Oh dear! We have the same type of fireplace, except mine is double brick. I think you should definitely paint the cavities the same colour as the walls, the existing colour seems to chop it up and makes the area look smaller. I love the idea about the stone look wall paper around the fire. I would check with manufacturers instructions beforehand, fires put out a lot of heat and ash and my guess is that it would ruin the wall paper (you didn't mention if your fire was real or gas log). I think Mitre 10 and Bunning's sell a product that's stone cladding ( its DIY) you glue it onto the wall, it looks amazing. A timber mantle above the fire would also look great. My fireplace has shelving either side in the cavities, it seems to balance it out otherwise you have 2 great big empty areas. You could align the shelving or stagger them depending on what look your after. If you go with the shelving idea I would put a couple cushions each end of the cavities near the ledge to encourage people to sit. Fires are meant to be warm and inviting. Lastly I would put a rug in front of the fire to protect your carpet. Good luck! Make sure you post some pics.

Great space, Marcie. Certainly, dark colours will help to create a more intimate space. Cool colours work beautifully with white plantation shutters creating a restful space. Looking at the room now, I suggest you need to incorporate some texture. Seagrass wallpaper is a great start. A textured rug between the bed and the large picture window will help make the space more intimate. Add a couple of tub chairs by the window at the edge of the rug, and add cushions and throws that co-ordinate with your final colour choices. You may even wish to add a couple of big leafed indoor plants. Decide on your theme - coastal, tropical, shabby chic, southern belle, contemporary - these all work with plantation shutters - and then add colours, textures, and lighting to suit. Cheers, Penelope

Thanks for all the comments - appreciated. To answer some of your questions; 1. I am also wondering if it is possible the verandah is not original? Can you tell? Not sure, looks original. If the red bricks weren't there, then it's probably more Edwardian? 2. There any internal paneling to lower section of walls? No 3. The bay window is a decorative feature, but are any of the other windows double-hung? No 4. You might look to the neighbouring houses to get a clearer indication of style of your house as often they will share common design features. Do you have any original documentation or plans for the house? No. The street is mainly Cal Bung(double front with heavy posts) and Edwardians. From the comments, it sounds there are overlaps in style. The overall style looks Edwardian but the porch with the red brick posts looks like a smaller version of the typical Cal Bung heavy posts. The question is what does a single front or 1.5 front Californian Bungalow look like?(Do they even exist?) I've only seen double front Cal Bungs with heavy posts.

I take it this room is the living room, and that you definitely want to have a fireplace for ambience? I would first consider which would be more useful, a fireplace or some bespoke joinery such as the floating entertainment unit. Also, how long do you plan to live in this house and do you need to think about future resell? What do buyers want/need more, ambience or storage? I’m all for having what suits you and your family best. If you decide to keep fireplace, I would build out the wall in order to accomodate a gas fireplace with a more substantial surround to suit the style/period of your house. You would lose a section of that wonderful Axminster carpet, alas. Love it...we had very similar one in a previous home. If the room is large enough, perhaps you could also have a floating unit built at the same time, if budget can stretch. I am curious about the carpet...is it only in this room or throughout much of the house?