Your photo is too dark to see anything

I would remove them if they're in rough shape, extend wainscoting, and buy new furniture.

They might be secured to the wall, but there are hardly built-in. I would remove them.

You will need to repair the floor unless your new furniture or built-in has the same footprint. Your inspiration has all white wood trim everywhere. Are you planning to paint everything?

@loobab I just lightened it, sorry, we don’t have any lights in that room yet.

@partim we just did the floors so I was thinking they could come back and extend the floor and just finish it with the same finish. Yes, we are planning a huge interior paint project, we are going to remove the grasscloth wallpaper as well.

@BeverlyFLADeziner thanks, I’m thinking the same thing. Hoping they’re not too difficult to take out.

Hi jhoff-

I like the wainscoting.

It looks like the shelving and cabinets were just placed in front of the wainscoting, so I think you can remove them altogether and see what the wainscoting looks like behind there.

Also, the brick on the floor in front of the fireplace may not extend out far enough to meet code for how far out a non-flammable substance must extend beyond the firebox.

Once the shelves and cabinets are removes, take a good look at the mantel and see if you like it or it seems outsized to you.

@loobab thanks, I hope they do have the wainscoting back there, that would be awesome, I’ve been a little apprehensive about trying to match the existing wainscoting. The fireplace was just inspected and seems like its all good but it will be none functioning as we plan to mount a tv there (the Samsung one that looks like artwork) and I don’t want to risk starting a fire with the tv above it. Plus, I have kids! 😂

@kiffkat the issue is that the grass cloth was painted over in that strange skin color and i worry if we paint it again, it’ll look even worse. Sadly the cabinets are not in good shape.

Ok gotcha! Then yes, I would get rid of the grass cloth and also the cabinets.

For anyone reading this, we removed the built-ins. Unfortunately we found carpet underneath them so we will have to redo the floor once the painters leave (thankfully this was original flooring, I’d have been pissed if this was new flooring we had put in) but it looks so much brighter without them there.