I've had quite a bit of fun today moving furniture around to try out everyone's wonderful ideas. I have decided that the dining room needs to stay where it is, as it doesn't quite work with the hall which adjoins. I have moved the china cabinet over to the smaller wall though, as someone suggested and added a house plant here and there - it looks right. Not sure yet if I will go for a large buffet or a reading nook, but a large rug for the dining area is definite, as is art on that large wall. Now to decide ... one large piece or a collection?

Very nice.. Where did you get the comfy chair? Love the book shelf. I am building a new house next year, designed done..

Any pics you can show us?

Hi there! Just jumping in to offer a bit of advice about the dining room rug: As the chairs will be constantly moving around on top of the rug, you might find that a jute or a synthetic rug would wear very quickly. Your best bet is to choose a material that wears well and is easy to clean such as wool. Opt for a short pile height for under dining tables - they're not only easier to clean, but its easier to push your chair back over a thinner rug than a thicker one! In terms of size, guests should be able to push their chairs back from the table without going over the edge of the rug, so to get the best size, measure your table, then add approx 60 cm. It looks like you might have limited space around your dining table - if you're looking to place a rug, maybe see if you can place the table a bit further out from the wall. For colour choice, opt for a darker colour if it works in the space, as its much more practical when it comes to spills and stains! Hope we've helped :)