here is a visual of your room SW Alabaster

I’m actually thinking of going with Mountain Peak by Benjamin Moore. Which is the same color as the upper cabinets in the adjacent kitchen.

Can you replace the table top with a faux stone?

I would suggest either a wider buffet, but since they are expensive, consider pairing it with a bar cart or wine rack. Have the two of them share the wall under your artwork. It will put some asymmetry and eclecticism into the room, but that’s ok. Just make sure the bar car has enough height to it not too look like a midget or little kid next to your antique.

Consider replacing the tall straight sticks in your floor vase with squiggly shorter sticks or eucalyptus.

Your dining room is nice, spacious and symmetrical. The table has good bones. Updating it may be nice, to make it feel fresh like the kitchen. Painting the walls white will be a great first step. Then I would actually make a few more changes to pull the room together, get a rug to define the area, hang some sheers, move the oversized art to the adjacent hallway and get a nice smaller mirror in its place. Also the room will benefit from updating the light fixture, use 4000K bulbs etc. The table then may not be needed to be painted even though whitewashing the base and/or changing the top would also be improvements. At the minimum remove the placemats:) Another idea for the table top-but only try if you are an enthusiastic DIY-er - could be making the top into a crackled mirror surface, applying a Rustoleum mirror finish on the bottom of the glass...

The decoration in the left corner can be replaced by a plant or just donate.

Chose a rug with blue gold, brown, red, beige AND blue accents to pull together the colors in your floor, upholstery, wood and kitchen:)

An oval mirror to detract the eye from seeing the narrow space between the windows. Also a bit smaller width than your cabinet to make the cabinet look in proportion (not to tiny as with the present overpowering art)

Love all the above suggestions.
Love the idea of replacing the glass with a stone or something.
I know you don’t want to but I think reupholstering would make such a difference. The bone structure of your chairs are amazing!!!! Love love love

Changing the fabric would make a big difference. I would think about that first, then see what color you want to paint the table and/or chairs.

Something a bit graphic, for example:

https://www.houzz.com/products/emory-midnight-fabric-by-the-yard-1-yard-prvw-vr~146069964?m_refid=PLA_HZ_146069964_10577457359&device=c&nw=u&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoKy2koWm8AIVvWpvBB2L6gDxEAkYCyABEgIXOvD_BwE

With griege backs:

https://www.potterybarn.com/products/fabric-by-the-yard-performance-heathered-tweed/?catalogId=84&sku=3636615&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=&region_id=680400&cm_ite=3636615&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuP-UhYim8AIVUmxvBB22PwFLEAQYAiABEgIebPD_BwE

Then a rug to tie it together with your kitchen and anchor the table, if desired.

Ok, here is how I see the dilemma of your dining room:

You have several prominent heavy things: big red chairs, stone chandelier, big art

You have several prominent light things: Glass table top, small windows, tall sticks

Decide which way you want to go.

Cheapskate me says it is too expensive to re-do and replace the heavy stuff. So I would add weight to the light stuff.

Get a heavier table top,. Bulk up what is under the artwork. Make the stuff coming out of the floor vase bushier.

Since you are painting the room white, consider putting one panel of white drapery on either side of each window, but drapery that has ”heavy” white-on-white pattern, damask or jacquard. Etc

(Just one panel on each side of each window next to the wall)

Curtain Panel Pair, Set of 2, Off White, 54"x96" · More Info

Here is one more suggestion which might drive you nuts — feel free to thumbs down but:

Use the white curtains I suggested on each side of the window.

Take the sticks out of the floor vase and move it to the left side of the chest. Put a small tray on top of the vase so you can set a bouquet of flowers or a plant on top of it — meaning, turn the floor vase into a pedestal.

On the right side of the chest, put this wine cart. Fill it with wine glasses and wine and leave the top raised up open all the time

16th-Century Italian Replica Globe Bar · More Info

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! So it seems everyone is in agreement of painting the walls Mountain Peak white to match the upper cabinets. Several suggestions explained weighing the space down more with a rug. And the painting over the buffet is too large. What I’ve done is removed the buffet and painting and placed an existing bar cabinet I have in its place (see below for image). And removed the vase with the sticks. I’m afraid it’s too dark too, but am open to suggestions on how to make it feel lighter. I’m also open to switching out the table top to a natural stone, I think that would look great. I love the fabric suggestions, but the chairs were reupholstered about 5 yes ago and cost me about 1200 because of the chair backing being so difficult to do.

That’s a fab cabinet. Can it be lit inside without damaging it? It appears to have a mirrored interior. Does it?

I would try as much as possible to make all the objects inside are clear glass or champagne gold or white. If you’d need to store dark objects and wines in there, put them on the bottom shelves.

I think I would go with a very light whitish stone for the new table top.

Once you’ve got the table top, you can judge if putting champagne gold, or light solid raw silk in a hue that would be close to your pedastal and chair frames would be nice as curtain panels on the window to help light that side of the room. Or if you can do it unobtrusively, up lights on the floor in the corners of the room, but small and not to bright.

I think if I wanted to dramatically give a feeling of “update” to the room after all that, I‘d be wondering if maybe an irregularly shaped, light color hide rug hide on the floor would be interesting (feel free to scream!)

Solid Light Palomino Cowhide Rug, XL · More Info

@ital you’re totally speaking my language! The cabinet is mirrored and actually already has lighting in it. I like your idea of coordinating the colors to be light. Do you fee I should try to refinish it so it’s also not quite as dark? I like the hide, but I think I’d prefer to go more of a woven route (perhaps Jute)…?

I hate painting furniture, especially unique pieces. I live in Italy and a lot of young people inherit really old elaborate giant buffets and dining sets, and the game is to make them work In a very modern room — often by mixing them in with Ikea pieces or plastic seating — that sort of thing.

If your chairs are heavy to move around, putting any kind of rug under them is a risk. Because the cabinet is so big an elaborate there is an argument to made for a rug that is rather eye catching and surprising in its own way...... can’t see why there is any rush about it. You can look around and think about it, and wait until you‘ve decided on a new tabletop.

If anything occurs to me, I’ll post it

Safavieh Evoke Collection EVK236 Rug, Gray/Gold, 6'7" Square · More Info

Madcap Cottage by Momeni Under A Loggia Howards End Indoor Outdoor Rug,, Gold, 3 · More Info

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@ital mover I think that’s really interesting. I’ve always loved mixing old w/ new because I think it gives things more character. We’ve also inherited these pieces, so you’re spot on w/ what we’re trying to accomplish.

I really like that grey and beige rug too

If you like the gray and beige then think about what it would mean for the shade of the table top. You can order a 2x4 version of that rug to see how it looks with the floor, the chairs, the cabinet. Also check out it’s true colors and quality. If you don’t like it, a small rug is easy to return and if you do like it, you can return it and get credit for the bigger rug.

You can probably find other gold-gray rugs with different patterns. I liked the busy-ness of that one because it holds its own with the cabinet but other designs and weaves could work.

Ps: in the end if you decide on a rug I would get one that is big enough so that when you pull our the chairs to sit, they always are on the rug, so chair legs have no chance to get caught on the edge of the rug

Lots to think about and play around with. I’ll post updated photos to keep everyone in the loop of the progress. Thanks for all of the suggestions!

The rug should be at least 8'x10' and a classic beige/gray combo would look fab. You need something that looks good with the existing floors even though the objective is to cover them:) there will be enough showing so the rug has to work with them too, any subtle pattern nothing too crazy

I like those designs, but I should go round right? I guess it’s worth mentioning that the area is very open concept.

You dont need to go round with the rug! The rug defines an area so it most likely need to be rectangular maybe square

I appreciate that you want to update the area but I think it might be time to fix the scale and composition.

The huge hurdle is the current upholstery and there is no inexpensive way around that. For what it will cost you to reupholster you could purchase a new dining set. IMO the sideboard against the wall is too small, the art is too large, the quality of the light from the chandelier is not good for the space. NO rug is required if you have one in the living area.

8x10 rug

@beveraly, I love that! What are your thoughts on neutral slip covers to hide the red? And would you have any recommendations?

l sizes listed for the following examples: aprox 8x10, 9x12 or square 8x8

Some of the prints also come in round if you prefer, would then choose a 8 or 10 round

I feel the 2nd rug choice might actually tone down some of the red or at least tie it in somehow

That's the idea, if you can't fight it, embrace it!

https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/bungalow-rose-smither-oriental-light-graybrown-area-rug-w002814609.html