Gorgeous idea bigreader, warm and inviting.

Hi Anne, where abouts is this log cabin. Don’t see much like this in AUS.

Thanks so much Bigreader. Lovely idea.

Kate- it is in Australia. Northern NSW. Its a very unusual house. I love it though! Its very swiss chalet!

We have a lot of these type of homes, in, south west Western Australia. Maybe paint the walls white, but do not paint the ceiling. If you do not require the bar, remove it.
Like the idea of a relaxing corner.

what's the brick area adjacent to the bar? is it a staircase? doesn't look like the aspect would be that great for a lounging area of that's the case.

Keep it and stock it. Home bars can be fun, social places for friends and family. All you need is a bar fridge and some bar stools. It is a great place for a casual, informal drink or a cup of coffee, while not being in the kitchen. My kids loved using the bar for ice-cream spiders when they were little. Think of it as an alternative (but compact) living area with a lovely sense of intimacy. They can also be a great place to learn how to make cocktails!

Best of luck with your considerations,

Regards

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls/ Dr Retro Virtual Visits

Looks like a pole house which were popular back then, both ideas are fun, what about a wine cellar which is what I have planned for our old bar space.

Thank you all for your replies, Very interesting and really useful.

CP- it is a single story house and the bar area looks is next to the open plan kitchen and lounge.

See attached photos. I am installing an all white kitchen- hopefully this will lighten up the space too.

Love the idea of a wine cellar and Dr retro keeping the bar does feel like the right thing to do. I think if I start changing too much its will snow ball into changing everything.

Should I paint it though?

and the reading nook looks great! Ahh...cant decide!

I reckon you are focusing on the wrong thing to paint and update Anne .

Paint the brown bricks in white or cream or english white , the 'green' ( treated ) pole in charcoal , take down the mirror ball and dart board , add a red or orange large 'wound string' shade on the light ( or a brown 'cane' rattan type one ) , a 60cm x 60 abstract picture on one wall , a 50cm round mirror with the leather surround and strap on the other , and 3 or 4 modern trendy bar stools , I prefer red or orange or yellow , with chrome , but I'm guessing most people would go white ( maybe too much white with the brickwork ? ) or black leather or leather look , or even mid-brown would work .

As Dr Retro says -- then stock and enjoy !

Anne, you may like to check out my blog post about white paint to give you some options to think about:

https://secretdesignstudio.com/should-i-paint-everything-white/

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

Thank you pottsy99, I should be clear that the property is now empty. The mirror ball and dart board were the previous tenants and they are gone! Its now a blank canvass o to speak. I will have a look at painting the bricks and get some samples

Thanks Dr retro. I just read your excellent. Some food for thought.

I do like the warmth of the timber. and like that its not all white plasterboard walls. But I would like to try and lighten up the space

You must have put up the other 3 pics as I was posting .

The bricks on the 'back wall' of the kitchen look slightly different to the ones I suggested painting , and both look different to the lounge area . Just looking at all the pics , I reckon theres too much brick for my liking . Having said that , white or a variation paint on just those bricks may be okay , but I'm not sure . Rendering just those may be too modern , but I wonder about removing those bricks and replacing with some 'interesting' stonework -- a darker schist or even irregular ( but not 'crazy' ) limestone ? Or go old school and strip off the bricks and replace with glass blocks and keep it period ?

I think painted bricks give a cheap look.

I'd rip out the kitchen first and see. that's more of an issue then the bar area at this stage. I think the 2 spaces don't worktogether as it just creates two raised bar areas with a corridor inbetwen them at the moment.
I'd get the space and flow right before thinking about painting etc. But I think you will end up having to paint as that's an awful lot of brick and panelling making everything look enclosed.

Hi Anna,
Some great comments, what a lovely house you have, I think after you have updated your kitchen then look at your bar area, you may just decide it could be a fun place to gather, by keeping your furnishings light you will enhance the features of your lovely home, some great artwork on the walls will bring light into the rooms, embrace the wonderful architecture, how lucky you are to have such a beautiful home.

Can you post a floor plan

Some inspiration

Without dimensions the bar space could make a great Banquette dining space

Yeah I think Siriuskey's option is the best as it removes two adjacent standing areas

Move in and do it gradually . I would replace your kitchen first and remove the some of the high brick so that your bench is at one standard height . Be careful that your white kitchen is not a too stark or vivid white . Re the bar area , if you would use it then keep it as said for bar / coffee station / cellar . I would change the visible bench top to match your new kitchen . A reading or computer nook would work . I am not a fan of the bright white flooring . Bring samples of tiles to look in situ after your kitchen is done . Leave the brick unpainted . Update us when you are eventually done please !

80's cocktails. Fluffy duck anyone?

Thank you so much everyone! I really appreciate your thoughts. You've given me so many ideas. But also lots of questions! What colour kitchen should I put in? What colour should I paint the the window surrounds and doors to match?? I've not had a chance to do a floor plan but the bar area is approximately 1.5m x 1.5m . The bar is not actually attached so can be removed easily

I've attached some more photos to give an idea of what the space looks like empty.

I am so grateful for all the ideas! thank you so much!

The floorplan is far more important to start the process than paint colours etc

Anne, so many questions. Had you considered engaging a professional who specialises in older homes with lots of character? Have you read Secret Design Studio's "Wall of Love"?

https://secretdesignstudio.com/wall-of-love/

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits.

Hi Anne,

Your home is beautiful with so much potential.

There have been some clever ideas presented but I think its important to have an overall plan that you're working towards. This way you avoid needing to re-do certain areas. With the overall plan you would decide which materials you like and what needs to change and then you can stick to that plan as you roll out the changes.

For instance, I think the brick on fireplace wall is a lovely feature of the home but the brick in the kitchen area is competing with it.

With the timber panelling, it was certainly a feature of the home originally but these days we tend to paint out the panelling to make spaces feel lighter and more open.

We often use Dulux China White when working with robust materials like brick and timber as it has a warm stone like tone.

In one of the pictures, I can see that there is a full feature brick wall in another room which should creates a lovely flow and consistency.

This is a home in Fairhaven Victoria that looked just like yours (but without the brick) and was painted in the China White.

Cheers,

Vikki.

Your bathroom will also looks great with a touch of paint and a new vanity.

You want a warm colour for doors and trim to tone into woodwork, Fair Bianca if you want white may work. I have 1/2 strength on my woodwork.

It's all very busy and I think rushing into paint isn't going to help initially as everything is likely to "bleed" through at this stage. I'd be keeping the timber beams and brick walls but trying to simplify the interior walls. Even though timber labelling is quite in at the moment yours is very knotty which adds to the business.

Oh my goodness what a cool house you have!

I love the brick, I love the timber and the fireplace. Please don't pull that bar out! I doubt you would use that space for anything else that would be near as useful as a bar to make drinks and coffee.

Maybe consider replacing the bar bench top with a stone to freshen it up, I think you could afford to paint the bar itself too but leave the timber walls. Some nice stools lined up at it behind the bench creates a nice layer.

The timber in the kitchen has to go, but please stay away from those paint samples you have there, they are not the right undertone, if you want to add in white, choose one with a neutral base.

I offer e-design services, I would love to help you with this if you were wanting some help.

www.laurenshiels.com

@Anne you could take out the kitchen, bag the brick wall to bring it up to date & put a galley kitchen with a large island. the bar area could be a banquet dining area or a reading nook as a couple of other people have suggested :)

Some kitchen ideas to consider that work in with the brick wall. These are galley style so would likely fit your space or give you ideas for updating what you have already 🙂