not going to be putting in a lot of leaves in the table. A bold blue/
grey /white/ taupe runner with silver or glass candlesticks grouped around
a silver rose bowl holding white roses. . . . That may be too traditional for
your taste but it would be very "dining room appropriate."

Thanks for understanding, everyone. Sorry if I sounded a little defensive. Part of that is just frustration because of feeling like there's something else I have to worry about now, lol. And part of it is because, in the back of my mind, I know you are right- the paint doesn't work quite right with what we have bought. And I know paint is only paint... but when I am buying BM Aura at $60.00 a gallon, trying to do things "the right way"... paint mistakes could eat up my budget really fast. Hubby understands that decor is very important to me, but he also hates to see work and money go to waste. When I mentioned last night that I thought the paint was off (something I have accepted since I hung the curtains, but never verbalized because I knew the mistake was mine) his response was "Well, it's because you keep going on Gardenweb and letting other people tell you what's wrong. If you keep listening to everyone else, you'll doubt everything you do."

Looking at what I have right now... if I was to repaint... what color do you think it should be? If you want, I can try to take closeup pics of the rug and curtains. I am thinking of a medium, charcoaly gray for drama... but again, that could be all wrong too.

I am looking at drum pendants now. I am still hoping to find something with a little crystal because I have always said I wanted a home that sparkled... but we'll see. Thanks for the support and suggestions everyone! I'll come back with whatever I find :)

I don't think the paint is wrong at all: There is nothing wrong with setting a neutral palette for the envelope and introducing color and texture with the contents. Suzanne Kasler and Mariette Himes Gomez use this as their basic theorem.

I also think the drum shade Pal showed would look lovely on a crystal chandelier in yor room. I'm not so crazy about the rectangular one and, looking at your choices so far, I don't think you would like it for long. It sounds as if you have a vision for the room, young and hip and sparkling, but you are gravitating toward more subdued, calm, transitional pieces. I do the same thing. I see rooms on here I love, but they just don't fit "me".

Your DH is right. Listen to yourself. When you decorate on a tight budget, you want to have select things which will serve you long-term, and you're doing that so far.

The paint goes well with what you have, so don't sweat it. Finish the room, then re-evaluate in a year or so.

Dee

Pale palette inspiration from apartment therapy:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/classic-style-inspiration-mirrored-sconces-093689

Alternative sconce types

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=safari&q=mirrored+sconces&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=1238171915024012283&ei=C35FTdDUKsP7lwf8rLn_Dw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=6&ved=0CE8Q8gIwBQ#

I like the 1st chandelier you posted at beginning with drum shade and crystals. I also think the robin egg blue art will work IF you repeat the color in the room somewhere - say a large floor vase on opposite side of the room. I also like the round mirror that beekeeperwife posted - that would look great opposite the art.

makeithome, don't forget that you're the only one who sees the room how it really is. You see the true colors, the true scale, the lighting, how it fits in with the whole house, your budget, your work time, and your life style. Things might look fine to us on this web site, but we're only looking at it from two angles on our monitors that skew the colors & misrepresent scale. You know & see more. So if your gut tells you the rectangular chandy works & so does charcoal instead of light blue, then you're probably right.

I agree with your husband: trust your instincts. Sure, you'll have a couple of missteps, but that's to be expected as none of us are static and many of us upgrade as budget permits -- just part of the process of learning about yourself. Fill your home with what you love, however slowly as you need to create your haven, not ours.

That being said, your perfect daylight greige is likely affected by the lightbulbs. Try Reveal and add a dimmer if you don't already have one. Lots of candles as everyone looks fab by candlelight and your DR will be wonderful.

Next paint job on your agenda in another room, if you want to save a bit of money, try Pittsburgh Paint Manor Hall. Nearly half the price of Aura, and I like the hand ever so much better. I've used Aura for years since it first came out, but I really like Manor Hall better.

As far as your chandie/mirror dilemma, I'd opt for round on one and rectangular on the other. Since you already have the mirror and are open to leafing or painting it, then an easy out is a round chandie. Have you looked at any of the antique crystal chandies on Ebay and considered adding a drum shade? But if you truly think you'll love the rectangular chandelier, I've seen some nice ones of Ebay as well as the selection on Overstock.

Finally, rather than wed yourself to a color concept for the back of the cabinets, would you consider paper, fabric or even painted panels that you can change when you want? You can easily find just the right striking print or color rather than struggle with paint. Many of us have bought enough samples to paint a house so that's not a route I'd advise. I'm a fan of practical displays until you have the budget to devote to passion collections so add whatever sparkly crystal stemware and candlesticks and any silver pieces you have to the cabinets for the interim. HTH!

I am certainly not a decorator but I just wanted to put my two cents worth in. That's about what it's worth. I have read the postings and they all sound really knowledgeable and helpful. You ladies really are a caring group. I have almost talked myself out of saying anything but I've never been known for keeping my mouth shut, so here goes...awn03 posted a picture of her chandi and it is beautiful. Could you paint your existing chandi black and put little shades on it like hers? Candice painted an existing chandi on her show last week and it turned out beautifully. Please forgive me if I am out of line. - Marylee

At this point, I wouldnt worry about painting again. The color you have looks nice with the curtains, table and rug. I really like everything you have so far--i think the rug looks perfect with everything.

Until you have some accent colors--table runner, maybe recovering the chairs, color in the corner cabinets, and art work--you really can't tell if the wall color is too washed out--I think once some colorful accents are added--you will be happy with your existing neutral paint.

Good luck!

Beautiful room! I think you are making good progress.

Use the charcoal and robin's egg blue that you love, and then in the accessories and artwork add a few little bits of color from the opposite side of the color wheel to energize it and add a little zing.

It looks like there is a bit of a reddish color in your rug, and the reds in "Fragrance of Spring" that Palimpest posted for example will help bring that out. Or a couple of red/orange gerbera daisies (if you like them) in a pewter vase, etc. to keep you from ending up with a monochromatic look (although elegant, doesn't seem to be what you want).

thank you so much everyone! Your suggestions are so appreciated and I am thankful for the support. I am going to do as you all suggest and go with my gut. I know what I want to do now. I will update you all when I have made progress. Thanks again!!

Call me crazy but I liked your original chandelier (other thread). It had that classic, refined elegant look with a modern twist plus bling and sparkle in the silver finish.

Rather than paint the corner cupboards blue why not paint a console table blue. There are so many used pieces out there that can be livened up with a coat of paint at little expense. You could sprinkle other items around in the same color. Then if the color didn't work you could replace it and not be married to 2 blue corner cabs. I think a person would have to really LOVE that blue color choice to not tire of it in that capacity. JMHO

So many suggestions for you! LOL

I'm finally learning to take my time in making bigger design decisions that cannot be easily changed. Learned that lesson more than once! I have to be dead on certain before taking the plunge. My point being, take your time and love all the changes you make--no need to hurry! Most of the fun is in finding the perfect piece, color etc. You're wise to do your projects in a sequence that you can live with.

I have three sizable projects looming at once and while it's exhilarating it's also a bit stressful! A good stress, though. I'm at a place in life where I'm able to do things in my home I was unable to do before and I'm taking pretty full advantage of the opportunity! What fun!

Looking forward to your progress, thanks for letting us in on it!

I really, really like the current paint color. Of course, I'm not seeing the pinky color you see at night, but what I see is the perfect, serene look you were originally going for. I also think everything else you have in there right now is perfect, but remember I like monochromatic. That could be where the difference in opinions is coming from. Not everyone is into that look and they like to add punches of color. There's nothing wrong with that either, but you just need to try and remember what look you originally invisioned in your head and go for it. I just think the room still needs that touch of bling with the chandelier. I'd also still love to see a round mirror, but I understand that's not an option right now. I do like the idea of the original chandelier you looked at or the drum shade just to add something circular. I'd also be tempted to go with art in sepia tones to keep with that monochromatic look or at least something with browns & tans.

Laurie

I really like how the room is coming along. The rectangular chandelier is very intriguing.

The element I am distracted by though is the pediment top of the built-ins. You are going in a very forward, transitional direction but that shape keeps drawing my attention. I think a simple crown molding would work.

Feel free to tell me I am crazy.