Welcome back Sam. We’ve missed you. How’s your goldfish Jonathan?

Personally I think you need to have an overall plan for decorating.

if it were my house would take a view on the beams and brickwork and if you want to keep it all. You may conclude that the room would be cozier and the upstairs rooms quieter if you insulated and plasterboarded the ceiling. I would also speculate that the outside walls might feel cold and be better plasterboarded and skimmed. That might also help the room feel lighter but also give you more opportunity to decorate in opulent colours

Separately the mid century vibe look great with oversized table lights. In my opinion lights a this level are easier to live with and work with lower ceilings negating the need for ceiling lights.

Thank you, it feels great to be back! And for my first message to be from you is super special! As always armed with the valuable insights!
Big table lamps- check . Love it.
Re the walls … but they’re authentic! This is a flat roofed bungalow with a brutalist/modernist twist. Tbh I don’t know what genre of building it is. Darth Vader’s country cottage?
Well be getting a new roof but we have to diy new ceilings, walls and floors in the bedroom wing (water damage from the old roof) , so extra plastering might just break us. But I’m going to suggest it to the one who implements my vision and see what he says.

In more tragic news, Jonathan the fish is no longer with us. I like to think that he is living on a farm somewhere, frolicking with the Watership Down bunnies. There will be a Jonathan II.
Pic of the attractive frontage of this super cool pad ( not quite
ours yet-shhh)

I love your new house.

I can see how it ticks the boxes to be described as brutalist but I'm not sure it's a faithful enough example to preserve everything like a museum. The beams for instance may be intended to showcase the structure but for me they feel unfinished and the brickwork while perhaps ticking the brutalist box by being monolithic drain the light. Brutalist interiors may be paired back with elements showcased such as concrete, wood and metal but they were often drenched with light and colour used to define different elements. Look up Corbussier who was an influential architect who used colour as a design tool and I think you will conclude thst you can honour the building and make it work for you without it looking like anyone elses home.

I have also some thoughts on changing the layout if budget allows.

Oh the budget is tiiight. And there is much to do in the way of a new roof etc, but I’m super excited to get stuck in. We want ALL your thoughts! You’re right re brutalism btw . Maybe it’s brutalist externally but more mid century modern on the inside? There will be some budget-related compromises. The horrible retro fitted radiators which replaced an original blown air system are going to have to stay, maybe replaced here and there with smaller more efficient ones. I’m going to ditch the curtains for blinds, possibly those rattan ones we all had as students. There’s a lovely parquet floor under the carpet.

Trust you will add external insulation to your new roof "warm deck". 200mm PIR is a good option. Not a fan of wall lights especially with low ceilings. Run exposed wiring in metal conduit for an industrial look.

Thanks for this Tim. Re the roof- my other half is looking into options and talking to builders. I’ll pass this on to him. I do like the look of metal conduit normally , though not sure it goes with the mid century feel. I guess if I avoid wall lights that won’t be a problem. Also I feel like committing to locations for wall lights at the rewire stage constrains furniture placement before we’ve lived in it long enough to know what’s going to work. We’re currently thinking about where ‘big telly’ and log burner will go and how to balance those two elements with an L or U shaped sofa. Fun stuff!

My guess is that as built the room was large and cold. The carpet and large radiators were an attempt to warm it up.

I think you may be right! Hopefully the log burner will help cosy it up, but there will definitely be an additional heating cost to choosing a vintage building which we will be renovating on a shoestring. We’ll put as much insulation in as we can. I may need to find insulating blinds . The windows are double glazed but they’re old school aluminium framed ones so presumably not as effective as modern ones.

I‘m with Tim. You need to make it comfortable to live in and I suspect extra insulation is imperative.

Separately don’t make decissions for this house just because you did something in other houses. For instance I don't see how a log burner is going to fit the aesthetic. I feel they have fallen out of favour as people are struggle with the idea of burning things in the air you breath. Even ”Eco” stoves and burning very dry wood is shown to contribute particulate matter which is very bad for lung health. Recently a friend was proudly showing off their stove but frankly i thought the room stank like a bonfire.

I’m not a fan.

You are spot on with the particulate issue. I can’t defend it as healthy. Much like a cream cake, it will be an occasional indulgence (who am I kidding?). But the smell… that’s part of the attraction. It’s primal. I love when my clothes/room smell of wood smoke. I work outdoors so it’s not something I inflict on others. We’ve got an open fire in our current house, so a log burner feels like a compromise to modernism. Obviously I’d have the huge teardrop shaped authentic 60s fireplace if I could find one, but realistically (and legally) we’ll be getting a Defra approved one. I can’t decide if an oval, round or rectangular one would look best alongside a big rectangular tv. We’d have a conversation pit too but it’s not even remotely affordable, so a U-shaped sofa will have to do. But please convince me of another layout. I’m just distracting myself from the horrible stress of waiting for convetyancing solicitors and/or lenders to call with the latest setback.

Enjoy the ride on the ERD curve. The house looks really interesting so I hope you get it and shall look forward to lots more photos. Don't pay too much as I suspect there will be lots of surprises along the way.

ERD?

Sorry. Expectation, realisation, depression. The emotional roller coaster of excitement when deciding on a significant purchase. It builds positively with anticipation to the point purchase then dips as buyers remorse sets in. Drawn on a graph against time it produces an inverted U. Enjoy.

I could write a book. At this point I’d look forward to a bit of buyers remorse! Welcome to bridging loan land. Can’t get a normal mortgage until we fix the roof. Hopefully there aren’t any more hoops to jump through and the solicitors will bring good news any day now.

If it were my house I would probably move the front door closer to the drive in order to gain a private internal courtyard (by screening it from the entrance with planting). The benefit of this is that you can then have big windows for all the principal rooms and still have privacy.

Oh! That’s super clever! We can’t afford it :-( . I do love it though.

Hi Sam, welcome back! Wow this house is hugely different to your last, but very exciting. Going back to your original question, I too would suggest floor lamps and table lamps to create cosiness and they can be moved around if needs be. We have an overhead ceiling light but we never use it just use the side lamps instead. Place them in corners and peeking over seating for the best effect.

Hi Sam. Welcome back! The house looks very interesting but a bit stressful. I agree with floor and table lamps but I wouldn’t totally discount overhead. Apologies for the 1st picture but this could look amazing!

You could also consider a light over the dining table. Glass may work but if you’re going for MCM they tend to be coloured. Maybe something like a silk cocoon light or something in a soft fabric

Minnie101 it’s great to be back! With a very exciting (and challenging) project . Fingers crossed! I do like the first image with lights in front of the window. Quite a Scandi thing. And yes, a light over the dining table is a must. Other half wants one that you can pull down / push back up. I remember one of those over our table in the early 70s.

Exciting new project! We had a Charnwood woodburner fitted in our 60s built bungalow. Have to say we got rid of the brick floor to ceiling chimney breast as it made the room incredibly dark. The model is a Skye 5 which is an eco friendly model - they have a photo on their website with one positioned on a raised brick hearth like yours.
Lighting wise, we opted for two ceiling lights (never use them), two existing wall lights which I dislike intensely, an old standard lamp from mother in law and a new glass table lamp from John Lewis. We use them lamps all the time.
We also had blown air skirting heating which was replaced with more efficient white radiators - money had run out by that point. Good luck.

Exciting new project! We had a Charnwood woodburner fitted in our 60s built bungalow. Have to say we got rid of the brick floor to ceiling chimney breast as it made the room incredibly dark. The model is a Skye 5 which is an eco friendly model - they have a photo on their website with one positioned on a raised brick hearth like yours.
Lighting wise, we opted for two ceiling lights (never use them), two existing wall lights which I dislike intensely, an old standard lamp from mother in law and a new glass table lamp from John Lewis. We use the lamps all the time.
We also had blown air skirting heating which was replaced with more efficient white radiators - money had run out by that point. Good luck.

HU, thanks for commenting. Radiators are a necessity in this new house, much as I would’ve like to try some underfloor heating. I just don’t think it would be up to the job. And yes I’m with you on the cosy lighting front!

Underfloor heating is actually better at heating a space than radiators. It should be cheaper to run but the installation cost will be higher than radiators

You can also put LED strip light into channels in plasterwork. This can be used on ceilings or the walls

Thanks Jonathan- yep u/floor heating wa something we considered but I we’ve got to make a small amount of
money go a long way so even with it being a good investment for the future we can’t do it. BTW your plans caused a lot of conversations, followed by back of envelope budgeting, followed by the five stages of grief!

Personally i think getting the layout right is the most important thing….. after all you can postpone replacing windows or fitting the second bathroom

https://www.theusedkitchencompany.com/shop/sheraton-kitchen-with-island-granite-worktops-and-appliances-used/?_gl=114bv7vh_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIurWn2fT2jwMVlptQBh2AYh0TEAAYASAAEgLyJvD_BwE

also not everything has to be new to fill your space.

I should probably start a new thread about the overall plan and how we can improve it. Maybe once we get an exchange date and I can relax a bit.
But re second hand - we are FULLY on board with operation scavenger.
Eg
https://www.facebook.com/share/173EziyGTi/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hi Sam! That sounds like such an exciting project! I’d go for layered lighting to keep the space both functional and cosy. Recessed or track lights between the beams give good overall brightness and spotlights can highlight a corner, plant, or artwork. A pendant or chandelier above the dining table makes a great focal point.

Wall lamps or picture lights add flexibility. I'd go for plug-in or rechargeable lamps. They are an easy way to bring in more light.

Table and floor lamps add both character and function, and a bit of cabinet lighting can create a warm glow. Painting the brickwork and mouldings in a light or off-white shade would also help the space feel bright and airy. Lighter furniture, rugs, especially if you are planning restoring the parquet.

Thanks Marina, so good to get your take on it. I can ‘see’ a room coming together in my minds eye which combines so many of everyone’s suggestions.