Each works for different rooms. Dark colours can add luxury - as they did for our dramatic makeover of a bedroom. The charcoal colour is elegant and calming in both winter and summer due to south facing windows. Light / off-white colours add to a contemporary aesthetic - especially in a cohesive look and feel within an open plan scheme or where it is necessary to draw attention away from a relatively low ceiling as was the case in this dining room we designed in a duplex apartment in the South of France. The problem further solved by low-back dining chairs.

Our home is a comfort driven election of many types of timber and styles having been donated bits from great grandparents, grandparents, parents and even a friend's old pine kitchen table that had been chewed by her dog! We may be awarded any trophies for our home but it is full of memories of our 50 years of marriage. The only bit of furniture I really do not like and regret buying is a tipple galas shelved TV unit. It is almost impossible to keep clean. Gilly

Traditionally farm houses usually had wall sconce lighting. Jim Lawrence does some lovely ones: https://www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/product/22527/p-double-cottage-wall-light/303PO/polished https://www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/filtered-products/22519/wall-lights You have several dotted around the room - especially the double arm ones and it'll be bright and cosy without the need for overhead lights.

Thank you all for your suggestions! Lots to consider... Special thanks to Celerygirl and Carolina for the mock-ups. I have to say, that creme rug changes the whole feel of the room... AS, Colourhappy and Celerygirl, I have some 3 different greys left from other jobs; I think I'm going to paint some lining paper and put it against the fireplace, units, windows, etc and see what it looks like. I'm also thinking of the smokey purple we have in the bedroom, that could be an alternative. Also, I'll have to buy some of that hue Jonathan suggested (it's quite intriguing). Jen P and Carolina, maybe I could keep the beige and change the accessories... I ordered a new frame with a proper mount for Chris Ofili's painting and might put it back above the fireplace. Najeebah, I know I need to cull the accessories, we have too many all over the house and I don't know where to place them any more. But I love most of them and find it hard to think about letting some go... Hubby almost sank in the middle of the Bristol channel today and had to abandon the race, so I thought bringing up wall colours tonight would not help my cause. See, I can be sensible... and he says I'm not sympathetic to his sailing problems... :)) Thank you so much for your help again, I'll let you know the next step as soon as we decide what to do. Good night all!