Firstly I would have to ask if you bought this cottage because you truely love "vintage" or did you buy on a budget with the sole purpose of renovating to A. keep it traditional or B. make it so modern the the very hint of it ever being traditional will be almost unrecognisable in the end??? If you in fact love traditional, there are ways to make it modern enough to suit but still retain enough of a "traditional" feel in any single room or space, as to still be able to see the homes"roots" For example, retaining high ceilings, or ornate cornices, timber floors or timber windows etc... If your reasons are to make it modern but maintain tradional, then definitely seek professional help to get it right and that may only mean paying someone "once" to tell you what you should or shouldn't do to make the transformation successful. The picture provided by carthiefintexas is outstanding, showing traditional timber and unusual ceiling heights but with that most gorgeous kitchen/dining table albeit that this picture appears to be that of an inclosed barbecue/outdoor eating area and an add on to the existing home. Even the outside of your home, if council permits, can be partly traditional and partly modern but again, you really need to seek help so as not to get it wrong. Would love to know what you really want for this home??? For instance, if it's on acres and you are going to have pets, traditional homes look and feel more like you could let the dog in so to speak, if you know what I mean, versus a fully transformed modern home that the dog can only look at through the double glazed windows with perfect white tiles and a perfect white couch etc... etc...ha-ha!!!

I love it, and are considering this myself which is why I can offer an insight to installation. Yours is luckily freestanding, however I would install this central to the long part of your L and enclose it within cabinetry, actually yours is Likely to just be faced with fake doors and no carcass behind, still a place to utilize storing buckets or baskets, even laundry powder, just not a standard cupboard. I would then actually install a stone benchtop making this technically undermount trough. You would still have the practical size and aesthetic impact this concrete relic has to contribute. Only, with the bench top area to make it a useable space.

It all depends on how much money you would like to spend. As your lounge is dark and your stools and bookcase are also dark I think white chairs would be fine, but then I would change the stools as well and take some white down to the lounge area. However you can buy stretchy covers for this style of chair for around $10 and there is quite a variety, so I would look on line for those to see if you like any of them as that would be a very easy fix.

From what you have said, I think smaller separate pieces such as couch and chair(s) rather than a large sectional is likely to work better in the space and still allow for traffic flow. However, if you still have lots to do then don't rush to make large purchases. In the meantime, if your current sectional looks better pulled away from the wall a bit, then perhaps you could rotate the side table so that the long side runs parallel with the sofa arm instead of the wall. Would that help to stop it blocking the doorway and resolve the 'not quite right' placement?