Some basement work!

 This is where the the stairs mentioned heretofore lead. 
That salt box in the back corner is going to be a brand spanking new coal furnace which is forever "just delivered" and about to be set up.
Two other things in this picture are the small table which will probably end up in the butler's room.
It was an incredibly cheap, red thing which I sanded, painted with brown acrylic gloss just enough to let a bit of the red come through, and painted the drawer knobs black gloss.  It has a simple yet not brand-new look to it, just perfect for below stairs.

 And last but not least is the COAL BIN!  I bought a bag of coal from a pet store years and years ago in anticipation of just this thing.   It is made from painted very heavy matboard with balsa wood battens.   It is really the leftover piece from Port Brown's roof - I knew it would end up as something!   I grabbed a bucket from my Hardware Store stock and put some in it.  A well-worn shovel or two is needed now.