I agree with you, the blue they've got in the advert doesn't look so great. It's definitely not cozy either! Maple tends to have both gold and pink tones, and so goes wonderfully well with all shades of orange. How about a pale wood floor with apricot and ivory tones? You have some good ivory colours in your second picture. I would start with choosing a rug you liked, I've uploaded a picture of one I would choose which would go well as a starting point, but there are lots to choose from. That would make a very cozy room and fit beautifully with the furniture.

Hi, Firstly, I love the room, it has a lovely feel and the table, in my opinion, works really well. The issue for me is about zoning, you need to clearly define the spaces, open plan rooms need to have defined areas. The rug idea is really good idea but you need to make sure it is large enough to define the space and allow the chairs to sit on it even when pulled out. Have you considered putting a larger chandelier in to really define the space ? Something really OTT...... make a statement ! The windows would benefit from full length curtains even if they were dress only to frame the windows. These would soften the dining area and centralise the eye on the table / chandelier. The lights over the island are difficult to specify, if you put modern in the don't go with the dining room, if you put traditional in they don't go with the kitchen. Have a look at naval lanterns. The chrome ties in with the kitchen but the shape is essentially traditional. I use these a lot and they always look good, I hang them in groups of three or four. Love the black stools Jones 1987 have suggested. With regards to the back wall, pictures for me. Large black and black and white pictures. Adds interest and injects personality. Look at the mix of styles in this room, beautiful ! Hope that helps, Martin: www.angel-martin.com

Hi, Thank you so much for all the replies!! I've attached some photos. One is looking towards the garden, one is looking towards the study, a picture of the infamous mezzanine floor and the finally one a view from the dining room looking up into the livingroom (which is why I thought it would be nice not to block it). I don't know if the photos do it justice how empty the room feels when your sat on the settee - its like your squished into less than half of the room. We were initially definitely going to rip out the mezzanine floor (its an extension to the original design), but haven't made a decision. We are taking opinions at the moment. Everyone agrees it is a bit odd, but it does provide additional space (storage) and one of our friends suggested a reading snug. It's currently our cats little area. The house is a detached house built in the 70s. The garden is split level out back, the front is a slope. The garage is used as a gym and the kitchen is big enough to accommodate a dining table so we were going to keep the diningroom as the formal room (separate) and have an informal dining area in the kitchen. I'm in Manchester. Hopefully I've responded to everyone, going to post this and then review again!! Thank you again for your thoughts!! I like some of the ideas. Maybe a fireplace not on the wall, but in the middle. I'm thinking of replacing the radiator with a more modern smaller one, maybe a vertical one.

How do you prefer a display unit or a display cabinet. With or without glass?