I like your room very much! and I like the lace curtains too, they fit your room. The painting to the right of the double window is hung too high. Try putting one of the other pictures below it. A colorful rug will be lovely.

Try removing all the art and small items, even the plants (which I love) and add back until you are satisfied with it. Can you simplify the things on the book case?

Love the room.

I like the curtains, and love the furniture and your general style with all of the antiques. I think what could be seen as frumpy is the way the curtains are swagged back. Try extending the curtain rods as far out as they can go, and then just let each panel hang down, so that the curtains sit beyond the edges of window and don't cover up the windows or the casing (aka stack back). This makes the most of the view and the light, and can make smaller windows look bigger,

https://fredgonsowskigardenhome.com/2011/05/03/the-right-way-to-hang-curtains-and-drapes/

I'd at least try that first and see what you think. Though floral curtains would definitely go with the cottage/English country look you have in the room. To me, Persian carpets no matter how colorful function as a neutral, so anything goes : ) .

If you do want to change the curtains, have you looked at Country Curtains to see what they have left during their going out of business sale?

I really like your room... Maybe because it reminds me a little of our dining room ;) I was going to make the same curtain suggestion as beckysharp. I think you might find the frumpy look goes away once they're hanging more simply.

I like the room as well, including the curtains

Your books are tall..maybe try to put some of them horizontally..ot make one shelf more dence with books, but free some space on the other shelf for an object/vase/small art you love. Play with it a bit. Along these lines.

the rug will go whether you stay with lace or venture into florals..i really love the lace, to me, it's nostalgic and fits your room perfectly. it has its own character..very homey, cozy, begging to linger..i agree with almost all that has been said but don't move your plants)) or just play with their placement if light allows that. but i really like them. I like how curtains are hanging too. Maybe wash them and you'll love them again.

You definitely can combine florals and lace-that's what I grew up with and was very cool too. Just to point out that one doesn't neccessarily needs to choose between the two:)

I'd empty the top of the bookcase though..in short I'd take a bit of pieces away then return them after the bookcase is figured out

lovely space. sorry ..very far from being terrible:)

Well, I wasn't expecting the compliments, but thank you all very much. I'm surprised that you like the lace? I think that everything I have is very much out of style (if it ever was). I'd like to move somewhat away from this "old-lady" look but feel that I have painted myself in a corner due many of the choices made over the years. I lack the budget (and frankly, the inclination) to start completely over.

Junco - I see what you mean about that picture. Lowering it a bit may help it fit the space a bit better. That's the space where my inherited painting was supposed to go! I'm apparently getting some Victorian furniture that I have no place for. ( It's a bit puzzling).

The bookcase holds cookbooks and gardening books, so they are large and a bit messy. The cheap Ikea bookcase may collapse, so I'd better start rearranging. Junk on top is temporary, as well as the stuff on other surfaces,

beckysharp - I always smile when I see your screen name. (My name is also from a Victorian novel). I used to be maureeninmd here and used Sergeant Cuff on a rose site. I do not remember changing my name and wonder if people think I am in the military? with my lace curtains?

Thank you for the link to hanging curtains correctly. I am going to fiddle with them tomorrow. I still may want a change. I HAve recently looked at he CC website; the cupboard is bare. Not everything came in short lengths anyway, but I'm looking at panels on eBay.

Eastautumn, Thanks. I think I will just get rid of the tieback-holder-things.

April - yes, I think I the bookcase looks sloppy. My kitchen has no storage so things end up in the dining room. It's a cheap bookcase, so I never really thought about using it to "decorate". Maybe the top shelf should be cleared for safety's sake.

I mentioned I wanted to move in a different direction, so thought I might get a rug that wasn't too "pretty", perhaps one more geometric. Yet the one I like the best is very floral, over budget, and maybe too large for the room. I've had a hard time finding the right size.

Is this too large? Too floral? Would you still keep the lace with this?

I love lace curtains: ) . I've had several pairs ever since my first apartment in NYC -- they were just the thing for privacy while still letting in as much light as possible -- and on various trips to Europe, especially Brussels and Nottingham, I've spent far too much time admiring the lace-covered windows. And your house reminds me very much of the houses of some of my favorite Instagram accounts, very few of them are "old ladies"! And the ones who are, like Min Hogg, have fabulous taste.

Ros Byam Shaw

Ruth Guilding at The Bible of British Taste (her husband is writer AN Wilson)

Robin Lucas

Jack Laver Brister

Rita Konig

I remember your previous GW name, I've been kicking around here on and off (as kids, farming, and ailing parents/inlaws have allowed) for about eight years now. The connection to roses makes a great deal of sense -- I'd forgotten that the Sgt is a rosarian!

Yes to the rug! Your room strikes me as a place I would like to copy, love the windows, corner cupboard, the GREENERY! It would be my room to 'play' in, bringing out things I love and switching them with other things I love (being creative), setting the table with favorites. I can imagine what fun that would be.

You have some fabulous pieces and they are celebrated in your room. Love the rug!!

Becky - I haven't spent much time on Instagram, but those accounts are really beautiful. The architecture and quality of furnishings! I love English furniture. I love England - the cozy pubs rather than the royals. I'm going to set up an account and follow these. But I don't see much lace? I also tried to google persian rugs + lace. I think I'm just out step with the times.

Back to the curtains - I guess the first step is to remove the tie back thingies completely. Then move the rod hardware away the window? The rod holder sits right at the corner. But what about the single window? The curtain touches the radiator and two panels might be too full. I dont know if I can get a matching panel anyway as they were bought from Country Curtains.

I think if I do away with the lace, I'd avoid a big floral. I'd be too much.

Now that I see how bad the bookcase looks, I wonder if I can consolidate and neaten, and then leave the top shelf open for pottery, etc. or would that be weird? (If it's just the top shelf). The books are too large to allow mixing with other items.

I think I'll keep the rug but my husband wants to try to get a lower price. I love these old rugs but dislike the haggling. I was going to discuss the price over the phone, but perhaps I should bring it back, along with the rejected one, and do it in person. This dealer is humorless though. I haggled over a scarf in Turkey once and the seller pretended that he was having a heart attack, as if I was actually killing him. I think I still overpaid.

Sergeantcuff:) It doesn't matter whether bookshelf is cheap or not; what matters is your approach..I had a much more cheaper smaller thing-y for years and still had it full of books and framed postcard etc. and looked(to me then at least lol) very cheerful. It's just what you love to see and how you like to use it; you definitely love to see pretty things:) and to use them accordingly..so yes, play with it until you're both pleased, you and the bookshelf. While you do that you'll see how the pottery looks; it might be very cool. One doesn't know until he tries.

I like the rug and don't see it as interfering with curtains at all. As you, I think single panel is enough for the window that is narrower. It just makes sense, and looks good. You don't need two panels there.

Who cares what's in or out of style-which style, first and foremost? There are many happily co-existing, and the more your reflects you the better it becomes it because others feel connection much more, as if a room was a human, a nice human too, you know:)

If you don't like it-that's something different, maybe you want to explore what you'd like to edit, add, remove..maybe you're into new color, maybe you dig art you didn't notice that much before. But do it slowly.

Nobody cares whether flowers are in style; flowers are flowers. They have their own character of course; yet they are alive and tender and a tad unpredictable and you always want to look at them some more. Such is your room.

(going to check becky's Instagram's suggestions-can't bring myself to open an account just yet, too many wonderful things..I'll get lost))

Your home is VERY lovely! I so enjoy seeing a real home that reflects the owner rather than what is trendy on some TV show.

We constantly hear about " dated" decor which makes us all think that we need to make changes. But, if this is what we LIKE why should we change it? Your warm, cozy style is what makes you ( and me) happy. Would you enjoy your home if it had gray walls, gray sectional, no curtains, black/white striped rug, etc.? It appears that you do not want your home to look like everyone else's. Good for you!

I like the rug, a lot. I know I'm a broken record, but to me a Persian rug functions as a neutral and goes with just about everything. Good luck with the haggling : ) .

You don't have to have an IG instagram, if that helps; I use my laptop and have just bookmarked the accounts I like.

There's style, and then there's trendy, which goes for clothing as well as houses. Style lasts, trendy fades very quickly. And those who choose trendy do so because they want what's popular, often regardless for whether they actually like the particular trend, whether it's everything gray or chevron or arranging books by color. I've seen so many dreary, drab dining rooms/areas, in real life and on GW/Houzz, and to see a room so warm, welcoming, alive (not just because of the plants), and clearly often used, is lovely.

SC, on a different subject, is the ceiling light original to the house? Or is it Rejuvenation? Either way, it's perfect for the room.

I couldn't agree more with the comments above. Your room has a timeless look to it, and I love the new rug! It's actually similar in pattern to one I recently purchased through eBay that doesn't strike me as "flowery" from a distance, but if you look closely it does have a lot of flowers:

If your husband wants to get a better price for the rug, is he willing to do the haggling or is he like mine and expects you do all the haggling? I don't love that part of transactions either, but it's always worth a try. I think most sellers expect it for purchases that large.

Our dining room buffet is almost identical to yours and our chandelier is in old brass from Rejuvenation, so I was also curious if yours is original or Rejuvenation.

For the curtain panel on the smaller window, I can see where you'd want to keep it pulled to the side away from the radiator. I think it looks just fine that way, and like the 2 panels hanging freely (as in your last picture) on the other window. I think they look beautiful with the rug. I love passing homes with lace curtains and the lights on in the evening. It just looks so cozy and inviting. And I'm envious that you even have curtains... I purchased some gauzy fabric to make curtains for our dining room 2 years ago, and it's still sitting in a closet waiting for me to have the motivation :-/ We just bought fabric to cover our dining room chairs this past weekend, so I keep telling myself as soon as the chairs are covered I'll make the curtains.

Thanks for the comments, I'm enjoying the conversation.

April - I always enjoy your posts, It has taken a long time to furnish this house. We've been here 19 years and am still "making do" with hand me downs, stuff bought from the previous owners, etc. I had a truly hideous laminate roll top desk in the dining room for quite some time. I feel like I'm getting old - and just want to get this place more finished - before we decide to move ;) I've already been downsizing!

I'm not bothered really by not being in style but it seems strange that we have these formal rooms yet live so informally. This house is not built for comfort - too few rooms that are too large for example. I wonder if this house reflects only me, not my husband or children. But I have to do all the shopping, searching, etc. They can buy their own damn stuff!

Grapefruit and Becky - - yes I find the gray and beige very depressing, I guess it seems safer to some people? My sister's house has almost nothing she picked out herself. It was all chosen by a designer, or left by her deceased husband. She doesn't mind at all though. I like to look around at my stuff and remember where I got something, the person I bought it from. I don't think I've followed too many trends, I think my personality is too oppositional for that. I also think people want instant gratification, and I am way too frugal to spend too much money at one time. It certainly would be easier to spend a Saturday at some big box stores to get an instant room. I realize not everyone has the time for auctions, far flung antique stores, etc,

Eastautumn - Good luck with your curtains. It's hard to get motivated, that's for sure. Have you posted pictures of your room? I'll search under your name. I'd Iove to see your buffet. Mine is not in the best condition and I fear it will come crashing down. I love your new rug! I was on the lookout for one more geometric like yours. My husband leaves it all to me. I did get a better price and am now very very pleased. The dealer and I had a very nice talk about today's political climate which he thinks has put the damper on the rug business. He showed some of the modern, machine made rugs he sells, but they are so very ugly they leave him depressed. His father was a rug dealer in Iran and he remembers visiting village workshops with him when he was a boy. It was very interesting.

About the ceiling light, no it's not original, I bought it at a great vintage lighting store in my area. I actually asked about it here on GW, and posted a picture of it taken at the store, and got great advice. That was a long time ago! Here was the one that came with the house. I don't think the room had a light originally. An old picture shows giant candelabra on the table. I want to remove the plastic-y medallion but am afraid it will not come down without damaging the ceiling. I think we were renovating our kitchen then, hence the microwave here.

Sergeant Cuff

Where did you get your plant stand? I'm looking for one for some pots for mine and I really like yours.

Hi Martha. It was made by O'Brien Ironworks. I bought it over 15 years ago from a local store that special ordered it for me. The store is (sadly) long out of business but I kept the company's brochure. I remember it was quite a splurge at the time. It looks like they don't sell retail though, but I'm sure those wiser than I have ways ....

http://www.obrienironworks.com/product_info.php?pid=135&cid=&id=47&n=47&paid=

Thank you. I have friends who have businesses, maybe they can look into it for me.

I agree, you room has a lovely "feel." But... :) the curtains really bug me. And I feel they might be bugging you since you asked. To start...I'd take them all down so you see the difference getting all that fabric off your window panes makes. Myself, I'd leave the window over the radiator bare. You have pretty trim & don't need the privacy. For the double, I'd mount nice hardware high to make the room have more volume and get two generous silk, velvet or linen panels. You could play it safe with Ivory, or add a color. You have a good eye...it's going to turn out great!

Very good news about the better price for the rug, and sounds like a fascinating conversation with the rug dealer. It sounds as though he has good reason to be humorless sometimes, unfortunately.

I like to look around at my stuff and remember where I got something, the person I bought it from. I don't think I've followed too many trends, I think my personality is too oppositional for that. I also think people want instant gratification

I agree with so much of this, though I've never thought about having a personality too oppositional as the reason for not following trends, but it does make sense -- and I definitely have one of those personalities : ) .

The design "industry", from HGTV to what's left of the shelter magazine publishers, retailers, etc. have such a vested interest in persuading people to want "instant rooms", and similar furnishings and colors and patterns, and to be willing to buy new stuff every year -- heck, every season when it comes to accessories. One does have to be very strong temperamentally to withstand the constant onslaught, especially if one's tastes run to the more uncommon. I've noticed when chijim posts pictures with a more layered or cottage or country house look, people will call the room dated, old lady, or say that the room looks as if it smells, or they can "feel the dust". And yet so many people end up surrounded by neutrals (often incompatible ones), paralyzed, unhappy, and unaware of how to get out. To which the answer always seems to be, buy more stuff, preferably new stuff!

That's interesting.

Sometimes I think the only times I become really obstinate (besides some core-to me-values of course) is when it's about decor:)

I like to look around at my stuff and remember where I got something, the person I bought it from. I don't think I've followed too many trends, I think my personality is too oppositional for that. I also think people want instant gratification.

Yes!! I too agree with these thoughts. And I'd never thought about my resistance to fads quite that way (my personality being too oppositional), but that certainly describes me well. I'm not into astrology, but I do live up to the stubborn reputation of my Taurus sign ;)

I can appreciate the aesthetics of a nicely appointed trendy space in someone else's house, but for me I crave old things with some history. Old things inspire me in a way new things just don't. And though I am frugal as well, I don't feel that's what holds me back from the instant gratification of finishing a room quickly so much as needing time to find just the right things and to let my (sometimes crazy) ideas gel. But instant gratification isn't gratifying to me. Taking my time and thinking things over and finally getting something right is gratifying.

Your chandelier was a great find! I actually like your ceiling medallion, and was hoping my husband could install a simple one (in keeping with our craftsman trim) around our fixture someday, along with crown molding. Our trim is stained, but I was thinking of doing painted crown and ceiling medallion (if we ever get around to it). I haven't posted many pictures because most of my spaces are works in progress, but to show you how similar our buffets are I took a couple of pictures. We actually have two of them that came with our dining table and chairs. We had them both in the dining room at first, but it felt like too much furniture for the room so we moved one to our entry hallway. Here's the one in the dining room:

And it's identical "twin" in the hallway:

Please excuse all of the tarnished silver pieces on the buffets... I don't polish my silver very often :-/

Here's another shot showing the brassy light fixture and 2 (of the 4) naked windows. One of our cats obviously approves of the fabric we got for the chairs, which have been sitting like this (with springs exposed) for a couple of years now. It's kind of embarrassing when new guests come over because this room is one of the first things you see when you enter our front door. I want to get them done so we can actually use this room again, but am stuck at the moment on how to proceed. The last estimate I got was $150 per chair for labor only, and that seems crazy for chairs I want to actually be able to use (that kids-- and cats-- will sit on) and not just look at. So I need to do more research on upholstering chairs with springs...

So glad your new rug worked out!! Will be interested to see what you decide on your curtains and other tweaks.

eastautumn, your twins are lovely and so is your dining room. Love the light fixture -- I bought something similar for the living room in the new house.

I have two similar sets of chairs (one vintage reproduction, one antique) which I still need to recover and I'm hoping I can do it myself.

Curtains would make an enormous difference in this room, if you can afford them. I'm not a fan of readymades unless that is the ONLY option available to you.

eastautumn, meant to add -- another Taurus here, which I guess explains a lot...

eastautumn I absolutely love your rooms as is!! (even though of course recovered chair is more comfortable to sit on lol)

Anglophilia I had custom made curtains made once in my life..it made all the difference in the world..until some renters stole them(we left them overseas..so folks who rent will have the best homey feel ever..))..I must say it traumatized me. It was huge, huge expense to me then, I was in my twenties when I ordered them, we saved like crazy back then..I still can't wrap my head about somebody stealing stuff..it's not like they didn't have anything to eat, not "Les Miserables" situation..I think I'm not ordering custom curtains until I'm done processing this story..:)

PS I'm an Aries..my parents really tried to tame me since very young age and mostly succeeded..as a result I'm afraid of this Aries-ness myself. But sometimes can come handy..:)

I don't say it with all seriousness of course, probably because I was interested in astrology (and graphology too btw)at some point and it's a whole shebang of info and meticulous calculations and whatnot that gets really complicated and boring at some point unless you're really into it.

I probably wasn't

With houses, I like falling deeper..discovering new things..it's a journey to me..

There, it was fun while was fun.

Eastautumn- I saw your beautiful room earlier today but your post seems to have disappeared? You room is really so beautiful. I wish I had nice stained trim!!! The trim here was meant to be painted. It was all originally painted light blue and the walls I think were all white. Your buffets are much, much nicer than mine too. Unfortunately, I don't remember what you wrote, I just quickly looked at the pics.

Nini - yes I think I may want a change.The rug is pretty vibrant IRL, so I do like your suggestion of something more plain. It's nice to hear that the current lace panels aren't too terrible, and can stay for now at least. It does seem strange to have curtains on only two of the windows though? Especially as they are so close to each other.

Anglophilia - yes, it would be nice to have something custom made. I've sewn a few things myself over the years but am not at all skilled and have vowed to never do anything but a hem. Short panels would be hard to find, but necessary due to the radiator. My living room has SIX windows, all with radiator or other issues. So I've gone bare.

Becky - It seems that people often end up with a bunch of stuff they don't even enjoy. I've always loved color so it's hard to understand those that want everything neutral. That seems to be very hard to pull off. I've seen many posts on the Kitchen Forum where many thousands of dollars was spent on a "neutral" granite that contrasts horribly with the "neutral" tile. I have also seen, firsthand, situations where people are so paralyzed they can't pick anything out, or get rid of anything. Then there are those that believe if they spent lots of money on it, it has to be good!

sergeantcuff, I wonder if Houzz was being weird yesterday... I just looked and can still see my post showing up on this thread. Thank you for the kind compliments :) I actually struggled with the stained trim at first, finding it challenging to choose paint colors that didn't clash with the wood or feel dark and depressing. I felt like we had to stick to an arts and crafts palette (with saturated colors), but have since changed my outlook on that and it's been liberating. My husband really wanted it though and stained it all himself, so thankfully I've come to appreciate it! It's also surprisingly hard to find inspiration pictures of rooms with stained trim that aren't super traditional. We're also very casual around here, although for some reason wanted the dining room to have more of a formal feel to it. Here's what the dining room looked like shortly after we moved in, before we found the dining set and stained the woodwork (picture taken from inside the office, across the hallway from the dining room):

beckysharp and april, thank you both for the compliments too :) I'm a little shy about posting pictures because I feel like everything is still so unfinished after all these years. I always thought when I had little kids and was home with them I'd have so much time to decorate, so when we first moved in (and I was working like crazy) I didn't do much in the way of decorating. Now I finally do have more time for house projects so am having fun getting some things done and thinking about next steps. I seem to have decorating ADHD though and am working on several rooms at once. My latest obsession is with grasscloth wallpaper. I would love to use it under the chair rail in the dining room, but then would have to go with fake grasscloth because we have 3 kitties. But I love thinking about it anyway.

april, I just can't believe someone would steal curtains, and after investing in custom made I can imagine it would be traumatizing. What a violation of trust.

eastautumn, what a difference the stain makes it. The trim is beautiful, but with the darker stain it's gorgeous.

Designhome, not only can you, but it's pretty much expected. And you can also negotiate with just about any seller -- it never hurts to ask, and if you're polite and reasonable about it and they REALLY want to make a sale, you can save yourself some money. The worst they can say is no : ) .

I've posted this room before but it's a bit related to your dilemma. I have lined drapes because the sun comes in these windows. This at least will give you an idea of what plain linen-like curtains will look like with an oriental carpet, although mine is tribal as compared to your lovely formal one. I also chose a large rug, because it's more dramatic and actually makes the room look larger. Your room is lovely and individual, and don't ever worry about trends. Your room should reflect you; that's the only thing that matters and that will make you happy.

ok becky i had no idea you could do that

You can : ) . I've done it in a variety of North American stores (Macy's, Home Depot, etc.) and found it works especially well for things like appliances and furniture but also with clothing, especially if there's damage (to the item or the packaging) and/or it's marked down in some fashion (clearance etc.). Sometimes a clerk has to find a supervisor for the official ok. And flea markets and secondhand booksellers, including secondhand booksellers AT flea markets : ) . I always ask, "Would you take $ x ?" and I always make sure it's not an insulting amount. Sometimes they say yes right away, sometimes there's more haggling, and sometimes it's a no.

I used to think you couldn't haggle on eBay if there wasn't a "Make an Offer" option for the "Buy It Now" listings. But when I found our living room rug (in one of the photos above) and it didn't have the option to make an offer, I contacted the seller and asked if he'd be willing to negotiate at all, and in the note I made him a reasonable offer. He sent me a limited time offer that was, if I remember correctly, 12% off the list price. I took the counter offer. I got the idea from someone on this forum who had successfully purchased rugs from eBay.

sergeantcuff, eastautumn, and ingrid, I love all of your rooms. Persian rugs make a room, IMO. Since my budget is very limited I decorate around the most commonly found colors in them-- the more unusual colors are out of my reach. Thankfully, I am a huge fan of red anyway. My rugs in my LR (I needed 2 since it's a long, narrow room) and DR are all old and at least slightly worn. I'd love to know what the rugs have seen over all these years in their different homes.

sergeantcuff, I think I would only change the lace if you don't feel they are "you" or you are simply tired of them. If you are looking for custom, consider https://bestfabricstore.com/  I bought some nice linen fabric from them and wish I had had used the workroom too... but I am doing it myself to save money. (Now I just need a huge chunk of uninterrupted time.) The prices are very reasonable, even lined, for basic curtains.

eastautumn, your stained trim is so pretty. My home also has (dark) stained trim but it's not "beefy" so I don't like it at all. It provides just enough color to be annoying to work with without adding any real value... but it would be a pain to get rid of.

This is a timely thread as I too am struggling with curtains for a vintage dining room with stained wood. I still have the curtains that came with the house as it has taken me this long to get around to them. The room/vintage is Craftsman (1920), so I think I will go with plain linen or velvet lined curtains for the south facing window. Ideally I'd like something with a bit of embroidery on it, like the current (silk, terrible condition, and way too short) curtains. Or perhaps tapestry.

emoryann i love your room too! so beautiful

what an uplifting thread, really

(Anthropologie carries some embroidered curtains..they change merchandize from time to time, but check them out for what they have now..and eBay for what they had before..)) They also are big on some texture, sometimes eyelet..have velvet, have linen..different styles from nice and plain with just a bit of interest, to very eyecatching. And sergeantcuff I saw in House Beautiful recently how they're in love with eyelet..and why shouldn't they be, since things are either beautiful and speak to us, or they aren't.)

Pretty rooms, ingrid and emoryann! Gorgeous rug, ingrid. And there is just something so uplifting about greenery and plants in a room.

emoryann, I can see where the radiator would complicate things.

april is right, Anthropologie has a number of embroidered curtains, at least half a dozen different ones, I think,

https://www.anthropologie.com/print-pattern-curtains

Anthro just had some good sales; if any of their curtains are of interest, I'd recommend signing up for emails for any sales notifications.

I love the idea of changing out curtains by season, depending on the weather -- velvet for cooler times of the year, linen or lace for warmer weather.

For ebay and etsy, I've also had good luck asking sellers to reduce or combine shipping costs.