Wow, awesomely beautiful table! And I didn't notice the nice paneling on the lower part of the wall. You really have a charming home.

You could use the blue and white toile on the windows only--perhaps make a London or Roman shade or panels. I really think that fabric at the windows softens and warms up a room. Consider using a large check on the chair cushions--toiles and checks are a classic.

Please don't remove the plate rack--it's a great feature.

Diana loves plate racks: ) and I often do as well, just not in this room. They need a something beneath, or they look very top heavy, and here? It simply competes in feeling with the pretty and more sophisticated screen.

Either way, A HUUUUUGE!!! IMPROVEMENT!

LOL......rare indeed for eight or nine people to all join together simultaneously... on my comment.........

Yup..... that was the offender : )

Thanks Diana. I fell in love with this house, which we picked up 2 years ago in a short sale. It was in terrible condition and we’ve been doing major work on it since then. I’m just now getting to the decorating part.

I’m handy with a sewing machine, I’ll pull out the toile and see if it will work for the windows. Recovering the chair seats is an easy project and doesn’t need much fabric.

Here’s the plate rack with the table that’s usually under it. It’s temporarily moved to service the mini split.

I agree your concern isn't a thing in this room. Glad you love the window and the art--but it's a dining room and the table would be the 'focal' point if that is even a thing in this space.

The plate rack looks so pretty with or without the table. I hope you keep it in there, as well as the drop leaf antique table.

This room has such a lovely collected look. Fresh eyes can help, but I’d trust your own eyes more. You have a great sense of style.

Having a "beneath" helps that plate rack, immeasurably .

Seeing a closer view of the plate rack, provides a better sense of what the dining room is leaning towards/its “feel”. I have changed my mind about the screen (I was focussed on your query - whether it detracted from the view, which it doesn’t). The question is whether it’s right for the room and it seems you are leaning towards English Country? If so…if it were me, I’d replace the screen with something that has a connection and pulls the room together.

Maureen, yes, definitely a long-time fan of English Country style. It started with Laura Ashley in the 80s. I have antique staffordshire dogs on the fp mantel.

I love that set of botanicals, and was actually thinking of something along those lines. I have a set of three from NYBG in the BR but they aren’t big enough for this space. Maybe I’ll keep an eye out for a set.

If interested, search framed botanical prints on Pinterest; there are lots of ideas and links to sites. Proportions/placement are important, given the smaller piece of furniture underneath. When you see a set you like, tape Kraft paper with their size on wall and test before buying. You also may realize you prefer a different size and configuration as well.

Should the plate rack be where the screen is, the screen be where the small painting is, and the small painting be where the plate rack is?

It’s a beautiful room, and seems to reflect your personality and warmth.🙂

@joanne ... you can have custom wood table pads made specifically for your table to protect from heat and spills. Mine were about an inch thick, felted on the bottom, vinyl wood like coating on the top, and had little hinges to fold them up and store when not in use. I had 2 larger end pieces and 2 pieces to fit each table extension. With a table cloth on top you would never know they were there. I used them for years when hosting family dinners, they were great. Just google custom wood table pads. They are less expensive than you would think.

The screen won’t fit any place except where it is now. I’ve looked at some sets of botanicals on marketplace, there are some sets of 4, so depending on how big they are, that may be enough. Sets of 6 are harder to come by unless I buy new, which would be too expensive.

I have a quilted vinyl pad with flannel on the bottom that has worked well for many years under a cloth. It’s easy to fold up and put in a drawer when not in use. I use one cut down to size on the wood kitchen table as well with a cloth when serving a buffet meal.

I think your screen would look so much better, more unique, and less formulaic than a set of botanicals with matching frames and sizes in this particular room. Those screens can be used with all sorts of styles, and the colors, the peacock, and flowers especially fit well with yours.

I’m kicking myself because I didn’t buy one we saw in an antique mall last year.

Are you just really not feeling it? If so, are you open to something besides a grouping of botanicals?

I think this ….

… is so much more beautiful and interesting than this …

Of course it only matters what you think. I don’t dislike botanicals at all, I had vintage ones in a former house, but you already have them in another room. If you decide no on the screen, I’d consider another large beautiful piece of art for that wall.

I agree with everything @Jilly said.

Thanks, Jilly. I do love the screen, I just keep second guessing my decision to use it there because it feels overpowering in a relatively small room. It would be better, I think, if I had a wider console under it to balance it a bit, but I don’t really want to buy any more furniture than I have to. We will not likely be in this house in 10-15 years.

Maybe finding a way to add some visual width to the table would be a good alternative to a different piece altogether.

If you have 8 chairs?

Flank the drop leaf with those 2 chairs, and move the fern and stand to the stationary door.

It will visually widen the look of support beneath the screen.

Joanne, adding a chair to each end of the table (under the screen) will visually lengthen the table. i notice that you have one chair at the end, but using two would help. If you can find two inexpensive parsons chairs (skirted) that would look lovely (IMO.)

She has the second chair ! See just above

We're crossing: )

With both chairs

What Friday said!

I’m so jealous of your screen. Friday knows the story of “Jilly’s Screen That Got Away“.

What do you think about the chairs there?

I think I prefer the plant back in front of the left window, but it’s hard to tell not being there in person.

Jilly's screen that got away was found by Joanne but Joanne didn't even like it. Isn't that how life goes....

I like Joanne’s better. And she knew not to hang it upside down, unlike the one I was looking at. 😁

Hands clapping! Much better! Problem solved: )

Pile some granny smith apples in the empty bowl

The chairs seem ok there. A little deep to put so close to the kitchen doorway, but not a major problem. I tried the fern back on the left and liked it better there, but after I moved the little console back under the plate rack, it seems like there is more room for it on the right. Easy enough to move them around. The console still is a little too light weight for the plate rack but I couldn’t find anything else that would fit over the mini split without blocking air flow.

Green is my favorite color, in case you can’t tell, and I often use a pile of granny smiths in the white bowl in the DR or in the kitchen in a big wooden bowl.

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions and observations. I’m always tweaking and moving things around, but I will banish the tablecloth going forward.

It looks gorgeous. So inviting.

The natural light you have in there is just amazing! Happy plants. :)

Burn that tablecloth. It did you dirty for far too long.

And if your screen is new, maybe its just a matter of your eye getting used to it.

What is the white under the tureen table? If it’s permanent, perhaps paint it the wall color. Maybe someone clever can come up with a camouflage.

I like the screen and also the table without the tablecloth and the extra chairs positioned on either side. I would place another plant in front of the window opposite the one already there. I would remove the lamp also.

The thing under the table is a mini split heat pump unit. I don’t think I can paint it. I opted for the floor mounted units instead of the big honking ones up by the ceiling.

Someone mentioned moving the lamp to other position on table to not block screen

According to Google you can paint the cover of these units.

I asked

can you paint a mini split heat pump unit?

The answer is yes as long as you don't spray the inside and make sure paint doesn't stop air from circulating etc.

joanne, those few tweaks made such a difference! Looks so nice. You might remove the lantern and have only the plants on the windowsill-they are so pretty there.

Thanks, kcooz07. I’ll put the lantern away, it was mostly there for the holidays as part of the decorations. I’m so glad I asked for help getting this room squared away. Some of the decor, like the dreaded toile tablecloth, have been around for twenty years, and looked better 3 houses ago. It’s hard to see that something I used to like so much just isn’t working any more.

As I say to clients? The cookies almost never go back in the box, exactly the same way and just as often - even though you ate a half dozed?

Damn things still dont all fit!!

Gorgeous room!

Wow, again. It looks amazing, and if you decide to use the toile in some way at the window, it would add another dimension.

I love a mix, but I think you don't need the toile: ) Know please, I do love toile. But time to pick.

Live with the new calm for a bit !

I'd far rather a great rug on the floor , assuming someone lets the pooch out with regularity: )

Your chairs are covered in the same fabric as mine! we must have great taste

My dining room chairs have the same fabric, I too love green, we must have great taste!

Small tweaks big transformation. Beautiful space. In love with green and the open light from the windows. Wonderful.

I love the Japanese Screen and think it looks lovely in the room. Can I ask about the crystals on the chandelier - are they actually party of the chandelier or were they added after. If they are part of the chandelier then no problem but if they were added and can be removed I would try removing them and see what you think.

The crystals are original to the chandelier. I added the shades because I don’t like the glare of bare bulbs Never thought of taking them off but I could try it.

A fabric hoarder who's moved toile to three houses, DH with a 100 ft. TV, Philistine guests and stubborn dogs. Sounds like my kind of people! What time is dinner? Room is looking great.

Leave the crystals as they are on the chandelier. There's no benefit to taking them off.