Just to repeat what a couple of others have said. The cabinet is in great condition and a good colour. perhaps change the knobs for a very simple small aged brass or even a dark bronze button type. Change the lamp as it is too big for the unit, the shade is pressing against the wall, (it could work well on a side table by a sofa perhaps). Exchange it for a lamp with some brass incorporated into it (very popular and in most decor stores now) and it could look lovely. the difference between painting or leaving the unit, depends on the final look you are going for. If you want a more classic feel. Don't Paint, go with the above suggestion. If you want more quirky as some of your accessories suggest, Then Paint and adorn with crazy abandon! Happy days!

I’m no expert but if you want a nice clean finish it’s best to get a plasterer to skim the walls. You could try some filler like Polyfiller in the dips, let it dry hard then gently sand smooth.

Lovely garden. I had a little garden a while back that had white painted walls and lightish grey painted fence with natural decking. The grey made the fence recess and the garden feel bigger and the white reflected light and made it feel bigger too. The planting looked amazing against both because the greens really pop against the homogenised background. So I think you should paint it too, but personally I'd find a complementary grey. Cream and grey are great together.

Hello, The idea is to get to a final result as the picture on the right. On the left, that's my staircase. After removing the carpet, filling holes, and a bit of sanding, I realised that the old paint running along what I guess was once a runner doesn't come off. What's more, between the painted areas and the bare wood, the surface is uneven (because of the existing layer of paint). I would like to avoid stripping off the old paint and paint directly over it. Shall I try to sand it more? What would you suggest to get a good finish look ?