boost

Lovely room. Yes, leave all the nice wood paneling as it is. It enhances the room. I would take down the curtains and add the mini blinds or plantation shutters. Since the room is dark, cream or beige walls would look great. Will ypou be replacing the furniture? If so, A sofa in a tan color would go well with the wall color. I would pick out the furniture then decide on the color of the rug .

Keep your gorgeous woodwork! Blinds are less expensive than plantation shutters. Consider a large horizontal border wallpaper going around the room just under the ceiling for some color.

If your furniture is in good condition, consider slipcovers tailored to the sofa and chairs, instead of outright replacement. The camel back sofa in the inglenook looks dated, replace it with a nice writing desk, good for computers also!

Move your sofa and chairs closer to the fireplace for a nice conversation area. The table in front of the sofa is too small. Consider making that an end table and putting a larger table for coffee/tea in front of the sofa. A big persian rug would provide color and grounding for the conservation area. Lovely room.

I would use white plantation shutters instead of the curtains, I would also slipcover your sofa and chairs, and add interest with throw pillows, in colors that would correlate with a persian rug. I agree with Elise. That table is too small. you need a lower, larger coffee table. Move the sofa and chairs closer to the fireplace. In the wood paneled niche, I would remove the side table and ottoman, and center the remaining sofa. Your biggest challenge will be de cluttering, so that you can really appreciate your wonderful room!

Thanks everyone for the comments! you are giving me ideas aplenty! The furniture isn't mine, so will all be replaced so open to suggestions there as well.

I like the idea of wallpaper above the picture rails- have you done it before? I have just finished renovating a Victorian property and brought some beautiful modern floral wallpaper in creams, golds and white which I did not end up using- what do you think? (I have hidden it somewhere and need to find it and post a photo!
I am also attaching a photo of the kitchen- focal point is the falcon stove - the kitchen layout is OK but the cupboards door and drawer are awful beige laminex as are the bench tops. I'm thinking cream to go with the stove, perhaps with green glass tiles and granite benchtops. The inners of the cupboards are in good condition, but what can I replace the doors and drawers with?

Well first of all, I absolutely LOVE your name - how delightfully unusual -

yes - lose ALL the curtains - if you want to modernize and keep the furniture - I would choose something with a berber feel, simple, plain and bound - to keep it simple.

THEN - I would RUN - NOT walk to the nearest library and find a book on period wall papers! I am pretty sure - that something along the lines of a Charles Rennie MacIntosh (early 20th centruy Scottish Designer) is what your great room is screaming for - and YES - wall paper above the picture rail! Most definitely. Plantation Shutters DO NOT fit the period of your beautiful room. He is actually the very person who inspired the Arts & Crafts Movement and in France this turned into ART Neuvou. Please Look!

I would then look and explore how drapes were hung during this period - and have fun looking for antique or reproduction antique rods, finials, etc. You can also find everywhere - these inspired fabrics. But twere me - I would do something simple - a lovely lined linen drape - with some trim or edging all around - lush, thick, full and to the floor! I would also add some simple textured pillows, plain - to match your colors if you are keeping the furniture - but defintely with tons of texture, different fabrics, with trim, etc.

I absolutely LOVE your FP - what a fabulous thing to have in your home.

And I like the tile you have chosen - Perfect. Great color - and will go a long with anything you add. You can just replace the cabinet doors - with real wooden ones - and I would do some with etched glass? Add some lighting into the cabinets?

Are the light fixtures original to the home? If not, I would find some period light fixtures, or reproduction ones. Look in antique malls, salvage yards, salvage centers - and work on them yourself - If you are on a budget - are you just redoing this to resale? Or will this be your home - that will make all the difference in the world as to what you will be willing to do for this house? Haunt upscale fabric design centers - back rooms for discounted trims, ends of fabric rolls. I would also look for some period syle scones for your main room. These add SO much to a home - I would definetly GO with period style scones on either side of the FP!

I had purchsed the end of a roll of fabric I adored - and I have an Ladies hand carved victorian FP mantle in my bedroom. I took that roll of fabric and sat down at the comptuer until I found Period Tiles to replace around the FP in the bedroom. I ended up ordering some majollaca tiles - signed 1905 - all the way from England to the US - as the design focus for the FP and they EXACTLY match the colors and reflect the print of the beautiful fabric. And then I stumbled upon a rug in a more modern (stil period though) design which pulls all of this together - it certainly did not happen over night - but these things take time.

Look around - find things you love - and yes - leave the paneling alone - it is STUNNING!
And YES - wall paper above the rail! Paint the ceiling a color too - very soft - but the opposite side of the color wheel from your wall color.

Please let us know.

Well first of all, I absolutely LOVE your name - how delightfully unusual -

yes - lose ALL the curtains - if you want to modernize and keep the furniture - I would choose something with a berber feel, simple, plain and bound - to keep it simple.

THEN - I would RUN - NOT walk to the nearest library and find a book on period wall papers! I am pretty sure - that something along the lines of a Charles Rennie MacIntosh (early 20th centruy Scottish Designer) is what your great room is screaming for - and YES - wall paper above the picture rail! Most definitely. Plantation Shutters DO NOT fit the period of your beautiful room. He is actually the very person who inspired the Arts & Crafts Movement and in France this turned into ART Neuvou. Please Look!

I would then look and explore how drapes were hung during this period - and have fun looking for antique or reproduction antique rods, finials, etc. You can also find everywhere - these inspired fabrics. But twere me - I would do something simple - a lovely lined linen drape - with some trim or edging all around - lush, thick, full and to the floor! I would also add some simple textured pillows, plain - to match your colors if you are keeping the furniture - but defintely with tons of texture, different fabrics, with trim, etc.

I absolutely LOVE your FP - what a fabulous thing to have in your home.

And I like the tile you have chosen - Perfect. Great color - and will go a long with anything you add. You can just replace the cabinet doors - with real wooden ones - and I would do some with etched glass? Add some lighting into the cabinets?

Are the light fixtures original to the home? If not, I would find some period light fixtures, or reproduction ones. Look in antique malls, salvage yards, salvage centers - and work on them yourself - If you are on a budget - are you just redoing this to resale? Or will this be your home - that will make all the difference in the world as to what you will be willing to do for this house? Haunt upscale fabric design centers - back rooms for discounted trims, ends of fabric rolls. I would also look for some period syle scones for your main room. These add SO much to a home - I would definetly GO with period style scones on either side of the FP!

I had purchsed the end of a roll of fabric I adored - and I have an Ladies hand carved victorian FP mantle in my bedroom. I took that roll of fabric and sat down at the comptuer until I found Period Tiles to replace around the FP in the bedroom. I ended up ordering some majollaca tiles - signed 1905 - all the way from England to the US - as the design focus for the FP and they EXACTLY match the colors and reflect the print of the beautiful fabric. And then I stumbled upon a rug in a more modern (stil period though) design which pulls all of this together - it certainly did not happen over night - but these things take time.

Look around - find things you love - and yes - leave the paneling alone - it is STUNNING!
And YES - wall paper above the rail! Paint the ceiling a color too - very soft - but the opposite side of the color wheel from your wall color.

Please let us know.

Thanks! so you all know I have just found out that the offer I placed on this house has been accepted- that's why none of the furniture is mine!
and yes the original plan was to do up and resell; but I don't think I can part with it so callously- it has way too many good features- so I will be looking to do it up sympathetically to the period (once you modernise them too much you can't bring them back and you lose all that wonderful heritage)
So yes I do have to watch my budget, but want to do the house justice. I've got the bug!!

Bronwyn,

Congratulations on your purchase!! The wall paper you mentioned could work. The colors are certainly appropriate, but definitely research them as Fife2 mentioned.

Love the cream with green tile accent idea for the kitchen, and definitely honor that beautiful classic stove! Is the backsplash behind the stove metal? Consider carrying tile up and behind the stove also. Larger tiles = fewer grout lines to clean. Granite countertops with some cream, brown, and green colors would work perfectly.

If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, then "refacing" them with a reputable company is an ideal choice. Matching the wood of the bookcase on the island would be a great way to go. You could consider a two-tone look as well. Retaining the best classic features will pay off. Keep your large pot drawers next to the stove! Very convenient.

One suggestion I hope you consider is to move the refrigerator inside the kitchen space, where the corner cupboard is perhaps. Looks like you might have a walk-in pantry where the white door is? Not sure where your double glass doors lead to...

Hope these pictures help you realize the possibilities with refacing available.


http://www.affordablekitchens.com/photo1.html

http://www.portlandcabinetrefacing.com/before.and.after.photos.html

Hi Eliesarge2 and Fife2, all great suggestions! Have been looking at the wallpapers and learning about the styles of the period. Yes, fridge definitely needs to move and yes, the pantry is behind what currently looks like the back door! The other doors house the laundry/ utility and a wc.

The deal involved me having to sacrifice the stove for the purchase price (it was a wedding pressie and they won't move on taking it) , but I think it may be worth investing in a replacement of the same? I agree that the splash back would probably look better running behind the stove as well.

Thanks for the before and after pics of cupboards, they have given me some light at the end of the tunnel

Don't take over for another month or so, but at least I can get my ducks in a row!

PS Fife2 glad you like my name- part of my welsh heritage :)

Dear Bronwyn: thanks - I am an anthropologist - took a lot of linguistics and LOVE identifying regional names - I seem to do pretty well. However, yours is such a classical name - would be hard to mis-identify! :-)

I am SO glad you have fallen in love with your beautiful home. I assume you are in England ?, not US, definitely go to flea-markets, swap sales and find an old stove replacement if this your concept.

I don't know how big any of your bathrooms are, but we placed our double-stack in the bathroom!
I also then made a very "small" partition - about 15 inches framed- which provides the idea of separatness from the bathing area. However, our bath is a rather large space - as it was the original back porch. This could free up some space in your pantry? And you might consider framing in and doing a cabinet finish for the fridge - then it would not stick out like a sore thumb.

Please check out on line: Rusteoleim (paints) - they have entire new kits for refinishing cabinets -and countertops?

Since you are a re-doer - perhaps having wooden countertops made would better suit your home?
I would certainly NOT use granite, or something of this ilk - I think this would detract from the feel of the home.

This also might give you an opportunity to save some pennies and wait to get what you really want to have - I actually did NOT have a kitchen sink for 15 years - it was in the bathroom [(one of those long old porcelain kitchen sinks (country)] because this was the only place in the home which was plumbed - OUCH!

I guess the moral of the story is: I could be worse! :-)

HI Fife2 - dadda was welsh, but I'm an aussie girl from Tasmania. PS absolutely LOVE Charles Rennie Macintosh thanks to you! I just can't seem to find any wallpaper for sale using his work and not a lot of William Morris in Aussieland either...
Last year I completed a renovation on a gorgeous Victorian cottage and thought I was a girl of that era through and through, but now I've discovered all that glorious Arts and crafts era and I'm very excited!

Hello Bronwyn, I have a sister living north of Brisbane off Airlie Beach. She lived in Sydney for several years then moved with her husband and boys for work.

I saw your lovely Victorian cottage, Ellie's place, in your profile. Fabulous job on that! Especially liked the bathroom with the fireplace and painting.

we have many rugs in stock under 500 bucks. www.passionofpersia.com

dont paint over wood paneling its great. just paint the regular walls and that lighting above the seating area paint those lines white to blend in. blinds are cheap. a lil trick to make them more fancy is to put a piece of base molding at the top of the blinds for a polished look

You have been busy lady! So far everything I see is looking fabulous. Can't wait to see more! Hope you are enjoying your updated home.

Love the mantel that is original to the house! The poppy curtains give an updated punch of red to your sitting area by the windows. Green and red are always a great color combination!!!

Did you reface or replace the kitchen cabinets? I like the countertops also.

Hi Elise
I replaced the fronts of the cupboards - except for the island bench- that's new.
The overheads were purchased at auction and are actually interesting antique bifold door bookcases.
I was originally going to use light coloured granite on bench tops, but really glad I went with the black Indian macubus

I am no expert. I love the light colours, leave out the dark cupboard and get a ceiling light. My place is 1930s and has ball light on the ceiling and looks great.

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