My dining corner makeover plan

For the past two years, I've ever so slowly been remodeling our current abode from ex-bachelors' cave to eclectic chic. Although we I envision our escape from the tundra within a year , that does not prevent me from tackling some last minute makeovers, like our dining table corner.

Currently, the dining corner looks like this:

Since the ugly and useless honey-hued country kitchen table came with the house, and we have yet to replace it, hubz and I have been eating a la TV dinner style for years.

Last week, I made use of my store credit at West Elm recently with  this Source bench, which I'd been eyeing for months, envisioning it as a future dream home mudroom bench. Isn't it tres chic?

Unfortunately, it has no place in our house... yet. We tried to test it out as a dining table bench and it was not quite right. A banquette would be better/higher and provide more seating space. The bench would be perfect as a semi-entryway bench next to the dining table corner.

Seeing as my last DIY attempt started last June 2012 and isn't finished yet, I will not promise results anytime soon.