apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Very cool fireplace. I like the black and white but think it's too modern for the style. If you repainted the brick a warm neutral to match the sanded grout around the stone, (looks like slate to me), it will warm it up and celebrate the stone. I also like the idea of painting the inside as you suggested. A more organic mantle at the top could work and relate to the stone better as well. Just some ideas! Have a great time. Also clean up the stone and seal it, it'll pop!

I'd cover the entire hearth with a simple 1" slab of honed granite, slate or a similar stone - You can probably get a leftover/remnant from the local stonecutters for a decent price.

I'd see how it cleans up before trying to cover it.

I can't tell what's going on with the flooring. Is it linoleum? Is it carpet? I think that what I would do is:

1st -- Leave ONLY the top of the mantle and the molding there white -- paint the REST of it a matte grey that matches the grout. Possibly have the grey be one of the stone or suede textured paints.

2nd -- THEN ... carefully paint some vaguely plausibly-brick-colored pain in a warmer, browner color of that suede textured paint onto ONLY the bricks, leaving the "grout" between them that first grout color.

3rd -- THEN dry-brush some other warm brick-ish colored textured paint VERY near that other warm brick color over the first one STILL leaving that first greyish-grout color in place.

WHY? Because, yes, this stark black-and-white is too modern -- not necessarily for the house, but for that floor!

And that will make it not seem so strange to have all the grey grout that IS there.

That's just me, talkin.

I agree - the stark combo is too modern for the flooring. I'd say leave the mantle white to match the baseboards and paint the remaning portions something softer. Maybe a sand color, then purchase some of that grout stain to match. Clean up and seal the stone and it looks like the greenish tint in it might go nicely with your wall color.

I actually really like the hearth like that. I think just cleaning then sealing it would look cool (and make it a *lot* easier to keep clean). That way, during the summer, you could add a cool, colorful runner or something over the hearth to accent your decor, while keeping the fireplace low-maintenance in the winter. I like the idea of painting the inside of the fp to match the flagstones, also, if you've a mind to.

Something else that might look interesting would be to sort of partially plaster over the white part like in this post:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/how-to/how-to-make-your-brick-walls-like-bddws-004202

I think part of the trouble comes from the extreme contrast between the rustic, irregular look of the flagstone hearth and the meticulous, precise lines of the brick and mantle. This could be a way to rough up the fireplace texture while keeping the clean aesthetic. (Of course, it might be a bad idea to do that with a working fireplace. I don't know. But I think it would look nice.)

I agree with bebsf -- the hearth seems to be missing a proper slab on top (I've never seen slate set into brick like that before). It should project a bit over exposed edges.

Also, the interior of the fireplace is too dark; I'd repaint the inside a very dark grey -- a few shades darker than the darkest spots on the slate. That way, it will coordinate nicely with your wall color, and even with your slate, if you decide not to cover it up (but in that case, you will need to repaint the fireplace an off-white -- essentially a few shades lighter than the mortar, but on the same shade card).

However, posters raise a good question about your flooring, because it doesn't seem to coordinate with the walls or fireplace... will it be staying?

Single slab of slate, slightly overlapping the front and the sides.

Reading through the comments, I like the idea of re-painting the black interior and matching it with the flagstone, and then possibly painting the mantel in the same grey. But my first thought was actually to paint each stone a different color of grey and keeping the odd shapes. I think my natural instinct is to go a little silly.

bepsf, I like the way you think. That would be my suggestion as well.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I like the idea of painting the inside a lighter, complementary color to the flagstone, but I worry about it being a cleaning nightmare. And the granite slab is a great thought too--how much might something like that cost?

I understand what you're all saying about the modern look contrasting with the wood floor. Unfortunately, my more contemporary aesthetic is stuck in a colonial style home...maybe I got carried away. I originally wanted the entire fireplace to be black, though...I've considered redoing the floors in there to be a darker color. Our family room floors are black wood.

Oh and the carpet in the picture came with the house and we're only keeping it to protect the floors while we paint the room. It's going to the dump this weekend...Thanks everyone!!

I don't think a black and white scheme (even a stark one) precludes a more traditional overall effect at all.

But DON'T do granite, even honed. It will push you even more modern. Slate is the way to go (especially given the wall color) You can do one piece, or three tiles. Since you are only covering a small section, chances are you can do it with a remnant or slate floor tiles.

And don't fret about the black inside... a firescreen will make the color of the firebox a non-issue.

Thanks patrick (the other one). I appreciate your suggestion about the slate! And good point about the screen--I hadn't thought of that.

Though I know you probably don't want to hear this at this stage in the process, I think that replacing the slate with a modern tile is going to get you where you wan to go. Since you hae a more modern esthetic, it will put a twist on the traditional look. A few things to consider:

- The black firebox won't be black for long. It will get gray and ashy. Leave it as it.
-If you paint the hearth white, it is going to be totally devoid of character.
-Choose a glass or ceramic tile that has a modern look. Choose tiles that are a decent amount larger or smaller than the brick size. Not too close.

Good luck!
~Lorrie @ MyDesignSecrets.com