Please can someone help me with some ideas for my dining room?

[Karbea]

At the moment I have an empty room with this cupboard in it, which I need to keep as it was expensive.

The room needs everything new as the previous owner smoked and 3 years later it still smells of smoke.

I'm thinking a wooden floor...

I need new wall coverings, flexible on paint or paper, new curtains, pole, new table, chairs...

The room is dark, but has large french doors (white aluminium) to the garden, and doors to the kitchen and hall.

The kitchen door is a large oak glass door (will see if I can find a picture...).

The kitchen is shades of green, orangey maple units, black work surface. The rooms are separate but you can see each from each.

The house is cottagey built built in the late 70s early 80s.

Room will be an adult room, only used for best.

Please help I'm totally at a loss. I decorated our bedroom earlier in the year and hate it, I don't want to make the same mistake again :(

These are the doors between kitchen and dining room.

I like this table! but I don't know if it'll go with the cabinet :/

Oh and the wood of the cupboard is a very dark brown, not black, not sure if this is clear on the picture.

I love the table, it's the cupboard that makes it hard I think!

Could you do wood panelling on the walls? Or halfway up? Toungue and groove maybe? Then a big solid oak dining table and a mismatch of different chairs pulling in the greens from the kitchen and the darker wood from the cupboard?

Industrial style pendant lights over the dining table?

What have you got in the cupboard? It really is ugly isn't it! Strange with two colours of wood, white inside, and then strange metal door knobs. Perhaps you could change the door knobs? That might help it look nicer?

I think with regard to curtains and wall colours keep it light and neutral, so make the room lighter. Stick to wooden poles for the curtains too, not horrible metal.

Wood flooring would be lovely.

Could you not sell the cupboard thingy?

I don't think we could sell it, I could move it to the living room, which currently has a bathroom suite in it. Haha!

Inside the cupboard is full glasses (all squashed up) I'd like to put something nice in it, and currently various odds and sods on top of it.
I don't think you could easily changed the knobs.

I think it either has to stay as is, or move to another room.

Any ideas on actual fabrics/floorings?

Do you actually like the cupboard? I know you say it was expensive (did you buy it or was it given to you?) but you don't have to keep it if you truly don't like it. Or you could paint it.

You seem to be drawn towards the pale wood tones - I think the table would look nice with your doors.

I would go for a mix of pale blues for paint and furnishings - keeps it light and would look nice with those wood tones.

We bought it, but in a rush and we'd been out drinking all afternoon.
I wouldn't choose it now, I don't hate it, but I don't love it, but it's a big piece of furniture and a bit overbearing.
I think my dh would kill me if I suggested painting it, or getting rid.

Yes I like the sort of modern country/frenchish style I think... Plus I think that'll suit the house.

Have you looked at the other ideas on that pinterest link? (frippery Hill's 'dining rooms' board) That would give you some inspiration,
THere's also a designer that specialises in seriously dark rooms, you could look at for inspiration... I'm wracking my brain, think initials are 'AA'... perhaps Abigail Aherne? [clutches at straws]

Perhaps the back of the cabinet could be lined with wallpaper, rather than painted? Then use it for books, vases, and other objets?