Get rid of the pressed tin. It doesn’t belong.

1. Remove old air con with new. Much smaller , quieter , very energy efficient. 2.Remove the pressed metal and repaint the wall the same colour . 3. Paint the heater surrounds and mantle a dark brown close to your darkest brick .Or the mantle a dark red . 4. Remove the pressed metal on the floor . Place dark brown painted thick board over this area ? Or maybe a row of brown tiles .

Very messy mock-up but I don’t know how to photoshop! Sorry .

Replace Aircon with more efficient one and get rid of everything on that wall including fire place and start fresh.

The first question is do you like the pressed tin? If you do, then it needs to be the sole stand-out feature. You can buy paint designed for use in areas of high heat such as fireplace surrounds (White Knight make a good one). I’d paint all of the brickwork white to match the walls, lose the photos from the mantle and replace them with something simple like a trailing variegated plant, rip out the old AC (install a good reverse cycle inverter on a another wall) ditch that slab of a modern heater and put an attractive grate back into the fireplace even if it’s faux. Is there a real fireplace behind there that can be restored?

If you’re not deeply attached to the tin, then get rid of it, paint the wall white, remove the photos, remove the AC and put up a statement piece of art.

If it’s any consolation I had an even busier wall in my late 19th century cottage. It boasted an 80’s era black combustion fireplace with a 80’s era brick surround, a slate hearth, the original timber mantle, ¾ height panelling to one side and a shallow built-in set of purple shelves to the other. There was also a tiny leaded ventilation window above the shelves, faded burgundy carpet, white walls above the panelling and a cream panelled exterior door offset by shiny black ceiling beams above…about a dozen clashing colours, textures and surfaces stuffed onto a wall about the same width as yours. It was a crime against nature and it hurt my head and my heart just to look at it. I’m renting the place out at the moment so I only did what had to be done (pulled up the carpets, polished the floors, painted the black beams, the purple shelves and the door the same plain white) but when I move into the house myself I am ripping out the lot and starting again from scratch. The only thing I’ll be recycling is the mantle. Yours is a masterpiece of subtlety in comparison.

Good luck!

I would remove the pressed metal.

Replace the standalone heater with a gas insert into the existing fireplace surround with mantle, obviously depending on depth of course. Or if you don't have the depth remove the brick surround but keep the brick hearth. I would then install a gas fireplace forward of the existing wall and build it in with timber framing and plasterboard. Either side I would have some joinery shelves constructed.

I would relocate the A/C unit so its not the feature in the room, make the fireplace area the feature. Look great with a TV hidden behind a large mirror or painting as well - depending on budget!

Can you post another photo from the left towards the right which includes the fireplace and dining table window

bookshelves may be a good idea...

A rough idea for you keeping the pressed metal, installing a black gas heater within the fireplace, relocate the aircon etc. Place a timber Pouf seat across in front of the fire to help cover the concrete which could be painted or just cleaned

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Personally I adore pressed tin, and love the contrasting textures of that with the brick. However I can see how it drives you crazy in the shiny silver! I would love to see both tin and bricks painted fresh white. I think a limewash would still be too textured and could look quite messy if not done right.

Agree with upgrading to a new air con unit that can both heat and cool, but if you like the fireplace it would be good to move air con unit off that wall if poss so you can feature fireplace nicely. If that's the case, installing a gas fire there would be lovely.

All depending on your budget of course. If you want to spend the mininun possible here's what I'd do:

- Paint tin and bricks white
- Paint mantle your favourite colour
- Add mininal decor/plants to the mantle - something quality that you really love
- If you can do more, then update air con unit
- Next step tidy heating in fireplace

What this would achieve: painting the area white (or a soft colour of choice) will pare down the busyness. You'll still have texture which creates interest, but lose the clashing. The white will also help blend the heater in fireplace if you can replace that yet. Adding a small amount of something you love and a pop of colour to the mantle will draw the eye to that area, away from the less than ideal heating/cooling units. Making sure you keep the mantle decor minimal will help reduce the 'busy' overwhelm.

Of course the option of removing the tin and fireplace is there as well, but if you choose to do that be prepared for whatever may be hiding behind them that could need fixing...

Love to see your progress and how you solve this dilemma. Please keep us posted

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Oh, and if you don't want the pressed tin, is it for sale?

Pressed metal walls can be such a beautiful feature in the right application (and of course colour). So, I would recommend painting the presses metal white, replacing the old air con and certainly replacing the fireplace internals. I would then do a lime wash on the bricks and strip back the mantle to stain what’s underneath to match the floors.

At the moment you just have a lot of objects competing with each other and no focal point so pairing everything back will create the perfect blank canvas for you to dress.

Agree with all Rocco Revolution's suggestion + add one very large artwork to either sit on the mantlepiece or just above it (with the aircon unit removed + another new put on another wall). Add two very tall plants either side of the fireplace.

Alternatively Brian-Custom Made Cabinets Maker's floor to ceiling bookshelves on both sides would look great, with all shelves white and brickwork limed white.

I totally agree with genkii suggestions.

I love ceiling fans, but those ceiling fans with lights are the most bizarre octopus creations. Just horrendous things.

Do you even like the fireplace? If so, it should be the focal point of the room,if not get rid of it. As it’s non-functional I would take the whole thing out, including the big hearth and whatever is on the floor in front of it. Repair the floor using timber to match the original floor. Remove the tin and replaster or gyprock the entire wall. Install a more efficient way of heating and cooling the room but don’t make the unit a feature (see genkil comment). Once you have a blank canvas to work with a beautiful piece of furniture, built in shelving or cupboards or a large artwork could become the focus of the room.

Good luck. Would love to know what you decide to do, together with an “after” photo!

paint fireplace brick light grey or white and put in bookshelves. remove aircon

remove tin and paint existing wall to match colour of other walls

Old post. Sarah, did you make a change, post an after pic. Cheers

Hey all, sorry, no change yet - been very distracted with a small and very demanding human who is now living with us! I think when we get to it, we will pull the tin off and paint the wall to match the other walls as a first step. Would love to swap AC for modern reverse cycle/in diff location and gas for decorative gas log fire, but have to persuade husband of necessity!

Really appreciate all the ideas, everyone, thanks so much for the input. I promise to post follow up photos if we ever get any of it done.

Wanna see another ludicrous jewel of old decor our house boasts though?

sorry not sure why the weird rotation. Entire laundry is tiled in cork....

when we painted the rest, we ran out of time and skipped the laundry. apricot edges here are the colour that originally flanked the silver tin! 😆

We did it!!!!

It was a real adventure - this house always seems to be. Ha! The tin was nailed to cork which was glued to the old wallpaper which was glued to the old horsehair-containing plasterboard. Took a right fight to get it off, so is folded and bent and in no state to be shared for reuse, I don’t think sorry. (That said, anyone wanting to give it a go is welcome to it!)

Changed the aircon for new reverse cycle, hubby made a bookshelf for old fireplace space, and we put a nice piece of blackwood on for a new mantel. Could have gone thicker I guess but was hard to find an appropriate and affordable piece of timber. Still considering washing or painting the brick, but not sure if we’ll bother now. The worst of the busy-ness is gone! Yay!

Thanks again everyone for the input. Really appreciated.

Bloody good job. Can def see it was a big job. Thank you for posting the afters, they are always great to see.

Wow what a great transformation looks great. Thanks for posting the after pic. Gives us all courage to tackle things

And hope you are surviving the baby years!

Maybe I'm weird , maybe I'm lazy -- I liked that 'busy' look . Even more so after reading what you had to do to change it .

And just me , but I find some irony in most people saying the tin didn't suit the period , but then you've turned the fireplace into a book case !

I assume the old air-con was biffed ( i.e. no value ) , and while I do like the new unit , just for my own interest I would have taken the old cover off and painted it a bright gloss red , and done the tin the same . If you don't like red , then go your favourite colour -- yellow or a nice green or blue . If your favourite colour is grey or off-white then I can't help you haha !

If that still looked naff , and you did all the work that you have , personally I would have added some character back in -- I would have 'recreated' the tin area in tiles . IMO even gloss white 150 x 150 would have looked pleasant and added interest without looking too busy , BUT again just me , I would have gone more for a period reddy burgundy , or an emerald green or mottled-toned blue -- I liked the tones in the tiles back in that era !

Obviously , you are happy with what you've done , and you're definitely not going to change it , but just outlining the lines I would have considered .