I think the room could be much more elegant if you dry walled the end of the pony wall up to the ceiling which would give you a more centered fireplace which could then turn into a focal point with a proper mantel. Right now the set-up looks sort of busy and odd, especially with all the books in the built-in. If you chose to do that I would get rid of the bookcase. If you want to keep the current set up, beefing up the wood on the mantel as Scott Design suggested would be an inexpensive way to improve its appearance. I would also remove the books and put in a few art objects in the bookcase.

Hi guys, Leelee we are definitely doing the vintage bits on the wall. We actually have some vintage cereal boxes that we are planning on displaying on the shelves (filled with cereal of course)!. Sarainitaly - I'm investigating thenIkea planner but it's painful to work (or maybe it's just me!). Here's a pic of the walls totally painted green now. Think the shelves will look great along with some pictures dotted around. It's the cabinets now that will b a pain! BTW it was pure enthusiasm that stopped me waiting until the water heater came off the wall to paint - lol. I will have to paint the patch when it's off.

Hi Lisa, nice sofa. I had a red sofa for 10 years and loved it ( though mine was fabric) I've changed the kitchen/ living room and it stuck out like a sore thumb. I gave in and put in a grey leather sectional one and I must say it's much easier to decorate around. Are you in Ireland? Have you heard of the 1933 company, they have very nice suites. Red makes a big statement! Just my 2 cents worth, good luck!

Well we live in a flat on the 4th floor in Edinburgh city. So we loved the thought of being able to expose the original stone walls of the flat. You can see from the pictures that we had it done for the kitchen and lounge. Since everything of ours are modern, the stone wall really brings an edge to the design. And in the lounge, we painted it the Farrow & Ball Downpipe which we think really sets it off next to the stone. Especially with the mouldings on the window, the lounge has become quite a grand looking space even without any furnishings. And we didn't even get to varnish the walls as we liked the way it looked now. There doesn't seem to be any problems with the dust coming off the walls.