Help me make the most of our first house (pics)

[eastwest]

We have just (finally) managed to buy a house, and we love it, but it is a bit of a project in that it needs a lot of updating. There are so many wonderful period details that we absolutely want to keep , but I also want it to look contemporary - not like someone's granny's house! I need some inspiration. Examples:

• the hall way has, I think, Anaglypta throughout. I don't like the flowery pattern but we haven't the time to strip it all off right now. What can I do to make it less dated?
  
• I love the mantelpiece in the kitchen, thinking of painting the boarded up bit with blackboard paint (we eventually want to open it up, but again can't do that right now), but any other thoughts on what colour to paint it, etc? (There are red quarry tiles under that lino).
  
• these shelves over the front room door- what to put on them?? (Definitely need to paint them and the picture rail something other than brown...)
  
• this mantelpiece in the front room - I love it but how to make it less dominating and lighten the room?
  

All ideas welcome! :)

[NapQueen]

First off id paint all your woodwork (except for the living room fireplace) fresh white satin paint.

Id maybe tile the whiter part of the living room fireplace with those assorted patterened grey tiles. Ill see if I can find a link. Paint the wooden part with a chalkpaint, Annie Sloan have some amazing shades and dont require presanding.

The anaglypta id paint in a really fresh and modern colour depending on what the room looks like.

Yy to blackboard paint on that kitchen fireplace! I really like the blue and the wallpaper in there. New lino down though. And paint the tiles at the bottom of the fireplace.

Shelves above doors. Again, all woodwork freshened with white satin. Id put books on it if deep enough with a nice set of bookends. Some classics.

[eastwest]

thanks, fab ideas! We are not short of books, so can definitely bung some up there :)
I was wondering about a grey/blue on the anaglypta, but dh is v much of the scandi/everything white opinion (I quite like it too, but keen to try out other things).
Will look into Annie Sloan paints...