I decorate for myself and my family. No need to involve the decorating police since no crime has been committed! There are all sorts of little things you can do to change up the look in your foyer and dining room. My first thought would be to hang some botanical prints above the bench, or maybe 2 stacked above each other on either side of your china cabinet (although be prepared - the DP may tell you to ditch the china cabinet because apparently they have deemed them “dated.”) You have a lovely home!

I don’t know if you can plead for leniency with the decorating high crimes you’ve committed! ;)

Seriously, it’s only outdated if you’re selling, do what you like and don’t worry about it!

Agree with ninigret. Your home is lovely. What is your motivation? For example: I prefer mirrors in practical places like near a door or in a bathroom or bedroom, so that I can check my hair or clothing. I do not like to see myself walking through my living or eating in my dining room, but judging from all the mirrors I see in other people's homes, I am in the minority. If you like your wreaths, don't worry about what anyone else is doing. If you don't like them anymore, take them down and try some of the ideas you get from folks here.

so, how about you show us a couple photos of foyers you like, and we can give you plans how to get there?

Everything I see I like online is much larger scale than what I have but I am a traditional in my décor and like a classic feel. I'm not sure that even helps. I think I would like to replace the floral arrangement on my table and the wreath over the bench. With the chair rail there it limits me in size of what I can hang.

Well, you could always try adding something glittery and wild colors? ;)

How much of a change and what’s the budget? I hate when there are a ton of suggestions about changes and none of them fit the budget available, I get disappointed and feel like there’s nothing I can do and might as well give up and accept my home is utterly awful.

So it’s more of a “let’s find some art” situation than a “let’s rip out this wall and get new floors” kind of thing! Far less messy to be in the situation you’re in! ;)

A few suggestions that cost nothing: From the foyer table- remove the too large floral arrangement, the basket of pillows, and the lantern. Take a picture head-on with those items removed. Depending on the scale you may then want to get a larger table lamp and maybe a larger mirror but let's see how it looks with just editing what is there. I would also remove the little plant stand next to you closets but leave the art. Your bench area looks nice but personally I don't care for the wreath and I'm not sure what that ball-like thing is on the bench. Lastly I don't think you need anything in that corner to the right of your front door. It might feel better to have that open. Generally speaking, I would look for larger pieces but fewer of them than a lot of small objects. Good luck!

The shine isn’t so bad, but I imagine it shows a ton of dust about two minutes after you clean (turn around to put the swiffer away and then turn back to see it’s dusty again!)

I agree with everything Kim said. I like the ruffled pillow, but put it on a bed. You have a lovely home. You could move more toward transitional with the furniture you have.

It's still a good idea to post pictures of the look you like, even if those homes are more grand than yours. Otherwise we don't know what look you are going for.

Also, ideas of what size lamp I could replace my current lamp on the table? Larger as in taller, wider or what?

I like the color on the upper half of the wall behind your china hutch, which paint brand is it and what color is it? (I’ve been mulling over painting the wall behind our headboard for months!)

Here is a picture to get you started. The mirror looks similar to the one you have over the hall table. I'm still looking for a hall.

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That cute ball pillow on your bench says "Don't sit here" so I would move it elsewhere. Keep your little blanket draped as is or add a square pillow to the corner of the bench or even a seat cushion in a pretty fabric you like. Above the bench I would add a beautiful flat piece of art.

I love the color! Of course I would probably paint the wall one day while the mister is at work and surprise him when he got home (among the perks of my home office, I can do things like this, lol).

I might have chosen to paint the whole wall the same color, but it doesn’t look terrible as it is currently. Depending on how much light the room gets/has, doing the whole wall might make the room look smaller and darker, which you have to consider in these circumstances.

Your wood furniture is not nearly as dark as mine is, so that gives you a little more leeway on the paint color. I have a house full of heritage cherry/mahogany/black wood furniture so this is something I have to consider in every other decor choice I make.

I am the only family member who has been willing (if not downright excited) to inherit heavy wood furniture over the years, I love it and the fact that it’s all well made and was beautifully maintained means I can enjoy it for years to come. My mom gave me the idea of having glass tops cut exactly to size for the side tables, desk, dresser and nightstands so they are able to withstand forgotten cups and things set down on them - the etagere and butlers table we use as a coffee table we have to be more gentle with.

When the gray trend started I was thrilled because I love the color and use it as my main neutral instead of beige. I think that with my cherry cabinets the trick was to get the right tone of gray, and kept the granite light because the kitchen faces north. The master bedroom faces south so I get a ton of light, and painting one wall a deep color won’t make the room too dark - of course it helps that the room is pretty sizeable!

I would replace wreaths with art and I would trade the faux flowers with fresh flowers. Always remember however it’s all about personal choices and preferences and what works for you.

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I chime in with the "do what you want"! But if you want to replace the wreath over the bench, art would be good. Flowers on the table with a plant? I was told this week by a florist that "old fashioned" houseplants are in again -- those little succulents are on their way out! And I would put art (like two smaller pictures on each side) of the hutch instead of the wreaths if you're determined to replace.

If you want to have your house look fresh and traditional, plan to change out the trendier accessories on a regular basis. A single fad color may last only a year, a style of vase with faux flowers may last two or three years. Flip through a few five year old issues of Traditional Home or Southern Living at the library, then flip through this year's issues. You'll see the changes jump out at you. Some ceramic items (like a ceramic rabbit or a Majolica bowl) are classics that can be reused with new accent colors in fabric items such as placemats or pillows. This photo from your ideabook shows a spring look that can be copied with Home Goods or TJ Maxx items today. Look at the bright colors and liveliness used with traditional furniture.

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You have a lovely home, but it's easy to get tired of "the look" after awhile. The paint colors are lovely. If you are tired of the white paint under the chair rail (in any room/space), paint the lower wall the upper color. You can also paint the chair rail the wall color so that it disappears more.

For me, I like wreaths on a door or over a FP. I would hang art over the bench, and remove the pillow and throw. They are just "props" and appear that way. If you want to soften the bench, sew a bench cushion to size. With the floor tile "rug" at the door, I guess you can't add a large rug or runner (can't tell if either would fit elsewhere).

I would also remove the small table with lamp to right of front door. It is short, and doesn't really serve a purpose. The plant would probably like being closer to the sidelights. It's a large enough area to group three plants there, instead of having 1 here and 1 in dining room. An umbrella stand in either of these spaces would be useful. If you want to keep the large lantern, it could be placed with the two plants to make a small grouping.

The wicker fishing basket stuck in the corner and the pretty wreath could be showcased better elsewhere. Love the purple paint color and would paint below chair rail and railing the same. Art on either side of the china cabinet. I used to have a pine hutch and got tired of the mirrored back, so I took poster board and taped together. Then spray glued fabric (can also use wallpaper or handmade paper) over it and attached to mirror with double sided tape. Granted this was in the 90s, but it can be done for a change and doesn't harm the furniture.

I would rather see the DR wreath over the hallway table than the mirror, or art. The flower arrangement is a bit large for the table (DR sideboard?). Larger lamp with color and a round shade and the fishing basket on top of the table, maybe with a flat tray.

If you want a mirror over the hallway table, does the one in LR fit over the table? It is too long for the piece that's under it now. If so, I might now use a lamp on the table - depending on visual outcome.

I look forward to seeing your journey.

No I'm not getting ready to sell or impress anyone but I don't want my house to look outdated either :)

Do you have a washboard? Wiring that's not up to code? No? Then you are probably not outdated. A wide range of tastes out there!!!

Add potted plants according to your ability to remember to take care of them, and their sun requirements. (My aloe does well... some of the others, not so much...)

If you are tired of the wreath, some good artwork that brings out an aspect of the room's other color highpoints will work well. You can go in any number of styles.

IMHO the only thing I see that some would label "dated" would be your lovely silk flower arrangements/wreaths. Letting go of those would be a very quick lightening of your BEAUTIFUL home. The rest of your furnishings (yes even the china hutch) don't look "dated" at all!! You have some interesting pieces that speak to being inherited or collected over time. I find this type of decor to be interesting and revealing of your story. In my world that is a great thing not a "dated" thing.

Another easy change to make is to re-vamp the display area of your hutch. You could reduce the number of dishes on display and add some colorful decorative items. A few years ago, there was a long thread on that here.

There has to be someplace that sells prints of actual famous artworks that can be framed, and you can look on Etsy to see if you like any of the artists who sell through an e-store there. Art is hard to pick out for other people, the same piece I find is perfect for my house might look atrocious to someone else, or seem boring to another individual - yet we’re all looking at the same piece of art!

I’ve used pages from an Audubon book for art. Buy standard size frames and mats - you’re good to go!

DS likes to buy inexpensive art from athome. We have a store (I've never been) but I've seen his and it's decent and cheap. Home Goods, Target, Pier 1, World Market, etsy, second hand stores (Goodwill, etc), yard sales.. the list goes on and on. We have a local selling group on an app called Varage. Facebook Marketplace.

The "crime" of faux flowers and wreaths is that they inevitably will get dusty and tired no matter how fastidious a housekeeper you are. And old, tired, dusty faux anything is just plain not attractive to anyone. It's a big reason these are out of favor.

It's spring and art fairs will be starting soon. Go to them and look for some art for your walls! Visit local galleries. Unless one lives on the Upper East Side in NYC, most galleries have affordable art - it's not all the price of a major house addition.

A now departed friend who as an antique dealer once gave me some very good advice; one need never apologize for an empty wall. Leave it empty until one finds what what truly wants and loves.