Testing interior decoration: reception room

I have decided to test all interior details before glueing the shell. I have heard someone say that if you decorate before assembling, there is a risk of damaging the decoration during assembly. I will take the risk and allow for mistakes.

I have been browsing through dozens of pictures, in books and on the web, and in the end I believe I will use my own ideas - certainly acknowledging that they have been inspired by all these other sources. I know that I will never make anything like this, for several reasons. Firstly, I am not a professional. Secondly, I am not a copy-cat. Wrong: of course I am a copy-cat, but a copy-cat with integrity. I may copy a detail, but the big design will be my own, and my house will be like no other house in the world. Thirdly, unlike the creator of the magnificent house, I want to use as many found and recycled objects as possible. I will not buy a 24-bulb chandelier for a hundred pounds. I will not even buy fancy fireplace surrounds, I will make my own. Therefore I won't compete with anyone and make everything my way. Which doesn't mean I will compromise. It would be easy to just paint the rooms in different colours (but I have done this in my retro house). It would be almost as easy to wallpaper (I have done it in several projects). But this is my life project, and I want it to be exceptional. Therefore, no exceptions, no shortcuts.

I have taken out the herringbone floor I made for the Victorian house all those years ago and tested it in the reception room.

It is larger than the room so I can use the remaining bit elsewhere.

I want this room to be soft and warm, but I also want it to look grand. So here are some attempts:

This is just a sheet of craft paper. The top rail is cut from 1:1 size embossed wallpaper. The white panel is thin card (recycled student essay cover), and the dado rail is from ebay.  

Here I have moved the top rail down a bit, for an additional effect. 

And here I have glued on some toothpicks that I painted gold, just to see whether the effect is worth the trouble. I think it is. When I do it properly I will of course measure carefully, mitre the toothpicks and paint them before glueing on. I will also either paint the rails white or paint the panels cream, since they must match. They must also match the window frame.

These are the kind of decisions I am making, and I think it is fun. It may end up as something completely different, and it will be interesting to come back to this post and see where I started. Watch this space.