Thanks so much for your advice, I will take some pictures of the window so you can see how it looks. As for entrances into the room, for sure my kitchen is the center of the house with 4 different ways in, but none of them lead to the outside, as for light it faces West, but we have a skylight so the room does have natural light,,,before the skylight it was a dark room, I enjoy looking out, but it faces across the street, since my kitchen is in the front. As for the table I agree 100% and am planning on getting rid of this table. DH should be happy, We have had this table for atleast 10 years, and in two houses where it fit in perfectly, till we were able to update this kitchen. I have always hated the style of my kitchen, and am finally happy with the way it looks, and will get the table I want, as soon as I find it. We already decided how this will make a perfect poker table when they put the leaf in it, and can put it in the basement for that purpose.

L P I have the same shape and colour of table as yours, to update it a little, I bought online, 2 fabric parsons chairs, mine are in toile, off white with black lettering, I put them at each end of the table, with the original chairs on the sides. I like the look and it did imo update it. It took some searching online to get the proper height of back, cause my original chairs have a higher back. I only put on a tablecloth at mealtimes otherwise table is bare with a centerpiece. Your home is lovely, love the chandelier above your table! I would only add a shade above your kitchen window for the sun problem, no to a cloth valence, they are passe imo.

Agreed its just heavy and dated. (sorry). The wall color works and I think once you update the blind and the lighting it will feel much better in there. And yes no "filler" on the top of the cabinets would also help you. Over the island, I would say you still need working light, so I would do one pendant with a downlight. Can you post a picture that includes the dining table in there, and also what style would you say the whole house is?

Keep the bird pillow! Do you need window treatments at all? If not, take down your dark sheers. I thought if you do need curtains for privacy or lessen sunlight, then sheers the same color as your walls, mainly left open during daytime, would bring the outdoors indoors. Add deck boxes or planters and change seasonally to give yourself a view. I like jck's idea of moving art work to fireplace. If you put a big mirror where the art work is, you'll reflect outdoors! Then you don't need all the decor items that kind of date the room. It's a nice space, and you did well with wall paint coordinating with countertops. Save your budget for dining overhead light. Maybe keep current table but get blue upholstered chairs with brown legs and see how that looks--no need for a matchy, matchy dinette set. This blue, though, or something close so it harmonizes with your art work, which really belong over the fireplace so you can see it all the time.