Buying a period house

[veuveo]

The basic renovation is done. It's all wallpapered, but not my colours at all. If it comes off can we just paint it, or paint over the wallpaper?
I'm now flapping about my furniture too, they have lots of antique stuff, mine is modern.
And what sort if kitchen do I put in?
My last kitchen was linear, quite modern and sleek
Is there a middle ground between modern and traditional?

If it’s a period house, it’s probably got wallpaper because the walls are lumpy and it helps disguise it. You can either paint over it, take it off and put new wallpaper up that you like, or take it off and pay to have a plasterer skim all the walls (way more expensive option) so that they’re smooth enough to only be painted.
You could go for a ‘sleek’ kitchen but in a more ‘period’ colour like cream or pale green and get a good effect.

You can just paint it, or paint over the wallpaper I think.
The good paint companies like Little Green and Farrow and Ball show period houses using their colours in a plain way. You could telephone for advice about painting the wallpaper.

You can get antique furniture sometimes very cheaply at auctions (considering the quality per price compared to modern). Modern/contemporary furniture can look very nice too, but going for the finest quality materials etc, and keeping things simple is the key.

There are plenty of kitchens which would blend with period features. Perhaps wood, including painted wood would fit better than melamine. Again, contemporary, but high quality materials, would also be fine. You could probably see examples of the period/contemporary mix in magazines.

Sorry: please be warned about skimming over old plaster. In my experience fine cracks appear later. In my opinion it is better to repair the plaster, clean it up, mend cracks, sand off limps etc and put up with it not being absolutely perfectly flat and new looking - part of its beauty/aesthetic; or else have lining paper put on then painted.

You can get 'brown' furniture at auctions and free sites.
The wallpaper will either be several layers thick and superglued to crumbly plaster or be easy to remove.

I'm not really sure I like antiques

That's fine. Just get modern furniture that matches the quality of the house and if it is very simple in design it should blend in.

I need some inspiration

Period Living magazine or look at Pinterest?

It sounds like you’re about to move to the house and not already in it. I’d live with it for a few months. Some modern furniture can look stunning in a period room.
I would try to match the age too much, you end up with the ‘museum’ look.
As others have said, beware of removing old wallpaper.
What age is the house.

Try googling "Images/Contemporary furniture in a period house"

For colours look up websites for the traditional paint companies as they often use period settings.

Modern furniture can look fine in a period house.

Unless it’s a short modern bookcase or wardrobe, in which case they look a bit daft with a high ceiling.

Try Pinterest. We have an Edwardian house and modern furniture, but have added to it with eBay and junk shop finds, some of it antiques, but not all.

When we viewed the house, it was like a museum and there wasn't a flat surface that wasn't covered in knick knacks or pictures. It's been refreshing to just let some of the original features speak for themselves.

Round here most of the houses are period and most of the decor is modern - or at least modernish

Hardly anyone (under 50) has antiques/brown furniture

It's either painted furniture in a sort of modernised traditional style (see Oka or Brissi for example) or mid century (see West Elm or made.com). A few have ultra modern too.

I don't think the furniture era has to match the house era at all.

As regards kitchens - there are quite a few sleek handleless around here. Most are probably shaker but a fairly modernised version iyswim. There are also some styles which offer a middle ground between modern and trad eg Harvey Jones linear.

Edwardian

JT05- that's my plan, maybe with a initial coat of white painting cover the colours that I know I'll never deal with.
Wow fudge- sounds like this one, every inch is covered

www.livingetc.com/spaces/elegant-homes-decor-184248#
Love this

That link is the way to go!

Gorgeous apart from the mismatched chairs at the dining table.

Love the hall and the ceiling is something I hadn't thought of

Love the link you have posted. You can also search on rightmove for london properties and see what the interiors look like for ideas.

I thought I'd be really bothered by bumpy plaster but I'm actually not. Our house was two 1800's workers cottages (knocked into one house now). If you like very modern it may bother you. We have only really done our front room since we have moved in but definitely vouch for F&B paint, the tones are stunning. You can definitely mix contemporary in, our furniture isn't 'old', a few older pieces but most is modern or a bit 'naice' eg. Laura Ashley lamps/curtains and similar.

This is some of the wobbly plaster in ours, hides a blocked up original door. Nobody usually notices it unless we point it out/there is ambient lighting.