The house was built in the early/mid 30s by a very affluent family in the area. It stayed in the family until I purchased it. The house is a mix of victorian and craftsman. Most of the interior design elements were "over-the-top" Victorian. The house is the largest/nicest house in the area and is one of the houses everyone knows. There are quite a few things that are not strictly to-code in the house, but the house is grandfathered so most I don't need to worry about. While updating, if it is possible I try to correct any issues, but some things it just isn't possible. FYI, the radiator sits back into the wall under the window. The cubby is 8.5" deep. We've never worried about burning ourselves on that radiator. The one in the basement my knees touch while on the toilet, but they don't get hot enough to actually burn (hot water, not steam). I WILL be fixing that one in the future. I actually found the original blueprints to the house in the basement. From it, I can tell there have been A LOT of changes, and additions to the house over the years. Generally you can look at the material and have a pretty good idea what decade it was done. When I spoke to the previous owner (his father built the house) he told me they didn't care about keeping it era specific or anything, his comment was "we like what we like, and wanted what we wanted", and they had the money to do it... I am NOT a purist, but the bones of this house are of a grand nature. I am trying to restore what I think the house should look like in my own way. I am keeping with the mix of victorian and craftsman as well.

The colors you are considering are the exact same as our house! Of course elevation is very different - but here is how it looks for reference!

Do you know a fantastically skilled finish carpenter? Or someone who can recommend one? If so, have him/her come in and take a look at your room and see what is involved in removing the scalloped edging from the book case and crown molding and if it can be done without damaging the bookcases and crown molding and what the cost would be, etc, and then you can decide about that. You can have a wood refinisher restore the wood back to its natural beauty if it has dried out and or alligatored, etc. Or you can have it painted. The sage green color Flo Mangan suggested is lovely. Just think about if you want to be married to that green color, because although you love the fabric on the little sofa now, you grow tired of it, or it will wear out and when you replace it, you may want to go for a totally different look, but you will be stuck with green woodwork. If you want to introduce a piece of furniture, say an armoire that is very functional for you but the quality of the wood is not that great, you can paint or stain that one. If the rest of your home is in greens, and if you have been a green gal your whole life, why then go for the green con gusto. If not, please think carefully about doing all the woodwork green. I like a wood floor with a beautiful handmade rug. I am partial to Orientals, and the prices on Persians are very good right now. You could get the paler colored Nain or Isfahan, but a brighter colored rug would look well too as it would stand up to the deep green and the deep coral in the sofa. An allover pattern is a good idea as a central medallion might get lost depending on the positioning of your furniture. An Aubusson (yes, they are still being made) or Aubusson look-alike would look great as well, but this hand-made authentic Aubusson requires a serious $ committment to green. Curtains to the floor would be a good idea. If you are willing to make a long-term commitment to green, then you can pick 1. Medium sized print with a botanical print such as a green leaf such as a fern on ivory, or 2. Green and ivory vertical stripe 3. All ivory with a wonderful embroidered ribbon trim along the inner edge, and the trim should incorporate the colors of green and ivory and one other color from your sofa, you decide. I like something that looks and feels and drapes like silk. I know you thought about about an upholstered desk chair, but you need to really think about the ergonomic aspects of a desk chair. It doesn't matter how beautiful the desk chair is if your back or hips hurt after sitting in it after a while. I strongly suggest going to every office supply place in town, and buy the most comfortable chair you can find, but sit in it at a desk in the store for a while. Even if you despise the fabric. You can always get it recovered in whatever fabric you like, or a supple leather. I suggest having a throw pillow made for your sofa is you think you would use one, and if you like to put your feet up, I would have an ottoman made, with the cushion in a floral print in the colors of the corals and green of your sofa, and a ruffle skirt in a medium green stripe to match the stripe of the curtain, or if you don't do a stripe in the curtain, pick one of the greens of the sofa. (I say sage, you say olive, but you know which shade I'm talking about.) And on the throw pillow and the ottoman you will use contrast pattern welting. And you can think about really going for broke with lavish fringe or tassels, etc. Take a look at the Scalamandre web site under trims. There are no prices listed on the Scalamandre website because if you have to ask their prices, you don't need to shop with them. Seriously though, their products are only available through a designer but you can see what you like there and get the best facsimile that you can afford elsewhere. Pink and green go very well together but a bit Palm Beach Lily Pulitzer. Coral pink and sage green go very well together and are tres chic. So if you really want the room to read feminine, you can paint the walls the coral pink that is in the sofa. But choose the pink carefully, because you don't want the room to look like a nursery. And the choose the green carefully too, because, well, split pea soup. A side table to hold a drink, a book, and a small plate would be useful. If you can corral a somewhat larger table from somewhere else in the house, or buy one from a garage sale that would be useful. You might want to bring up a tray from the kitchen and eat lunch in there or someday have someone in there for tea and to discuss a project and you can keep a tea set if you like on top of the table. So think about a small dresser for storage, or a small table, or a set of TV tables (is that what they are called?) This will be a really fun project, and keep us posted!

I love chair rails, but it looks like yours were put up too high. Many people put them up wrong. They are supposed to occupy the lower 1/3 of a room, not break the room in half! For eight foot ceilings, a chair rail at 30" off of the floor looks great. If they are not your style, don't feel badly about removing them, since even if you liked them they are at the wrong height. Realistically you can either paint the oak white (or a trim colour of your choosing) or sand off the golden stain and apply a darker more modern stain if you want to go for a rustic look. Painting will be much less work (but make sure you use a good primer for adhesion), but if you love the rustic wood look you could consider the sanding/ re-staining option. I would leave the hardwood floors completely alone since they will blend into the decor once you cover them with area rugs, plus light oak hides dirt and wears really well! I would also leave the staircase alone if it were my house, since it matches the floors and you will have plenty of other more pressing projects to occupy yourself with. Lighting is easy to change and makes a huge difference!