That's a tough one. I don't believe the wallpaper is permanently affix, but if that is the case paint over it and paint the woodwork to in shades of white/tan. Clear out some of the stuff and change your window treatments to roman shades or nice drapery to the floor. That's a start anyway.

start with how much do you want to spend?

this looks like it was a mud room or sun room, with that old window frame and exterior steps to kitchen.

could you just not use an elbow stove pipe connector and keep the chimney where it is and just run some stove pipe so you could move the stove? fire proof the wall by the stairs and angle it to that corner?

could you eliminate part of that kitchen wall to open it up, maybe raise part of the floor to extend the kitchen.

can you replace the floor

or can you paint and seal the tile to one color?

can you use elbows for the stove pipe and extend the pipe to just move it back?

why is it not an option to remove it?

I love the red stove also and the floor. But my what a dilemma about furniture arrangement. If you can move the stove that will be a plus and help with your furniture placement. Raising the floor will also help unify this room with the rest of the house but you have to consider your ceiling height when raising a floor and your window placement. Your window will now be lower to the floor if you raise the floor. Paint over the wall paper if it is not peeling or bubbling. Is that a heater along the floor on the wall that the door is on? Perhaps an air conditioner vent?

how efficient is that for the rest of the house may i ask? seems like its a distance from the other rooms?

What is that brown door in your first picture...closet.garage.bath? Is your room big enough to make two areas...reading nook behind the stove, two chairs with table between facing the stove? In any case, I would take the "gate" off the kitchen stairs, paint the wallpaper, take everything out and off the walls and start over. Maybe put a round table and some chairs and make it a game room in the section in front of the stove. Loving plants, I would have some sitting around with your nice windows/light.

I would embrace the red stove. It's a pretty shade of red, and the slate floors definitely are an asset that work with the stove. I would go with a blue and white color scheme, with red accents.

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Also, why not put up new wallpaper? I bet you could find something really cool and modern.

I could also envision the room in a rustic Americana style, with wood beams, brown leather upholstery, etc.

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Keep us posted on what the fireplace guy suggest you do.

Keep it all very simple:

--Embrace the red stove and the slate floor and decorate with them in mind. I like the decorative fire screen Marlene showed upthread. Find something similar but in decorative fencing from a big box store and build a little white wire fence around the stove during the winter.

--If you can't remove the wallpaper, then put up a simple textured white wallpaper over it. Or paint the current wallpaper white--or install white beadboard.

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--Paint the pine cabinet white or slate blue.

--Get a long wooden bench with or without a spindle back and paint it white blue or red. Put baskets underneath for storing shoes and other items.

--Get rid of all the curlique items--the table, wall doodads, little lamps--that don't really work well with the cape cod style.

--Put shaker pegs in either white or the dark stain of your door around on the walls.

--Go to a thrift shop and get a narrow console table stained the same as your door and trim. Ditto with a wooden mirror above. it.

--Build white window seats with a hinged tops for storage under the windows with a beautiful seat cushions in white, red, blue stripes or plaid.

--Put plain white colonial style tabbed bottom curtains at the windows or wooden or white bottom shutters.

There are some elements in each of these two rooms that you could adapt. If you want more of a sitting room, then skip the bench and find a small scale navy or red sofa to replace your tan one. It depends how you want to use the room. If it's an entryway, then a bench will work fine.

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Great inspiration rooms everyone. Embrace the red for sure. As far as doors go, if you raise the floor you also have to raise the doors. Some carpentry work but easily done.

Consider some fresh accent updates, like new and modern window shades. Bonus--the right shades will add a ton of energy efficiency to your home, which will lower your energy bills. Check out some of these options, and let us know what you think!

http://www.halcyonshades.com/st-louis/our-portfolio/gallery/