To connect up both rooms I pulled the plaster sheets of both sides of the separating wall, made a doorway, then sanded and stained the wall's support beams. We loved the effect this created, but our Aussie friends thought I was crazy doing this. They also thought that the white paint on the walls was just the undercoat. In those days it was fashionable in Australia for rooms to be painted, pink, light blue, green, etc.   We had a copper hood made and fixed it over the open fire place.