Put the bench on the window side of the table, chairs on the other side. Move the table so that the end is against the wall. I see no seating there, so I am assuming you don't use the end. As long as the table is off-center anyway, anchor it to the wall visually. Move the mirror and small cabinet to another location. The mirror is too large for the wall space, and doesn't feel like it belongs with the mirror. The curtains are cute for a kitchen, but not substantial enough for the dining room. Get drapes with some color and pattern, and hang them so that they come out about halfway between the edge of the window and the wall on either side. Cover just the edge of the window on each side with the drapery, to give you max light and size from the window. The wider drapery will balance the table placement better. Consider having a heavy piece of glass cut to top the table, so that you can lose the tablecloth and appreciate the table. A cleaner look, and much less maintenance with the kids. You can still have placemats when you want them, or tablecloths for a more formal occasion. I would replace the chandy with a close-to-ceiling pendant. It won't be as noticable that it is off-center with the table, and will give you a nice overall distribution of light in the space. For your centerpiece, I would get a pretty tray and do a grouping of candles. Or use the tureen idea heaped with fruit or filled with potted green plants and/or flowering plants. You put the potted plants in their plastic pots in the tureen, cover the top with sheet moss so that you can't tell they are still in pots. I would find a new home for the small piece of artwork. Consider getting a lot of inexpensive, classic frames, perhaps is white, and frame your kids' artwork, and create a gallery collection on the wall. You could even have them create something in specific colors for the space.

I just asked DH how he was going to custom build those double pocket doors. (He is a GC btw) He had bought a special track that the two doors would hang on. As one is pulled shut it somehow hooks the second door and pulls it along if that makes sense. However, when I told him how you wanted it to keep out cooking smells as you are highly sensitive, then he said he would not recommend a pocket door in that case. It is because it has such big air gaps. A regular door can seal off smells much better. So maybe just a nice big French door with or without extra side lights would be better? Doors could open in towards the dining room. Doors when completely open are either against the sidelights or the wall. That one dining room chair on the end may have to tuck in tighter to table as the door swings open all the way open is all. Here are a few examples. It certainly would look beautiful and I think could work with either of those plans Lisa did that you are considering at this point. This one is without the side lights. With sidelights And this last one I thought would be sort of like if you did the lastest plan with the peninsula. French doors to kitchen (except I would have doors swinging other way if have seating at bar.) And to the right would be the interior window above the peninsula towards dining room side. I think you are getting close Guco, narrowing it down anyways. :-)

What is on the wall to the right, where the sofa used to be? See if you can lengthen the curtain rods, so that the thicker drapes are not squished.

My dining room is small. 11-6 by 13. And it has a lack of wall space. The largest span of wall is 6-9. Right now I have a china closet there that is 54" wide. I have 42" on either side of the window, and There is a 52" wall adjacent to the window wall on one side. And one stupid corner that is 28"-29". I have a nice plant stand there now with glass shelves. One long wall is glass - open to a sunroom with french doors in the center. The other long wall is pretty much open to foyer. I really want to get new furniture for this room. I found a dining room table I really like that is 60 round. I need a buffet that I can use for extra serving space when we host large family buffet style dinners, but the one that matches the set is too long for my wall. I'm not opposed to going with a piece that doesn't match exactly, but almost all of the buffets/servers I see are too long and I'm not sure what style/wood would blend well with the table. The finish on the table is distinctive and very formal looking. Here are pictures of the table (Ethan Allen Evansview) and a chandelier that I like very much. I'm a bit concerned that the chandelier may be too large (32 wide), but going big seems to be the style these days. What do you think? And suggestions for a buffet or what to do with the other small wall sections? Any other thoughts?