I can see opulent and minimal together, if I understand opulent to mean "having or indicating wealth" (Collins' first definition). You can have minimal furnishings that are all obviously high quality. The terms aren't contradictory to me. :)

I agree with Patricia that the surround does not work well with the built-ins. On this chimney, the surround actually looks superfluous to me. I'd be tempted to go with a minimal (marble?) tile surround. This kind of look (except better because your surround would harmonize with your floor :)):

Your description of what you would like is quite confusing. Maybe spend time browsing the millions of photos on houzz and save and post some inspiration pics. It will help the people here get a better sense of your vision.

Googled "opulent minimalism" and found this blog post. Here's a minimal but opulent fireplace:

For sure start with wall color change ! Change to a rich color on fireplace area,moving to a lighter or complimentary lighter color on walls. Taking colors from the painting over fireplace would be perfect. Perhaps a red-brown on fireplace jut out and solid tan on the walls, like SW Canvas Tan,or a navy on fireplace wall jut out with a cool grey walls. If the artwork is gone, find art with the feeling you want to put forth and work with it.

Lovely home but It would be interesting to see some mock ups especially with those dark units painted. I LOVE the fireplace in Tartanmeups inspiration photo. Gorgeous! Perhaps you could change the sides for something more simple like that one and maybe take out the insert?

I agree Patricia‘s comment about painting that faux wall white for now to help decide what to do with it.

Just had a look at your ideabooks, 3pinktrees. You saved the type of minimal opulent fireplace I had in mind: Industrial LR - minimal fireplace

(Don't know why I can't insert the photo here...)

Please pick out some new inspiration photos you love. Right now, your ideabook is full of industrial looks, not English country homes.

What are your favorite features of the house? You can upload some current photos now that you've moved in and the sellers' furniture is gone.

Thank you all for the comments! Yes, I didn’t even think about doing new idea books. The ones I have now are from a former home remodel. I’ve collected a lot of inspiration photos on other sites.

I guess the look I’m going for is the feel of a house where the furniture is elcletic, classic, and quality. As if it were a collection of pieces bought over the years that just ‘works’ together. I love quality fabrics and rich colors.

I want to repaint the yellow tones on the walls. I will work on more photos for you all.

I truly appreciate the help!

Ok, so I added some pictures I liked to my ideabook— not perfect, but at least it’s a start.

And here’s some from my house— it’s sparsely furnished because some of my stuff is staging the old house and I need to decide what I want for the rest.

a spot I love:

Those French doors above lead to a sunroom.

Heres the living room:

And the wall to the left of the fireplace:

And to the right to the front door:

The house looks a little bit fairytale cottage from the outside.

I guess I want it to like like a house Cinderella would live in after she grew up and had 6 kids— a little bit whimsical, little bit sophisticated. I have a vision in my head, but I’m having trouble actualizing it into something concrete.

Also, I said we wouldn’t paint the built-ins, but I’m pretty sure I could talk my husband into it depending on the plan :).

Beautiful home, 3pinktrees! I don't see anything in your ideabook though?

Thank you tartan! I will check— maybe it’s on private on accident

I like your idea of using a dark teal. if BM Century Blue Muscari didn't work, then play around with undertones. I wanted to do dark teal for my guest bath and wound up choosing something with a much stronger yellow/green undertone than I originally imagined.

Also, I've been loving some of the navy blues people have been going with these days.

either way, a dark color would look SO good with that limestone and the dark brown built ins. I'd add a few gold accents here and there.

So my ideabook is called ‘cottage’ — it’s not set to private. Is it still not showing up?

That view! Just gorgeous!! What an exciting project.

I don’t see a lot of leftover “Tuscan” in your photos with the exception of the lights maybe. Simplfiying and painting will go such a long way in your beautiful home.

If I click on ideabook from your profile page, it's not there but I went through your activity (stalker alert!) and clicked on the link from 17 hrs ago and I see your pictures. (The site can be glitchy.)

Very nice pictures! Traditional, English. And yes, minimalist in its expression because the rooms aren't crowded with furniture.

Link to your ideabook (in case others are having similar access issue).

I would think changing from Tuscan to Mediterranean might be reasonably easy.

Oh gosh Beverly those are just gorgeous!!! Love them! I can imagine any of those rooms with 3pinktrees view. :)

Thank you all for your kind comments! The property really is so idyllic and I'm excited to make it feel like our own home.

A couple questions:

If I did paint the built-ins, should I do them white or a color?

I like the look of this color, any guesses as to what might give this effect? If I repainted the main walls in a cream, could I get away with this for an accent wall?

Or maybe this green? Or is it just too dark?

I love blues and greens. The tray ceiling in the dining room is currently painted maroon and there is a heavy faux-Tuscan chandelier in there. I need to repaint the tray and choose a chandelier. My ideal would be something vintage, gilded, with a slightly botanical or whimsical theme.

I think I need to attack the fireplace surround first, but I'm having trouble visualizing the choices. My last two houses were much smaller in scale and therefore much easier projects. My last house was built in 1969 and we did it all in bright whites in the Swedish farmhouse style. I loved it, but want a totally different look for this house.

I like those mediterranean inspired photos, but I think I want some more color in this house.

If you are eager to try things out before the rest of your furniture arrives, buy some big foamcore boards and some sample pots of a creamy linen white, a light celadon green, and whatever else takes your fancy. Paint the boards and prop them up here and there. Changing your lighting fixtures first will make a huge difference because the existing fixtures have golden yellow glass. You could also prime just the fireplace wall with a couple coats of white primer, then prop your foamcore on the mantle.

I don't usually say this, but you may want to hire a color consultant once your furniture has arrived. It's a big, magnificent house that could require scaffolding or high ladders to paint, so it'd be good to get the paint color right the first time.

3pinktrees, lovely home and you have gotten some good advice. I too would suggest getting help from a designer. As far as the beautiful green paneled room you love, that is painted and lightly antiqued. A costly application. As far as your built ins. I think they are too dark and too short . I would have ten reconfigured. I especially don’t like how they look in relation to your adjoining doors. Depending on the look you go with( the lovely Mediterranean feel a Beverly posted) or something else they could be lighter woodtone, match the wall color or off white. As they are now it gives this wall a disjointed feel.

This is probably the right answer. I definitely plan on hiring out the painting, because the walls are too tall. I have someone who is willing to do a mural for me on one wall, I'm thinking some kind of chinoiserie. My budget is not huge, so I don't want to invest in hired out painting and be disappointed in the color. I can find the kinds of light fixtures I want myself, as I know the places to hunt for them. I do think working with an outside pair of eyes would be helpful to nail down a consistent color scheme for the whole main floor. It's such a pretty place that I want to get it right!

If you like chinoiserie you cheapest option would be wallpaper. I'll bet you could find something awesome. But if you're set on hiring someone to do it, best to just make that the star and pick complimenting colors from that. Looks like you have an aquatic vibe going with that stained glass. If you like green, there are various light greens that are fab, like a "beach glass" color and a grey blue like water color . . . Look up "chinoiserie color palette," you can find inspirations ranging from bold to watercolor.

I’m sure painting will make a big difference! Just getting rid of the decorative finish will calm things down!

I would save the chinoiserie for fabrics or wallpaper in the powder room! While I love chinoiserie it doesn’t always go everywhere so before you spend $$$ to have it painted on a wall formulate a design plan in here first! You can always find beautiful fabrics in this style to incorporate in drapes or pillows!

Your home is very nice!! I'm curious to see the outcome.

Lynartist, that's good advice. I was planning on putting William and Morris bird and pomegranate in the aqua color way in the powder room. That room has a copper sink with embossed blossoming branches on it, so I thought something equally fanciful on the small back wall would be fun.

There is a small recessed area in the entry where the original owners had an antique table/mirror thing. I had been thinking maybe to have the mural there. But maybe it would be better to find other things to pop and keep the walls simpler.

Actually, here is some wallpaper I really love, because it reminds me of the old Unicorn Tapestry. But I haven't been able to locate it.

That is arts& crafts. You need to try sourcing neo-classical, Victorian, aesthetic movement etc. wallpapers from art houses like Bradbury &Bradbury, Liberty, Osborne& Little,. Here are some samples I have.

OP, I would focus on improving the bones before furniture... to pull off the look you’re going for, the home would benefit from some upgraded trim work, in particular.

Lynartist, yes, I love bird and pomegranate! All of the W&M wallpapers are so lovely.

Bri, I'd rather work with the trim and mold my vision to fit it. I get that my house isn't as 'intricate' as those in my idea photos, but I haven't found any pictures that truly capture the feel I want. I think I can work with the existing trim. It's done very well and substantial, so for me it's not worth considering pulling it all out, especially since the house is relatively new.

I like this colorway with the gold accents

I once did a large painting in this style; it was a loose canvas meant to be hung like a tapestry. Perhaps if you love this style you could get a WM tapestry to hang in your home and forgo the mural.

That's gorgeous, lynartist! And what a great idea.

That is beautiful Lyn but to me having that sort of tapestry reminds me very much of Tuscan! I do agree with Lyn when she suggested more neutral background instead and maybe accessorize with color. Even though those two photos you posted are beautiful, they are old and authentic. If you were to go that way it does seem like you would be going down the same path with faux in a new home like the Tuscan look was.

But I do have to disclose I am a neutral girl and I find those photos that Beverly posted a bit drool worthy. :)

That's an interesting point wmsimons. The lighter green picture is actually from a recently built home, but obviously built in an old style.

I definitely don't want to have the house look like it's weirdly trying to be something it's not. At the same time, I'm wary that all creamy white may just take on a generic feel? Or maybe it's just because my last house was white I feel like I should do something different?

All I know is this Tuscan yellow has to go!

I actually lived near Tuscany for a year when I was younger, and one of my children was born there. Which might be why the faux Tuscan particularly bothers me!

I have these giant upside-down bell jar flower pendants (the longest one in the photo, it's about 2' tall) to replace the kitchen pendants. They are my perfect fairytale lights (minus the ivy, of course). So that's a start!

I mean, this is so pretty....

Love those pendants! I love Tuscany but even when the faux Tuscan look was ”stylish” like you, I never liked it.

That green is just gorgeous 3pinktrees! I have to admit I am a little OCD as far as something not being authentic and in your words, trying to be something that it’s not. I do like simple more than most, just ask Lyn. :))) It sounds like you know what you want and it will be gorgeous. Can’t wait to see what you do.

By the way, I just noticed that first photo you posted and it was used as an inspiration photo for the coffee table! Love the room.

I love those pendants too! I think inspiration can come from anywhere; you needn’t take it too literally of course! Translate to your own style and comfort level.

BTW, I do recall painting many variations of “ Tuscan” wall finishes in the day;)!

There used to be a Ralph Lauren Glaze called Tea Stain. I had it installed over white walls to age the rooms a bit so they were not perfect. It could be applied to wallpaper or paint and came in various shades. It's perfectly Mediterranean.

Whoops sorry 3pinktrees; just saw your pics on my computer. On my phone it looked like the windows were just drywall returns. Disregard my trim comment!

You can make your own Beverly. Just varying amounts of raw umber acrylic into a glazing compound of your choice will do plus water to thin makes a perfect tea stain.

Gosh we had something similar in our house when we bought it. I knew what it was but my father thought it was smoke damage! Haha. Had it all painted over but a lot of areas needed a good priming first.

Heehee! Well it can look very nice when used in the right way and sparingly!