You guys are the best Kellienoelle - I love your name! Thanks for your feedback! Regarding the finials, my problem is that I have 12 inches on one side (between wall and window), and 9 inches on the other side (between the other wall and the other window). I thought that maybe going WITHOUT a finial would give me more space to hang "higher and wider"? What are your thoughts? geokid - then your MS Paint skills are stellar!! Thank you!! aktillery - thank you! Susie100 - the curtains are the Scribble panels from West Elm - they still have them and also have them in navy! yayagirl & geokid - Re: accent color. I'm currently sitting in this room having my daily décor lesson from Candace Tells All, and what strikes me about all her rooms is that they are so beautifully layered. There is never one color that sticks out, or a "scheme" - she just manages to layer everything to create one harmonious and beautiful look. I agree that I need another color in there to not make it look too "matchy matchy", and I need to add a few more textures in there to help create that look (maybe a wicker basket, some bamboo, more wood accents). In terms of another color, I was thinking maybe a deep aubergine here and there. I'm really trying to create depth and interest and I have NO design background - this is my first space. Here are some more ideas I had to help add that - please add your own thoughts - it is so helpful! I recently purchased this: And I have this table from IKEA that I was going to repurpose, but was thinking of spray painting it silver (or gold!) and keeping it in the room (it continues the "flower" idea): (I do need a few more tables in the room) Also some items like this: An idea to add aubergine: Sorry for the picture overload!!

I love the drapes you have! I think the problem is the wall color. The soft gold in your great room would work well with both your drapes and the fireplace tile. Or maybe a warm, soft terra rosa, glazed or color-washed? But personally I like the gold. Ivory or a paler version of the gold would also work. Do some big sample boards - just some old cardboard will do - but at least 2'x4' or 3'x3'. Your windows read very high-set - that stands out as not being the usual placement - you can experiment with the height the drapes are mounted and see if a different proportion pleases you better - maybe a little higher, even almost to the ceiling. The drapes are puddling, and maybe they have a hem that could be let out - they could go higher. Or sew on a contrasting band of terracotta on the bottom. (or whatever color the inner curtains are - hard to tell in pictures sometimes.) The bit of wall between the window and the crown molding is so narrow that it might be better not to treat it as the wall but as panelling, like over the mantel. All you would have to do is frame it with short vertical pieces of flat molding over the window casing verticals, just glue it on. Paint the molding to match your trim and either do the recesses the same or to match your over-mantel recesses. A bigger rug out to six inches of the walls. Something easy to clean and with a pattern - you have children eating there. My youngest is nine, we still have spills. Low pile, no loops, not fuzzy. Something to occupy the walls will make the room feel cozier - a long window seat with a bench cushion and pillows, and cabinets underneath. Do you ever have many people to a sit-down dinner - an L-shaped banquette would give you lots of seating. Kids could play there, do their homework, look out the window, keep you company as you worked in the kitchen - put away homework and toys in the cabinets - presto clean. Also your linens and servingware not used every day. Accessories with more weight and color, more dimensionality than the plates on the wall and the pictures and things over the hearth. It really is a good dining room, good bones, good molding, good view, good fireplace, good flooring, spacious. It won't be hard to love. The fireplace is your starting point because you can't change the tiles. Then either wall color, rug, or rug, wall color, working with the tiles. THEN drapes and upholstery. Then accessories. Paint is your cheapest element. Even if you hire someone to paint, you can buy the cans and do big sample boards yourself or directly on the wall. You don't like the color? Worst that happens is you're out the cost of the sample can. So it's worth experimenting, because it will set the mood of the room.

@lynartist - I like the chandelier but still prefer glass shades to lamp shapes. It does look great in your dining room. Beautiful room. @pinkmountanin - I didn't mind the dark with light table, I just didn't like those chairs with the table somehow. Now I am thinking of darkening the original chairs. Yes, easier said than done. It will have to be done overtime. Maybe even two-tone them so the design in the middle is still in maple. More so because it's more work. Something to think about down the road.

I happened to notice your dining room rug and I'm sorry to say it's much too small. The rug should be large enough so that you when you stand up and pull the chairs back the chairs are still on the rug. This will also give more emphasis to this area as a room instead of just a small space. I would wait, however, until you've chosen your living room rug so that the two rugs will be complementary in color and style. The size of the living room rug, by the way, should also have a very generous size. I would personally choose plain white or cream colored curtains, or curtains with a subtle pattern and color if your carpet and pillows are colorful and you put wall art in this room (which it needs). With the darker patterned curtains your eyes will go straight toward the windows, whereas the attention should be directed to the room itself.