Nate Berkus: Come Pimp My Dining Room....Please?

I have a pretty large dining room and I have no clue how to decorate it. The issue I'm having is just. I had a grand idea of decorating it using an Italian theme, right? Two things have dashed that dream, in my mind anway. While in the Dominican Republic three years ago, we bought this beautiful painting.






While we lived in Brooklyn, we had it rolled up and stuck in a corner. Now that we've moved to a larger space, our wall space is limited to an art piece of this size. I love the coloring in the piece.





Here are some photos of the dining room taken from each angle. That's my daughter playing on the computer in the kitchen.






This is the view out of the front of the house. Another issue I have is window coverings. I visited a few places that specialized in window coverings but didn't purchase anything yet.




Another angle...





I just switched the centerpiece which I found at Kohl's yesterday for $10.97!! Not sure what to fill it with yet but I'm sure I'll find something.






While on a trip to Turkey about three years ago, my husband surprised me with a beautiful, authentic Turkish rug. It's a nice rug. I could probably fit it in with the Italian theme I want but I don't see how the artwork would fit in. I'm not sure what to do or where to start. While at a friend's party I found myself in a conversation about design. Her suggestion was to pull one color out of the carpet and paint the walls that same carpet. She said she is constantly redesigning her walls. I guess it wouldn't hurt. I wish Nate Berkus would show up at my house and come pimp my dining room. Nate?

If you know of any websites, blogs, design inspirations, etc. to help me decide where to start and what to do, please share.