"they're already upholstered in something neutral. Does that change your mind? " I think I like the simplicity of a solid for your table, because it's all very elegant together, although more formal. It might be a bit much with two directly on the rug. Is the cream even available? The blue would be a muddle of patterns, I think, without more contrast in color. I do think you might be able to do a flame on the drapes. I can definitely picture a chair in the corner without clashing. This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Jan 11, 13 at 13:19

I'm going to disagree with advice to paint first and hold off on reupholstering the chairs. You say you've been waiting three years to do this. Selecting fabric can take a lot of time--esp. when working with an open floorplan where you want the colors/fabrics to flow from room to room. You have some lovely fabrics to choose from that can be incorporated into your space in a variety of ways--or even into the adjacent rooms. I recovered my DR chairs last year and am so glad that I did. Mine also were hard and uncomfortable--which you said yours are as well. One thing that was important to me was the fabric not only coordinate with my DR, but my LR since I planned to occasionally move the DR chairs into the LR if I needed extra seating for a party. Personally I found a stripe to be the most versatile choice. I do also agree that you are more likely to tire of a floral or find it more limiting as time goes on. To me, your ivory will always read more formal due to the sheen of the present fabric--not so much the color. If you still like the floral, I would again consider using two complimentary fabrics and use the floral in smaller doses. For instance, you could do the host chairs in floral and others in stripe or solid, or do different backs/fronts as I suggested earlier. Or bring in your floral fabric in a less permanent way via a table or buffet runner. Calico Corners is also really good with suggesting complimentary fabrics. It may be worthwhile to bring in a swatch of the valance fabric and ask for advice on complementary fabrics.

Don't write off fabric just yet. You could use microsuede, Crypton, or any of the newer indoor/outdoor fabrics available now. My DD chucked a whole bowl of tomato soup on one of my pale blue microsuede chairs and I swear it cleaned up perfectly. I think softer lines, and fabric, would bring some balance to the angularity of your room. I love the artwork and might think about pulling some color from the painting next to the stairs into said fabric. I know and love your kitchen from the KB. Nice to see you over here. looking forward to seeing more! :-)

You aren't finished yet. Each chair will need a place to set a drink. That means occasional tables. You will need good lighting to play the piano. You will need some art work. You may want some curtains or window covers. Last, you will probably need to paint. See how one follows the other. It's a progression. CDR provided you with some layouts. But, you really won't know until you place the actual furniture in the space. I will comment that pianos are very hard to decorate around. They take up a lot of space. So, you aren't alone in trying to solve the riddle. If it were me, I would remove the ottomans and keep the piano and sofa where they started. The chest would go between the windows. The chairs would go at an angle facing the sofa. The goal is to create a conversation group. Then, I would play with whether to keep the ottomans as a coffee table or acquire a different coffee table. You will need lamps, small side tables for the chairs and potentially another coffee table. The ottomans might work as a coffee table, but I think you want something with less mass.