Dewpot, I had a go at painting your kitchen with the Dulux app... see the results below. You can give it a try yourself at: https://www.dulux.co.uk/web/visualizer/ For the opposite wall, you can go easy or complicated. Easy, just get some picture ledges, some of those great black&white pics like you have in the living room - sweet! http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50152595/ Or mix some prints with your photos, etc.http://www.houzz.com/projects/52249/village-apartment-nyc Or go for some 'snake' shelving. You can make it as long as you want; have slim bottles, some spices jars and photos there too. Complicated: get someone in to make a radiator cover that doest just cover the radiator, but extends to the other end. Use the top of that as a shelf and add another shelf on top. Or have a radiator cover and then a folding shelf, almost like a breakfast bar http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41376890301726149/ Good luck!

I had a similar situation in a house I moved into years ago. I did a quick fix of painting all of the walls, woodword and the cupboards the same shade of cream. Sounds a bit OTT but it really knocked back the cupboards, which in all honesty are not something you want to make a feature out of, and created a calmness to the whole space. In your case, I would go for an off white so that the gang plug wires, radiator pipes and covers hiding the wires for the extractor fan etc., are disguised as much as possible -- that will tie in with the palest of the tiles in the splash back, and then you will have a pretty basic colour scheme of a very place colour and the dark worktop, fireplace and floor, which will stand out more. I think you need more storage with doors -- that bookshelf isn't doing anything for the kitchen. If you could get something in there that could hide lots of clutter -- even if just something cheap from IKEA, that would help greatly. Or work something around the filing cabinet that you have? A huge cheap mirror over the fireplace would bounce some light around too. If you don't want to go for undercupboard lighting, and if you have enough plug points, how about some lamps on the worktop, especially at the FF end with a floor standing lamp at the end with the chair. For the table, I would go for a table cloth and reupholster the chairs if they are not to your taste. A new blind in a much fresher colour would be great. Depending on the colour of your filing cabinet (if you use it), I think a petrol blue could add a nice vintage vibe to the chimney breast, and make more of a feature of it. I would try and go down a vintage/slightly industrial route rather than country. You may have some stuff lurking around that you could use, once you have got the base colours right -- currently it just feels a little cluttered and a bit of a mish mash. Best of luck. Looking forward to seeing some after shots :)

Hi Claire, You have a lovely space to work with and it’s great to hear that you’re up for doing a bit of DIY! In regards to the coffee table, go for it! It’s a lovely design and will complement the characteristics of the room perfectly. I’d dress the table with a gorgeous green plant - not only will this add vibrant colour, but also adds life to your space and is guaranteed to make you smile. As suggested by Minnie, a floor standing plant situated underneath your fitted wall shelves will add a feature to this corner of your room. If you fancy doing a little bit of painting, why not head to your nearest charity shop and find a sweet side table to place to the left of your sofa or either side of your armchair? Choose your favourite Dulux paint colour (in a Satinwood finish) and paint your table to add a personalised touch to your space! This will create such a lovely statement as you enter the room, especially if you choose a beautiful blue to create that coastal look. Adding a side lamp to the side table will add height and a lovely ambiance to your room, especially in the evenings when you’re snuggled up watching TV. To give your IKEA unit a fresh look, dress it with these lovely storage boxes which will work so perfectly with the scheme you want to achieve: http://goo.gl/zrKf2u Finally, if your budget stretches, take a look at these lovely cushions from Dunelm. The prices are amazing and I think they will finish the look so well. What do you think? · http://goo.gl/4Y4tim · http://goo.gl/KeBgL3 · http://goo.gl/Nne5dO Good luck giving your living room a homelier feel and please get in touch with us at help@amazingspacedesign.co.uk if you need any further help. And we’d love to see your finished room once it’s complete, so please do share some pics! All the best, Jade Dulux Colour & Design Consultant www.design.duluxamazingspace.co.uk

I'm in total agreement with Jonathonandb1972. I think the wall tiles are quite modern. The flooring lets the whole thing down and replacing it would vastly improve the overall look. You could also go for a dark chocolate feature wall to match in with the flooring on the wall with the sink and mirror.I noticed the bottom of the shower, i have just done the same with bendable acrylic sheet matched to the colour of the walls in my downstairs shower room. ( So you can access the pipework ) We have ( my wife has ) - just finished this room, choosing not to hack the tiles from the wall as it makes a big old mess, she's covered over the tiles with Tongue and Groove and re-tiled the inside of the shower.Transformed the old place! She's a clever old stick and a top tiler!