Chrissi, are you sure it's cleaning utensils? I'm not sure what it is, but it doesn't look like cleaning utensils to me. And would they be kept in the living room when there's a guest?
I'd say it was fire wood. Only thing is, I don't know if there's a stove in the room.
Looks like firewood to me, too. Makes sense; a house like that would certainly have a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Hence, the match holder.
Here's a sad little video:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMpeAR0mbGM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]