Painting it in a dark or complementary color would work, imo.
I'd ignore the detail and paint it all one color.
I think it would work well as an eclectic accent to your other pieces.

Your office is so nice. I love the color and wainscoating. Mine's half that big. Think I could break my computer addiction if I had your comfy looking chair in my room. I can just picture myself reading there and falling asleep. :)

Was your table going to stay in your BR? Do you have any more pics of that space? On first blush I tend to agree with joanie about a single color. The detail will stand out on its own and if you want a bit more contrast later, you could always lightly add some.

Hi...thanks for responding!

I don't really want to keep the table in my bedroom, no. It wasn't part of my decorating plan there. I can't decide if I should keep it and rework it or get rid of it. Some possible places for it would be my foyer, living room, and family room. I don't have pics of these spaces just now as I am working on them, but the general feel of them should match the feel of the office.

You've gotten me thinking about "washing" it really dark... stripping and restaining would probably be best, but I don't think I have "stripping" in me. Any other thoughts I should consider, or possibly some inspiration pics anyone may have seen?

Thanks!

I could sure see that in a foyer.

Your 'washing' idea sounds best. If it's painted, stripping would be a b*tch from what I've heard. I have an antique walnut library table in the basement, that my mother painted years back (have no idea why). I'm not much of a do-it-yourselfer as it is, so I'd have no idea how to tackle that.

Once you have the gilt covered up, it won't look nearly as formal, just interesting.

I think maybe you should sell it. Your style seems less fussy than that table. Someone would love it in their more provincial home.

Oh Creekylis, I'm drooling here! I definitely think you should get rid of it. Here is my address..... LOL!!

Seriously? The *minute* I saw it, I thought that it should be painted a distressed matte black. I would paint the carved designs brown, but I wouldn't cover the gold completely. Sort of sloppily paint. Then I'd paint the rest of the table matte black, and rub/sand off the paint on the carved areas, exposing both the remnants of the leftover gold, as well as the brown. It would give it that "found in an antique store" patina that Ballard Designs always seems to picture.

It's the colors of the table that make it look fussy, but painted black it would be smashing!

I would sell it, if you don't really need the piece. It seems too french provincial frou-frou for your current style, but it is a lovely piece, and someone into that look would likely love it.

I think painting it black or any other color doesn't disguise the shape and detail of the piece, which is what doesn't seem to fit with your home.

However, if you are determined to keep it and can find a use for it, I would consider doing it in a very rusty antique red, with an antiquing glaze over it.

Reno... I'm half tempted to send it to you because I know you would do something awesome with it!!! The effect you describe is what came to me after reading the first few posts here. Les... I had also thought about the distressed red idea. Good points are made here, though, about whether I should keep it at all. I guess somewhere I am hopeful that I can either make this house into one that I love or will move to another house in which this table will fit. I hate to give up the nicer things I have collected, but sometimes I suppose that makes sense.

Case in point... the best furniture I own happens to be my Ethan Allen dining table and chairs. I love them. However, I have had to convert my little-used dining room into my office (pictured above) and with three little kids I hesitate to use the table in my kitchen, even though it would fit. So, for now it is kind of tucked into a corner of my living room and used as extra work space for DH and me. You can see it in this pic...

{{!gwi}}

My struggle is because I lived in my previous home for 5 years and spent the entire time making into exactly the home I wanted and loved. All furniture and accessories were purchased for that place. I finally had it exactly how I wanted it and we moved. Now, nothing seems to fit right. I'm "making do" with my things and waiting for a time when they will work again. Unfortunately, they are going out of style as I wait. I suppose I should be thankful that I ever had the home I wanted, be glad for my nice things, and quit whining, eh? LOL

I'm a firm believer that one should hold onto pieces that "speak" to them, or are just great pieces. Eventually they'll be used again. IMO, that table is gorgeous, and it "speaks" to me, so yes, I'd re-paint it and use it.

If it's a piece that you continually love, but just don't have the room for, keep it. It'll find it's place again in your home.

If it's a piece that others love, but you've just never been all that thrilled about, then sell it.

I recently sold a few items that were amazing, but they just didn't make my heart sing. I don't regret it at all.

But conversely, I've sold things over the years that I loved, but thought for whatever reason I couldn't use them, and didn't want to waste space storing them, or needed the money, etc. I've regretted those ALWAYS, and find myself looking for similar pieces in antique stores, etc.

If you like the table, I think you could work it into your current scheme by thinking like a Parisian with a country house (rotating your older formal Paris apartment furniture into your 18th century country estate, don't-cha know...), and use it in your foyer with a big rustic basket underneath, an old metal tray on top, a simple glass lamp with a linen shade, and a big wood-framed mirror over it. Any of the suggested paint treatments would work in such a scheme, but I'd also think stripping and staining with a fruitwood or chestnut stain would also be nice. I think you'd have to be careful, if the carved decorations might be glued on, so you don't loosen the glue when stripping. That said, I think the table might even benefit from losing the carved bits entirely. Then it would really take on the provincial look that would work with your things?