Hi Alecia. You could buy the latest in string lighting - White Lightbulbs! They're for in and outdoors and in multicoloured bulbs too. If you bought 3 or 4 you'd have a similar look for a fraction of the price. 'MY-NEWLIFE' on ebay UK has some, and for about £100 you can get 100 on a string from the US. Good Luck.

Hello Sarah You might not be expecting advice from an art consultant but I am really a specialist in a blank wall and I see you have a few here! I would be inclined to go brave - paint the room a dark colour (Hague Blue from Farrow and Ball looks awesome!) - as the room gets lots of light it will still look bright over on a sunny day and it will be super cosy in the winter. I would put a mirror above the fireplace and then large knock out piece of artwork on the big wall above the sofa. I charge £150 for 10 artwork ideas. Here is an example of a clients room that is painted Hague Blue with some popping artworks. I hope this is helps! You can have more of a look at my work on www.louisawarfieldart.com.

I personally wouldn’t installs spots, prefer to keep them in a kitchen or bathroom. I have a pendant, 2 table lamps and a floor lamp in my dining room. I don’t need any task lighting in there but I guess it’s what you use the room for whether it’s purely dining? I think wall lights will be great with a table lamp or two (assuming that doesn’t cause too much work to the walls). I’d also put a dimmer switch on the pendant if possible

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have 4/5 days and I am off from work. I also have a friend or two to help. The plan is to: Day one: strip the wallpaper and sand the wood around the room. The wallpaper has been on for around 7 years and under the paper is lining paper. The paper is decent quality but has seen better days. Day two: paint ceiling and start painting the wood. Make a start on the new lining paper. Day three: paint the walls and finish wood. Day four: add some new furnishings and last minute touches. Maybe new sockets and switches and the ceiling light. Add a rug maybe too. Bonus if I can add some shelving in the alcoves etc. The archway leads to some storage space under the stairs. Currently houses a chest freezer. Thanks, I know advice is not enough time but it’s the only time I have when kids are out and stuff can get done.