Hmmm. It does seem like it would be very difficult to install molding or wainscot in only half of that space without looking awkward. It might be a case of going for broke and doing the entire space? Also: you might find other ways to emphasize the more formal/separate nature of the dining room (in fact that appears to be the logic behind the columns in the first place, right?). Remember that you're seeing it without any furnishings right now -- your choices of furniture, drapes, rugs etc will go a long way towards defining that space as a separate realm. Area rugs are miracle workers in that regard. Another thing is that both rooms appear quite sizable, so the separation of function might follow very naturally in such roomy space. Have fun with the new house! Some folks here might not like the columns, but if you've got young kids, they will be the coolest thing ever. ;-)

Thank you all again for the feedback. I'm really leaning towards sacrificing the laundry room and going with a powder room. The more I think about it and think about the way I do laundry, I believe the ROI (for me) on a separate powder room would be greater. I'm attaching a drawing, but I there really isn't much to work with. The area outlined it red is initially going to be a family room, but in a couple of years it will convert to an in-law-suite, so we want/need to keep that area separate the way it is (so ignore the bathroom there, that's part of the suite). The room labeled with the red L and blue B is the current laundry room, proposed change to powder room/mudroom. The alcove with the blue L is where I am thinking of moving the laundry, and the red X in the area to the far right is the location of the main floor bathroom in the existing house. And yes, we have walls, I just didn't draw them out! :-)

Like your wall hanging above your sofa. You have a nice room, albeit a bit cluttered -- something I'd address first. Is there any other place to store the plastic chairs lying in the corner next to the buffet? (Yes, I do know, spare chairs are important to keep -- I have several small wood ladder back chairs hanging from the wall in the garage and outdoor chairs "hidden" on the back deck. I also have a duffle bag w/drapes not being used on a shelf above my bedroom door -- no other place to put them.) Teal is a pretty color. Might want different, perhaps darker colors for your throw pillows. You might see if you could angle the one teal chair that's not usable as is against the wall -- or turn it around the other way so someone might sit in it from the other room -- create a conversation pairing. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533043305866068860/ You should have the two bicycle pics above your buffet farther apart so they don't seem too small for the place: have the left edge of the left one about four inches right of the left side of the buffet; have the right side of the right one about four inches from the right side of the buffet. Also, either lower the bicycle pics about six inches or add a shelf as wide as the buffet halfway between the buffet and the pics. A single shelf could work. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533043305866068860/ If you're DIY inclined, a shelf made from shelving board would work. If you chose a box shelf, you could put some of the smaller items atop the buffet inside the box shelf, visually reducing clutter. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533043305866068860/ https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Accentuations-by-Manhattan-Comfort-Tichla-Rectangle-Floating-Shelf-1.0/11493508/product.html A shelf could literally sit atop the buffet. http://gagnant59.com/8915-rectangular-wall-box-shelf/

There is an ensuing school of thought about shutters, that they must appear authentic, as if one could put them to use -- even if they are literally non-functional and would never be used. This school of thought discounts entirely that shutters have morphed to a non-functional, decorative use as a trim device. Sometimes, they are even perforated (as a corn crib would be) and would not have the slightest capability of protecting a window from weather. The net effect of using decorative (let's not even call them shutters anymore; they are "window-flankers") is that they provide a means of adding interest to an otherwise dull looking home. One might evaluate the finished appearance on the basis of whether they like the home better with them, or without ... and to heck with all those that are categorically against window-flankers under all circumstances for certain styles of architecture, or whether they are authentic. Still, one must be cognizant that window-flankers, in order to look right, must follow some rules of proportion and details, as all architectural elements do. Even the arch is not awesome in all circumstances. Wrongly applied, it can look very loopy and dorky. The purists about shutters will eventually be denigrating columns because they are no longer made out of bundles of reeds, as they once were. Get ready for it.