Good Questions: What Color for the Chimney?

Aisha is looking for some color advice: I have a question for the community. What color should I paint my chimney?
Near the chimney we have brown leather chairs and a slate blue rug. Opposite the chimney is an olive/pea soup green accent wall and light blue chairs. To the right of the chimney is the pinky/red couch and farther over a cocoa brown accent wall. (more photos below...)

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The floors are rusty brown stained concrete. Note that the flowery fabric wrapped canvas panel is currently becoming a beautiful painting.

The chimney used to be a mustard orange color that didn't work with any of the other colors, we updated it with this butter yellow. We like it, but in some lights it gets a little 'baby' for our taste.

Also we're not loving the blue rug/red couch/yellow chimney primaries all together. We're open to bright colors or muted, though probably not too neutral. The latest idea is to go for a tangerine orange, but then we float back to greens, teals, and more.

Thanks for your input everyone!

Please help Aisha out with some paint color suggestions in the comments...

Comments (19)

You already have tons of warm colors...I'd bring in a cool earthy contrasting color into the room, like a deep blue-green.

I like the teal/blue-green that nazrd suggested - one of those jewel colors everyone's talking about.

Your plants are gorgeous! What a great space.

I would repeat the same chocolatey color you have on the wall behind the TV.

I would pull a color out of nature like a slate blue/gree/grey. Something with some vibrance not to dull

All of those sound like decent options.. Might consider leaving the recess the yellow color it is to frame out the artwork, though

awesome place! you should enter the fall colors or smallest coolest contests!

I DEFINITELY agree with change to a slate blue/grey color. Use the print/artwork that is on the wall as the source for color--go with the blue/gray color that is already in the background of that piece, voila! Perhaps even a shade darker than the bluish/grey that is in the artwork-print.

Goodluck--can't wait to see the results!

How about a blend of the brown and reddish tones...a shade of wine?

i would actually do a more olive green - and as a side note I think the seating in front of a fireplace should be more cozier and romantic such as a love seat or a section of large throw pillows

Slate blue/grey gets my vote, too! I think that it would balance things out and make your brighter colors POP.

just throwing this out there, but what if you used a modern wallpaper instead to accent the chimney? something grounded in blue/grey but with an updated pattern? i am in love with anything by the brand ferm LIVING.

I like the idea of slate grey/blue, but what about adding large (2ft) horizontal stripes all the way up!

black! glossy beautiful black that will play off your dark brown leather furniture and window panels.

I'd stick with the same color brown as the other wall as mribaro suggested...

...there's just too much going on this room which is making it appear chopped up and uncohesive.

In addition, I'd rearrange the room so that there is a single seating area at the fireplace with the TV to the left - and collect all the media, computers, keyboard, etc into a workspace in the far end of the room.

lovely home. great suggestions here.
I adore your sofa... where did you get it??!!

I'd go with same brown as accent wall. And I'd paint ALL the other walls that yellow to tie it together, the white wall is the odd wall out.

I'd pull a green from one of the paintings.

Or, if you want to play it safe, I'd go with grey, brown or off-white (pulled from the painting on the chimney).

I think Dark Grey ( Black - Grey) would look good on the wall.

Wow! Thanks to everyone for such amazing feedback! These are great ideas. I to have been leaning towards some cooler blue/slate/olive/light brown tones to make the room feel more cohesive.

My boyfriend has created a gorgeous painting for the niche with lots of grey tones, so maybe the olive would be a good contrast... I'll have to post an 'after' soon...

Ilovebc - I found this couch under a pile of boxes at a thrift store in Boston about 10 years ago. It was a dream find, and one of the few items that made the cut for my cross country move. I don't know the brand unfortunately.

Thanks and keep 'em coming if you've got more thoughts. - Aisha