The bookcase is very narrow & if you can remove the shelving, store the contents elsewhere & paint a feature colour or put some wallpaper in the back that suits your decor style (woven grass cloth e.g) & just have a painting or mirror there to simplify what is an entry point to your living room & kitchen. A narrow shelf or two in a dark timber or glass with console display items or a vignette of framed photos could be more decorative too. These canvas photo prints stretched over a frame could look good.Or if you need the space for storage some doors or drawers could be custom made to suit unless you start again. This niche idea could be built in too with lighting added.

Hi Katrina, I really love the horizontal wood panelling I think it's a great feature and from the look of it dark beams with upstairs floor timber on show. If this was my room I would likely make a feature of the wall panels and work around that. I find that because of all the dark, heavy timber the panelling is getting a bit lost (I lived in a house like this in Eltham many years ago and at the time loved it...but it's a bit dated these days) As I can't make out the layout of the room my suggestions are based solely on the picture you have provided. My first suggestion is to sand the beams back to their natural wood because I feel that the darkness of the beams is competing too heavily with the timber of the rest of the room. I'm thinking something like this: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/520588038153372539/ I would then find a cabinet maker to change the cd shelves and open shelves underneath to match the cupboards already in place and put in a continuous benchtop along the top of the cupboards. I would then extend the top shelf to match the other two long shelves and replace the baseboard so it is continuous. I would then ask the cabinetmaker to make more streamlined cupboard doors as I find the vertical lines in the current doors detract from the wall panelling. https://au.pinterest.com/pin/353814114454459992/ or if your cabinetmaker has some clever friends maybe something like this: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/518265869604062708/ I would also remove the light fitting poking out of the left of the picture. I don't know what colour carpet you intend to have laid so it is difficult to suggest a colour palette however I am a huge fan of charcoal and timber: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/406168460122166906/ I would paint the back wall only in charcoal much like the colour above to give a sense of depth. All books would be on the shelves. I'm sorry to say that the ducks would sadly have to be ditched. The bench would be used to hold that gorgeous clock and some of those special pictures that you have on show. Good luck, I hope I have been helpful :D

Hi, Pin down a builder? I would suggest you take the plans you have to a builder and get some feedback before you go much further. Builders are often your best ally when it comes to practical ways to achieve the design intent.... many is the time we have been asked to price a set of plans where the client has invested an inordinate amount of time and money on detail only to receive a rude shock when the reality hits the budget for all the detail desired.... cheers

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