I like the drama of the white against the dark and I do think it helps maintain the rhythm of the room.

Its lovely-I agree with forhgtv. Its a wonderful contrast and needs to be that way.

I have a black lacquer-look f/p with an off white wall; I'll scan the old photo tonight & post but it may be more contrast than you're looking for. I love the way your room looks now - the wall color is fabulous.

I love the fireplace mantel and the whole room. Its not my style, but its really beautiful. I'm trying to become more open to other styles. I like them in pictures, but I keep choosing traditional.

Anyhow, I noticed your floor plan is really similar to mine. I have trouble placing the TV. I've had my sofa in front of the window as well as on the opposite wall. Pro's and cons for each. Does your room have a TV? Is it on the wall opposite the sofa, or none in the room?

I like your room as-is. I'm not a designer, though.

wendyb, the TV is in the 2nd photo, it's thin, 1", so you might miss it...to the left side of the photo, it's what you see popping up into the drum shade by the green chair.

Oh, and you can see it in the first photo too, it's on the right hand wall, next to the chair. since it's so thin, it really disappears.

here's another blurry shot:
{{!gwi}}

I have done rooms with dark fireplaces, even fireplaces a similar color to the wall, but I really like what you have done. You have created a nice balance in contrasts: dark vs. light. I wouldn't change it.
I don't believe the fp has to match all the other trim in the house at all, it just really works in this case.
On the other hand, since you have a dark island, you can in theory use that as grounds to do a dark fp. But, again, still like as is! Beautiful.

i am not sure if this helps you, since my fireplace is stone and yours would be painted, but it is darker against a light wall

{{!gwi}}

Oh I think your room is perfect as is. And you've given me inspiration for my guest room. I never thought of the green with gray, but that is gorgeous. I love your room!!

With our recent kitchen remodel we also updated the fireplace (with new mantle and surround). The mantel is alder wood stained dark chocolate and uba tuba granite surround. Ignore the messy mantel....
{{!gwi}}

Why mess with perfection?

Ah yes, there is a tv there. Do you get glare from the window on the tv?

I don't yet have a flat screen here. I would get glare on my conventional tv. Maybe this is a good reason for me to get a flat screen????

I just repainted my LR from Ben Moore's Baby Turtle (which I loved) to MS Mourning Dove. I love the change and so does my family. The gray (with slight green tinge) of Mourning Dove is more neutral looking than the warm moss of the BT. But already, I have heard comments on the WHY? I perfectly understand that even when you have a house that looks pretty and finished to others, sometimes there are things that you prefer or maybe you are just ready for a change.

That said.............No. I would not paint your fireplace. The white does pull in the cabinet colors and the whole effect is completely beautiful. Unless you see in person something that your camera does not pick up, you have a lovely, lovely, room, that might not be improved with the darker color. My opinion, of course!

Red

This is a photo (actually a photo of a 1998 photo - excuse the distortion) of my black f/p with white wall in a spare bedroom. What you can't see is the grey/green wall that's perpendicular to the bookcase. Sorry I can't take a current picture of the room but I have another project in progress & everything's been crowded into this room.

FWIW, I like your white mantle - it ties that end of the room to the kitchen end for perfect balance & I think the mantle height might be the key. If the white stops with your couch/rug, I think the contrast will be too abrupt leaving the f/p wall unconnected. Just my 2 cents. Obviously, you have excellent tastes & I'm sure whatever you choose will be stunning. What color is the f/p wall now? I've been considering a charcoal for my bathroom & this looks like a possibility.

thanks for the photo antique, I think I'm leaning towards keeping it light too. I think that a lot of detail gets lost when painting the fireplaces dark, and then they might look like a dark square down at the end of the room.

The color is Valspar's Italian Leather. If you look at the card it's on, the colors look very taupe, but the Coastal Villa (on the side walls, really turned gray when up, and the fireplace wall is a lovely dark dark taupe, leaning towards brown). Both on the same chip.

So my monitor isn't off - it does have a brown tone! For some reason, I thought you'd mentioned that it was casting a greennish hue, which is what I need. Grays are hard.

yes, the lighter wall is the one with the greenish hue. Drives me crazy. AND, I like green, but I don't know, I'm just not feeling it. I want the green to be the accents in there.

Like the others here, my first thought was "why is she changing anything? It's perfection" and not in a showhome perfection kind of way. In an elle decor/carrie bradshaw kind of way (which is how I judge everything).

Why on earth are you changing the paint? Move on to another room (or find a friend, like me for instance, that needs help with her rooms). This one's perfect.

daisy, you are funny. Thanks. Not to worry, I am keeping the "gray" feel to the room, there is just a funky greenish hue that has always driven me crazy. I knew it was trouble when I painted it and my husband said, "oh, it's green"...what? it's gray! Ok, so now I'm on board, it is a green undertone. The new colors will be deep "gravender". I'm just tweeking.

And I am moving on to other rooms, that is why I need to find a color I like in this one, so I can continue on my way. The living room and foyer are next!

I would keep it light as well...and your home is STUNNING.

I'm new to this site.I LOVE your pictures. Can you please share with us the paint color used on your walls in your photos.My house is just the opposite, I have white walls. But the dark walls make the white cabinets and mantel pop. I need a change and your color scheme is just my style. Love it. Thanks

(gasp!) what beautiful rooms. Will you please come decorate my house? (lol!)

You are a decorating genius. Why are you asking us for our opinions? If your hunch is to paint the wall lighter & the fireplace grayer with marble tiles, you're probably right to do so.

I like it the way it is now but if you do lighten the walls, than yes I would darken the mantel. You have contrast in your kitchen so contrast would be nice in this room as well.

Looking at your walls in contrast with your trim, cabinets and fireplace surround, the paint on your walls doesn't appear light at all. It seems to be more of a medium tone. I think with the other things in our room, the black/dark would be out of place and make that one wall be very heavy in comparison to the rest of the room. The light surround looks perfect! Keep it as is!

I just can't imagine it being any prettier than it is now but everything you do turns out wonderful.

No! say it ain't true! I thought you recently did that room in conjunction with your gorgeous kitchen. I think it is absolutely lovely.

I agree that that is one perfect room as is!

I love the room as is. It's gorgeous...great job!

I love your space...I can't imagine anything else needing to be done. However, I am now curious to see how it could look. Maybe someone could photo shop it for all of us.

DO NOT TOUCH A THING! Sorry for the shouting, but it is gorgeous just as it is! Count up the votes and you will see that everyone is drooling over the "before" photo. Why mess with something that is so pretty? If you need a project, I have an entire house at your disposal .....

Please say you won't do it!

I agree with a previous poster. You obviously have amazing taste and talent and your room is unbelievably gorgeous! I have learned that if your gut is telling you to do something-go with it. You won't regret it...

Post when you are done! Would love the inspiration photos-

I thought the picture was out of a magazine. I wouldn't touch a thing. You have talent!

*Shelayne with her bullhorn*

STEP AWAY FROM THE MANTLE!

Nonononononono!

I can hear my mother now, "Don't even LOOK at that paintbrush, missy!" ;^)

Beeskeeper, I have been googling for days trying to find my inspiration mag picture that I have somehow lost, when your entry came up. In the picture in the mag, there was a light color wall (aqua) and they had painted the mantel charcoal gray like you were considering. I thought it was stunning. I am trying to find that picture because there were a few other things I wanted to replicate in the room. I also wanted to see what they used for a surround, to get an idea as to what might appeal to me. By any chance did you get the idea from seeing a pic somewhere, and does this jog your memory in some way? I hope, I hope, I hope!!! TIA, Lynn fr CT