I've heard of folks doing a tea stain over wallpaper... and it wouldn't have to be tea. Might be worth trying before you give up and rip it down.

Hi oceanna, thanks for weighing in. Your new GG in your entry came out fabulous!

I've thought of tea-staining the paper. The colors would lend themselves to tea-staining. How could I ensure even staining though? Ralph Lauren makes some glazes for wallpapers -- tobacco, tea, sunfade. I've even thought of using Minwax gel stains: the orange-y ones could make an interesting golden glow.

Here's the wallpaper:

Here is a link that might be useful: the object of my love/hate

I know people are most probably sick of hearing this, but I'll say it again if it will benefit someone else. I use the GE Reveal incandescent bulbs as they don't give off a yellow hue and make things look "dingy." Reveal makes all sizes, even for chandi's.

I like using metalic glazes. You could do a quick glaze over the paper with an oyster or soft gold or even silver glaze, drybrushed on very thin. In the daytime you won't even notice it, but at night, with the chandlier on...the room is just gorgeous.

Personally I always lean towards gold...I love it in candlelight and I think a dining room should be made to show up best with candlelight, but an oyster or pearl glaze or very very soft silver (mix a silver glaze 50/50 with oyster) and I think you'll find all of a sudden things look much different when the lights are low and the wine is flowing :)

Gosh, I recognize that dining room set. Is it a Drexel Heritage Travis Court? My chairs are the same. I have the china closet and have been looking for the buffet forever. Every once and a while I see them on ebay but they are pricing with the shipping and all.

Personally I love the paper, I am a toile kinda gal,so I agree with you that just the right chandi would pull it off.

"Gosh, I recognize that dining room set."
Really! It is Drexel! But we were told it was about 40 years old at the time we bought it at a tag sale in 1983: sideboard, small serving chest, china cab, table & 5 chairs for $750. It was my first piece of furniture. The table is unglued now at the leg joints, & I think beyond (yet another) repair. Thanks very much for that info, lynn_r_ct. I'm in CT too, btw.

igloochic, I love that idea. Where do you buy the metallic glazes? Any brands to look for?

brutuses, I love Reveal lights too. They improved the sconces there, & I'll put them in the chandelier that will replace the ceiling fan.

Obviously still on the fence whether to take down the paper & paint or to leave the toile. Maybe beige is just too bland no matter what you do? There are some pale greens in the paper that react well to moss greens...

Doesn't anybody have a great color in their dining room that looks wonderful at night?

I particularly like the Valspar Signature products (Lowes). I prefer them to the glazes sold at Home Despot because of their translucentcy (gad I spelled that wrong) anyhoo, their see through ness LOL

I'd pick up a couple of jugs of it...you can do the entire room with one small one, (about $8) but I prefer larger ones since I like to know I have enough ($16). I'd grab a couple of smaller jugs in a pearl/oyster finish, soft gold, and silver and play with them on a sample board first. Get a nice big fat bruch and learn the dry brush technique if you've not done it. Basically you work with next to nothing on the brush in X patterns. When it's applied, with the color's you're using and the effect you want to acheive, you'll barely see it. Personally I'm going to guess you'll end up with a half half mix of either gold or silver (what are your accent pieces? let that lead you) and the pearl tone. (It might be called golden opal...) It will barely be visible when dry, and when you light up the room...ohhh la la :)

I will show you my dining room set for dinner...but please note, the paint base is SCHOOL BUS YELLOW! and then it's glazed with a deep gold glaze and another in buff. It's a room designed to show off my venetian glassware and I wanted over the top goldness LOL So don't let it scare you from the glaze I'm suggesting. I was going for a great deal more drama in my room than what I'm suggesting for yours.

My room is meant to be at it's best only after the lights are dimmed and the wine is flowing :) It's about the chandelier and the candles and the soft glow of the entire space:

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By the way...here's another fabulous dining room in a house we're hoping to buy soon...it's another great evening space: (You can see I'm drawn to dark tones)
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Awm -- thanks for your kind comments on my faux stained glass window. As to getting stain even, I haven't done it. Looks like you're getting a lot of great suggestions here and at some point with a scary project like that you grit your teeth and just jump in. The good news is that nothing is permanent -- there's a fix of some kind for almost everything we can mess up. So be brave! :)

Ooooh, igloochicccc.... If I drool anymore, I will short out the keyboard. What a fabulous color in your dining room, and that new house room is to die for. I hope everything goes smoothly for you & you get the house.

Thank you so very much for the recommendations re metallic glazes. I think I will give that a try this summer after the renovation.

I love the wall paper in there!!
That is a room that needs a seagrass rug - white linen or silk drapes - very full on the window.
Maybe change the finish on the sconces to something darker or antiqued.
I am not a blog person at all but I do follow this one as of recently. Check out this for some inspiration.

Igloo - your current dr and hopeful future - drop dead gorgeous. I would LOVE all that paneling!! nice, expensive stuff:)

Smiles:)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cote de Texas

Yes, a seagrass rug sounds good. All my other rooms have orientals, though. Would it look funny if the DR had a different kind of rug?

Our walls are a light taupe. After seeing your post yesterday, I made a point of checking the night lighting. We have standard bulbs in ours chandelier. The color is slightly darker in real-life than in the photos but the day/night change is minor.

Here is a photo and you can see the comparison to the white column.

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I like the dark furniture against the color. I love wallpaper and have had lots of it over the years but have always stayed away from busy paterns because I believe they detract from the room setting or other wall decorations. Just a personal preference. Here is another room view with furniture and art against the same color.

{{!gwi}}