Very pretty room. I love all of the storage, although I would probably want to change out the doors to some that don't have the grids considering that you already have muntins on the windows and door. What style/color is your dining room table? What colors are you using in adjacent rooms? I love the idea of saturated color on the wall above the paneling. You could even carry that color to the backs of the cabinets. I also like the idea of grasscloth above the paneling or a graphic wallpaper. It all depends on your style and your desired degree of formality for the room.

First we have to figure out which door. I think I don't like Pal's for this exercise because they have a less pronounced grain than most of the golden oak I've seen. I'm thinking along the lines of LWO's 2, 5, 7, 8, 10 or 11, or the one I posted. The grain is too fine on Pal's, the color isn't yellow/orange enough on LWO's 1, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 13. Twelve is so ratty it's impossible to believe anyone would keep them (maybe they could be painted). Speaking of which, is the rule going to be no painting? I think it should be. What about staining? I've been thinking of the exercise as how to work with the color as-is. What's the consensus?

I'm a bit late adding my two-cents worth.... But this really is an ugly room. However, it has a lot of potential. The floor is beautiful and the trim is quite nice. I think it needs some period treatment.... Perhaps a nice Victorian floral wallpaper... A plush rug... A tasteful window treatment... Maybe a nice brass light fixture. I don't really mind the style of the bed, it's the color. I think it would be nice if it were brass... Or even painted white. It also needs a different nightstand... Maybe something Eastlake... With a nice antique lamp on it. Tiffany style, maybe. I actually like the shape of the room. I've always been intrigued by old house with oddly shaped rooms. I have to wonder... Is there another bedroom on the other side of that wall? It looks almost as if it was once a large room that was divided into two smaller rooms. I've never been a fan of taking old homes and giving them a contemporary makeover. If contemporary is what you want, buy new... Or build to suit.

Hi Tara -- lots of great advice upthread about how to transform the feel of the rooms while doing very little to change the architecture (also on team remove shutters here...and preferably put nothing up...I've only ever seen accent windows like that left bare but...). April's nailed it re the before/after shots (perhaps a wide-angle lens, too?). You aren't that far away from your own after in that space, though it may not feel that way. Whether you end up with paler or deeper wall shades the key is complementing the wood, so Google This Old House tips for cleaning it so you're working from the best starting point. As someone who's lived in vintage fixers and been involved with fixers I also just wanted to offer encouragement. There's a real mental health toll to living in disarray with no end date, spending spare time fixing, not having enough budget to fix or decorate immediately, perhaps navigating different priorities for what gets fixed when, etc. If any of those apply it's draining...not sure of your story, but if they all apply it can cause even more issues. If you have space to call one room or closet or whatever the crap room, do it and clear as much as possible out of these rooms. If you can DIY the scrubbing and painting do that asap...i think you'll feel a real lift when you walk through the door. If you need to furnish on a tight budget, post separately for ideas you may not have thought of. While I love love love older homes they can carry so many styles of design -- see examples others' posted plus homes of Europeans, who laugh at our idea of "old." I Rx zero heavier dark wood pieces since you're already struggling...hopefully your husband will be on board!