Without seeing your furniture I have no idea. What is there now is pretty impossible to even imagine the space differently. IMO venitian plaster not really a wall finish for a modern space . I wonder if you textured walls and not venetian plaster at all. The floors are spectacular . My eye keepes going to those horrible drapes that are so not working with all that over the top decor. IMO you need to wait until you are in there to really get help. I hate loveseats so no help there , there is nothing sparce about what is there now.

Thank you for your comments. Haha, the present furniture is so large and unnecessary I do agree sparce is not the word it conjures. I meant the current setup just seems out of place and not cohesive and put together.

The only thing we do have is a large oriental rug (10'x12') in blue, but do not have to use it here

Do not have any other pieces but wishlist off the web:

Potentially for the main seating, behind the baywindow, a large grand sofa

And across, a set of chairs

A pair of benches in front of the mantle (to hide it)

a large coffee table

And no idea about what to do with the window dressings except to rip out the hideous curtains

It is venetian plaster, it is in great condition, I agree it's not modern though. Would like to have plain white walls but I wonder if we can avoid sanding the texture off and just primer and paint it bright white.

Already have the light fixture

Need a credenza/buffet against the back wall, i.e.

and a large table

with modern set of chairs

Things to ask yourself:

- What will I use the room for? How many people will use the room?

- How do I want the room to feel? Light and airy? Dark and cozy?

If you want to work with the existing ornate fireplace, see this link for some inspiration https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/introducing-modern-victorian-home

OMG...that chevron wood flooring is gorgeous!!! Fireplace mantel/existing wall sconces have to go if you want modern furnishings, unless you want it to look like a modern Parisian apartment!?!Twin sofas across from each other and centered on the fireplace feels right, with a rug big enough to fit underneath at least a foot of the front of each sofa. If there is enough length in the “Living” room, two chairs near the fireplace would work, with possibly an animal skin between them on floor. A big modern dining table that fits the “Dining” space, with 4/5 fully slipcovered modern dining chairs and a long bench on the Living” room side of the table would work nicely. The main consideration is to choose furniture that is the right scale for the room. If possible, measure the actual room space/features and draw it out on grid paper (1/4” = 1’) and then figure out the right size of the sofas and table, allowing enough clearance for traffic flow through the room and around the dining table/chairs.

Many will gasp, but for a more contemporary look, stain the floors dark; even black or a smoky charcoal. Otherwise, you'll always feel like you're in a historic castle or manor.

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Yup, I gasped at decoenthusiaste's ^^ suggestion of staining the floors, but my, those inspo pics she posted are gorgeous!!!!!

Kudos to you for seeing beyond the current home owner's furniture. What a gem!

Honestly, it sounds like you already have a clear and functional vision for the layout of the space. Everything you listed above is what I would suggest for layout.

Love the contradictory modern vs. traditional vibe you've got going on here. As for window treatments, to continue with a clean modern feel against ornate details, what about sleek dark roller shades?

Please post photos when you're done!

Since you have a long dining room table, an elongated chandelier might work better than a spherical shape whilst still retaining the MCM feel.

https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/george-oliver-dingman-7-light-sputnik-modern-linear-chandelier-w000399799.html?piid=630306869

Partim, to really fix it, unfortunately would need to be demolished and rebuilt, which I would do as a last resort, I like the charcoal idea.

No need for a TV here, this would be a formal room. There is a family room behind this room which will house a TV (see pic).

Chair may be uncomfortable, but not for daily use. Will look for something more cushioned nonetheless.

RTHawk, the space will be more formal and so that Modern Victorian style would work, I really like it.

Susan, the floors are gorgeous, actually so Is the Venetian plaster but the pictures don’t show it well. Yes, the phantom of the opera sconces have to go back to 1820. Will put a modern fixture instead, to match the new chandelier (pics above). I think the space is big enough to house chairs in front of the fireplace, small ones. Will measure the space properly when we can go back in.

Decoenthusiaste, and PaulaA, the dark floors do look gorgeous and the family room does have a dark stain so maybe we will employ that room for a darker stain.

GloEuropean, thank you for the support. Those roller shades look good. Would you add anything further besides the rollers?

Lulu, I see your point, the theme is the same as the one I’ve bought already so would work.

Maybe one of these instead?

There are a couple of placement possibilities.

As I look at the space, from an Eastern Feng Shui perspective, I am first looking for a wall where the sofa can be anchored. Since there does not appear to be a window free wall available in current living room, I think might consider switching living room and dining room spaces, and instead have dining by the fireplace.

Freedomplace1, thats a very interesting idea I would have never thought of, food for thought

The Venetian plaster walls needn’t be traditional at all an if they are in great condition I would consider having them looked at. You can add another color to them or have them polished and waxed to a high shine. Don’t let the strange furnishings in the space now determine what you do with the walls just yet! Once you paint over them it’s too late but at this stage you can make them glorious!

Be aware that a very dark floor shows every speck of dust. Been there, done that and wouldn't ever have one again.

I agree with Susan . Think Parisian apartment. Or London, or Dublin. Combine modern with the traditional elements already in the room for a look that is much more interesting than a 100% modern room. https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/28147566395742204/?nic_v1=1aYpo%2B2LEzjS4U0g4eY8iw7clotDdzQXJuGrWKlFLzfptCuLnc8yUUo7ap8zYbBGqO

What is really beautiful about real venetian plaster is that sheen so painting would lose that . Could you post a close up of the plaster? I do agree the chairs look a bit uncomfortable and there were some shown that would be better IMO.

Patricia, unfortunately I do not have access to the property until we close, original homeowner is still living/packing. Here is a picture from the foyer which has a better idea of what is the wall situation throughout the entire house.

Lynartist, we are having the same issue with the Venetian Plaster. Color is too "warm" but it is in great shape. It is not as shiny as the pictures posted above. I did not know it was possible to go over it and change the color and retain the marblesque designs. Was thinking of whitewashing it myself, knowing it would ruin the beauty of the current walls. Now will have to get more info from a professional painter to see what they can do, but rest assured we will not rush into painting as I was thinking.

You need to get a consult with a qualified decorative artist/ Venetian plaster artist; not a painter. If these walls have not been waxed and are only lightly burnished they can be gone over with another color to create a beautiful marbled effect. Get a quote.

Lynartist, thank you for the heads up. Will have to find a qualified professional in Queens is anyone knows of one.

Warm + cool colors can work together. And grey for wall color is really not the panacea that it once was. But grey is not going anywhere and can be beautiful in design, of course.

Combining greys with beige/tan/brown, etc. can actually lend an organic feel to a space. These colors in combination can be found in the shore nature palette.

Be aware that warm colours are coming back. It's an inevitable cycle as our eyes tire of what we've seen for a long time and other things look fresh and new.

Don't get rid of this just as the cool colours are going out of style!

Everyone has been great so let me jump to the kitchen. Very functional, do not want to rip out the kitchen, but what about changing the cabinet color to white? I think it may not go with the emerald/green marble counters. Would change the light fixtures though

That is beautiful wood, not your standard builder stuff. I'd change other things in the room before I'd paint that.

Live in this house for awhile before making a lot of changes.

Agree with lynartist get someone knowledgeable in to look at the walls. Shifting the color used makes a huge difference. I would not have the walls smoothed or made shiny. But there are all sorts of ways to approach this and end up with a great looking home.

Consider moving the functions of the two spaces. A modern dining area with a fireplace, even such an ornate one, could be spectacular and marry well with a more intimate USED space for conversations, drinks, and even just solo book readin'! Making the switch would also de-emphasize the fireplace and allow it to look its very best. A bit of a paradox but look at many old European houses and you'll see it again and again.

My other preference would be to have a wood refinisher take down the shine on the floor.

Congratulations and I hope you let us know how this progresses.

Freedomplace1, and Partim, did not know about the change in color trends, that is good news for us, really did a 180 and want to appreciate the walls for what they are.

Just like Freedomplace1 suggested swapping the dining a living, I also like Hollybar's observation that it would uniquely enhance the mantle we were trying to hide, 2 birds with one stone.

It is a very nicely built house and our concern and thus want of changing things was that it was looking old, but we really should reevaluate once the old furniture is all out and as Partim said, live in it a while. We cannot wait to start living but unfortunately everything is slowed down because of Covid. Thank you everyone, will let you guys know of the progress as we go.

Pirantula, I agree switching the spaces of the dining room and family room sounds like a cool option. For painting there is a guy named Jesus at Paints-a-Lot off of Cassat Ave that might be able to help you out. He has an assistant named Jimmy that is also good at cleaning.