Agree faux flowers too tall & not wide enough. They’re also maybe too orange or just not coral. But, they do provide a good feel for what a centerpiece with color will look like. Agree that the lotus flowers are about perfect & especially with the Asian characters art on the wall in DR.

Oh, and it is a magical color changing rug. If you look at from one end, it’s mostly pale green. From the other end; it’s dark blue.

Carpet/rug warp often leans material in one direction so it looks different in two different directions. It’s common phenomenon.

Hello -

I think an entry cabinet to drop keys, mail and other entry/exit essentials would be more practical and allows for a better decorative display on top with featured art. A bench is more casual and the space overall is a little more formal from the pictures you shared. You have beautiful arched doors and passageways, so I would suggest looking for something with more straight lines. It is a very pretty space, good luck!

The beverage serving area changes things, so no furniture under the windows.

Nothing really to add, but just wanted to say how stunning your home is! I just love everything about it. And the palm is absolute perfection by the piano!

I called Vicky Yao Faux Floral to order the lotus arrangements that Flo suggested, but they are out of Australia and could not guarantee a delivery date because it’s unknown how long it will be out at sea 🙄.
. So I went to the garden store and picked up these orchids. They’re too tall for the table, but really add a nice splash of that coral color!
. It’s making me think that the bright white walls are what’s wrong with the dining room. Should I consider painting or wallpapering the walls coral? Or should it be more neutral, with more coral in the accessories?

@Little Bird Boy those orchids look really yummy with the rug and chairs! The angle of the photo is view of the room from entry I think. Stunning! Do you have a scarf or anything with the right colors to try on to decide on adding a table runner? Or, maybe even a gold / brass tray to set the orchids on. I’ll defer to Pros & others on changing wall treatments but here’s my thought for now. Leave them as they are. I’m thinking about your house as a whole. The ’living’ rooms are all the same color except for your library which is a real statement room. The neutral color on all the other rooms’ walls highlights the architectural details of your gracious older home. Adding strong colors would, I think, detract from all those elements - too many things to look at. I would leave the wall color as is and add color in accessories. If you happen to stumble upon lotus flowers, these orchids & their pots would also look stunning on the counter at beverage bar in this room.

Hi KW! I’m obsessed with orchids. They’re so beautiful, they almost look fake! Good idea about the brass tray - that will look more finished than just plopping the pots on the table (or the beverage bar). But I’m so grateful for everyone telling me that coral is the color to pull out of the rug - I had no idea!

One of these orchids is fake - which one???

I noticed your other orchids. I agree their flowers look too perfect and thick petaled to be real. They are not a fussy plant either - surprising as they’re so exotic looking. It was @Flo Mangan who hit on the coral color! Her suggestion of trying a gold threaded runner is what sparked the brass tray thought for me. That & the metal in lights in the room.

@Little Bird - your puzzle! Third from left in small white pot?

Your orchids are beautiful. I think the one in back in larger pot on left might be fake? Hard to tell though. Coral is great accent. Sorry delivery on the coral water Lily is so undefined. I have actually made these myself for a client. We just purchased the glass square vases, from my wholesale floral place. Got clear glass flat marbles for the containers. Got lilies in the color we wanted. Got thin bamboo sticks and place them down center of her dining room table with a thin wood placemats butted together down center of table. Sadly, I don’t have a photo but it turned out really beautiful. I could help you do that if you wish.

@Flo Mangan Great idea for making the lotus flower arrangements - sounds like the arrangement you photoshopped into your inspo pic for centerpiece. @Little Bird are you crafty? If not, I bet your little artists are…..

👏 Flo is right! The only giveaway is that the leaves are too green and shiny. But good idea about making the lotus arrangements. Back to the garden store tomorrow!

Hmm - I thought the leaves in my pick - the smaller white pot - were standing too straight!

Yes, it really does look too perfect to be real! My husband was fooled too. Good try, KW!

Been shopping for dining room arrangements. I have to post in a couple posts because Houzz limits to 4 per comment.

More elements.

If you don’t want to use glass type marbles there is material that you pour into container for look of real water.

This is one product. Creates water look instead of doing clear marbles or similar material.

I couldn’t post link but here is Lily from Amazon and leaf’s.

A possible runner. This one is more formal and interesting as a base for the vases.

Oh wow, Flo - I’ve learned so much from you! I had no idea acrylic water existed. A bamboo mat would go with the Chinese painting. I’m excited to try all these ideas out!

Hello Ladies, just stumbled across your thread and wondered if you'd considered a piece like this for the entry? I do find it a bit informal, but if you swapped out the hardware for some gold tone antique hardware that you can buy online, or spray the hardware gold along with the feet of the cabinet, Rustoleum has a line metallics that are lovely. Then cover the bench seat in a fabric that coordinates with the dining room rug and make a few small pillows out of the same fabric to "sprinkle" thru the downstairs on all your different chairs to tie everything together?

I also wanted to share my experience living with (and later using it in client's homes) a rich, coral as an accent wall, had a rather surprising effect. First, it brightens up any darker areas, but the real surprise is how much it cheers a space & more importantly the people in it, up! Once upon a time, I really disliked it and felt it was too orange and didn't know why anyone would want to live with anything more than a few accessories in that color. Then, about 20+ years ago, when I was trying to find a color that complimented my collection of Egyptian papyrus art, I tried a deep, rich coral and was genuinely shocked by my reaction to it. I have moved multiple times since, and that's the 1st color on the walls now. Especially with the dreary winters in the PNW, no matter how cold & gloomy it is outside, it's always warm & cheerful inside my home. Best of luck, I'll be on the lookout for some after photos

Or, how about a collection of colorful glass items for the dining table? Not sure how many I would need and how to arrange them. Do you guys like any of these?

Hmm- poppies pretty but too orange. And maybe too tall. The one glass vase I do like is the onion shaped one which looks too peachy. The bowl is quite eyecatching & could be a stand alone piece if it is very large. The blue of it works, the orange doesn’t. Might have to be careful with the selection of coral items to go with the softer green of the chairs. Too orange is too jarring with the soft green. Coral seems orangy color but with cream in it to soften & is great with the softer green of chairs. Maybe stick with the great orchids you found in the perfect color pots for now. Do you have a neck scarf with blues & corals in it? You live in Midwest so surely you have scarves for under coats 😉. My thought is rather than using a standard shape runner or a big gold brass charger type plate, use a scarf fluffed & swirled with the pots sitting randomly on the puffs & in the swirls. Can you visualize what I’m describing? In displays you see fabric & tulle randomly placed, not evenly spread out, with items sitting in the fabric folds. Can be elegant looking & still not too formal, rigid or too casual either depending on fabric & items used. These are my thoughts straight out of my head. I tend to overthink so I try to stick with my first impressions!

KW, I don’t have any scarves: Below -30: stay inside. Between -29 to 0: wear a jacket. Between 0 to 30: sweater weather. Above 30: shorts.

What about this flower? Not sure if it’s my normal level or kooky, or too old lady style. Although, I AM an old lady 🤣

Love those! Very cool but nods to the Asian art. Great find!

Thanks, Flo. What do you think - should I get the 3 different sizes: that one above, plus these two I circled? Or should I get 3 of the same item, same color?

Or is one flower plenty, and get other style items to go with it? KW, is this also too orange?

What is size?

Last one too orange.

I like these. I would do 3 all same basic height. The apricot and the amethyst are great colors. Might call them and see if you could special order color you want.

Good idea! I’ll see if they do custom colors. Thanks, Flo!

Oh, they’re 7.5” diameter, and either 9.5”, 10”, or 13.5” high

You could put taller one in middle position then a shorter one on each side of it. I would only be concerned about them getting knocked over if they are too heavy?? I’ve glass of wine at dinner per person! Lol. JK.

Following

I meant “if they are too top heavy”. Darn autocorrect!

I am the queen of knocking things over! What do you guys think of one of these ideas for either side of the tall windows? A bar cart to hold all my orchids? Or a set of plant stands? Not sure if they would actually be rickety and junky in real life.

I like putting the orchids on a pretty bar cart.

Grouping orchids is prettier look that varying heights. We can always vary heights a little with books or stands.

No progress in the entry bench/console. But I did get some colorful baubles for the dining table! You guys told me to put a runner and flowers on the table, so this is my stab at that. What do you think? Too many? Need more? Add another shape?

Hi @Little Bird ! Happy to see you’re still working on things. I think I kind of like your centerpiece. The glass ’baubles’ are great with that fabulous light above them. The entire room with the kaleidoscope of colors in rug & chairs, grounded by the dark table & flooring and the pale walls, is just so uplifting mood wise. I can’t quite see what the glass pieces are sitting on - is that gold/ brass or a mirror? I do like it either way. Gold works with chair & sconce metal. I think you could change the mood using different color fabrics to place the glass pieces on too. My thought is a fabric piece the color of the walls but shot through with metal or something bright.

Hi KW! Yes, that is a gold mirrored mat. Actually, 3 placemats lined up across the center of the table. I was trying to lighten up the darkness of the table. As predicted, the quality of the table is dreadful - it already looks scratched and dented. I might have to eventually cover the whole table with mats!

The mats are really pretty. I do think fabric mats or a runner the color of walls would look good too and create a different look when you want to change out. That’s too bad the table isn’t holding up - it looks like a nice one.

You guys told me to put a runner and flowers on the table, so this is my stab at that. What do you think? Too many? Need more?

Yes! - Less is more.

Fewer pieces would be best. Not crazy about mats. With the large bubble chandelier is it too much fancy glass?

Yeah, I had a feeling it might have been too many baubles. I tend to go overboard. Maybe I should just place a few of them on a tray, instead of that long row of mirrors?