a short lived perennial/biennial .. in my MI ... and the more foo foo.. the shorter lived ... maybe its a zone thing ... cant beat the standard Popsicle purple.. and red species back with a stick though ... lol ... they reseed themselves in a pleasant manner ... ken

obviously its a bit aggressive.. but if you had a use for it elsewhere.. you could harvest a shovelful .. and go plop it somewhere else ... like your going to slow it down by treating it roughly .. lol .. [dig new hole first ... ] ken

It looks more like a fall blooming perennial aster, Symphyotrichum novae - angliae to me. When was this picture taken? Is the plant in the picture above blooming now? It really has all of the characteristics of a Dwarf Fall Aster but they don't start blooming until late August or September. It looks like good ol' Aster 'Purple Dome.'

you could use slipcovers over the chairs if that's a look you like or recover the seats to give it a different look & vibe. I think part of the problem could be trying to use it as a set. Could you use the buffet and hutch in a guest room or a bathroom or entry/hall to store items? Maybe figure out which pieces would give you the max use and keep those and get rid of the others. I've had a few items for several years that were my grandmother's. They've been moved around between rooms and used for different purposes over the past 15 years or so. I am just now about to get rid of 1-2 pieces and keeping the other 2 that I love more. But they have served me well over the years.