What kind of building is this and where??

[d.weaving]

I just wish something spooky would walk through one of those doors...I'd love to meet one. ...it could help me on me paper round.

Derek. 

[chinakay]

There may be a wardrobe or two in the room...we don't know what's behind the photographer.

C

[Paul E]

Like Lydart, I'm thinking this is a stage set.  Everything is arranged 'towards' the 'audience'.

[martianuk]

Sorry Lydart and Paul, but I've got to disagree. I'm actually a stage technician (hence my intrigue with the lighting in the photo too!) and to me, it's far too involved for a stage set. There is too much furniture and not enough acting space, especially for two or more characters. It would make for an awful acting area and I doubt there is much room behind the photographer for the audience and even if it went back farther, it would be very narrow. If it was a little production for friends or family, then I doubt anyone would go to these lengths to create a set like this!
I'm assuming of course that the play is performed in this room and that the room hasn't been built in a larger space, which is even less likely given the ornate ceiling.
This said, a stage set would be a good reason to take the photo - I would be proud of a set like that!

Hadyn

[PrueM]

I don't think it's a stage set, but it has been staged, if you see what I mean...it may be that it's someone's actual room, and it's been enhanced with props. 

I'm going round in circles with this!

Prue

[stockman fred]

It reminds me of the way a room is set up when visitors are shown around an historic house- if someone famous lived there, visitors would be told "This is just how they left it", when of course it isn't really true, it's staged.
I'm wondering whether it is where someone important in the spiritual world of the 19th century lived, and maybe visitors or followers could buy photos as keepsakes.
If you google 19th century spiritualism and photography, there are lots of references to the use of photos (and fakes). There are also characters such as Madame Blavatsky who started huge spiritual movements after having "experiences"- including one in an old attic room she was sharing with another believer.
It just seems to have that feeling of "Look at this picture-this is XXX's actual bedroom."
Fred

[Gadget]

Fred - that's my view too 

It's all faked to suggest sinister/supernatural and eveyday at the same time. It's easy to do with photography.

Gadget

[stockman fred]

And the hint of a ghost would be enough to titillate the followers -they would think they had just discovered it on the photo.

[Lydart]

All we want now is for one (or more) of our super photographer members to set up something similar and show it to us to prove this sort of thing CAN be done ....

... hey, wait a minute !   I've sussed it !

When are you going to own up, Martian1 ??