Oprah's Full of Inspiration

So here's what my dining area looks like:

Pretty blah, no? The biggest issue is that I'm unable to use the french doors to the backyard because the (rather small) table is right smack dab in the middle of the fairly small room. So I end up using the door to the utility room which leads to the garage which also has access to the backyard. Way too many steps out of my way if you ask me. Which I know you didn't.

And then there's this cut out or pass through or whatever into the living room to contend with. So not inviting. I know, I know, I really should have hung something on the walls by now. But it's only been six months. Cut me some slack, people! Sheesh.

I know, blah blah BLAH! But then I picked up the Winter 2007 issue of Oprah's O at Home magazine in a recent thrifting trip and all my dreams came true. Or at least I finally solved my decorating dilemma.

I don't know if it's because my old dining room was chocolate brown or because I have an oversized gold frame or that I own one of the EXACT SAME black and white chairs or what but I'm so drawn to this room. And I think it's similar in proportion to my teensy tiny room. I checked the shopping section in the back and learned that she just slipcovered an Ikea bench so I made some notes for my upcoming trip to Texas. But then I went into TJ Maxx and found this:

Methinks it's perfect! And it's a storage bench to boot...for cookbooks or extra dishes or (gasp!) the toaster oven my grandmother has convinced me never to get rid of but right now is awkwardly sitting on top of my dryer. Genius!

Also, I'm not planning on doing brown again. If I ever get around to it my kitchen will be painted white. Although I did consider painting that back wall in black chalkboard paint for Little Miss M but then I nixed that idea. And unfortunately my gold frame is too big for the space. So I'm going to hang a black mirror there for the time being. And I'm keeping my black table. And two of my dining chairs. The armless ones. I'll reupholster the seats in something snazzy...black and white zebra stripes perhaps?

Pics of the work in progress to come. Hopefully leaving all (three) of you faithful readers hanging will motivate me to whip the room into shape. But for now the big question is...what will I buy on my Ikea shopping trip over Spring Break now that I found the bench?