I'm not good with wood and brown colors, but one of my favorite color combinations is sage green and a dusky purple

Joanne - any chance you have pictures? It sounds like sage green would be lovely. What kind of fireplace is it? Does it have stone or brick or anything else on it?

I would also post this question in the home decorating forum, especially with a picture - you will probably get a lot more responses there.

Here are some color combinations I like:

Sage Greens: SW Grassland, Svelte Sage, Softened Green, Clary Sage (get samples at the SW store)

Pair with a neutral/gold like: SW Ivoire, Blonde, Restrained Gold, Latte, Bagel (or lighter shades on the Latte and Bagel strips). Latte and Bagel are beiges with caramel undertones and look good with dark oak and cherry, IMO - as does sage green.

Accent with a brick red like SW Flower Pot.

I also like the sage green and dusky purple and have bedding in my guest room with those colors in it.

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/laurience/?action=view&current=Quentin_3ans_France_Vacances2008049.jpg

{{!gwi}}

thank you all for your wise advise. I have posted pics of my 1st floor on the decorating site.
Joanne