apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

if you Have to keep the wall color ( which I wouldn't)I'd go white ( a warm white like BM( Benjamin Moore) Cloud white CC-40, lose the scallpo around the mirror and paint the trim around the mirror the same white-all the trim shouild then be this color and the walls maybe a nice taupe ( that doesn't have pink/purple tones like yours) ie BM Old Montreal CC398- this wall color would also work if you didn't paint the fireplace but I would lose the scallop detailing

It looks like the fireplace isn't currently painted. Once you fix that mirror trim you'll feel alot better about the fireplace. get some logs or candles and live with it for a few days before you paint. I guess you COULD paint it gloss white like the trim but i would seriously considder finishing the room up before worrying about painting the brick. Its a really ardurous and irreversable process.

I'd get rid of the mirror altogether, actually. If you replace the scallop border as is your intent, you could perhaps put beadboard to replace the mirror and add some shelves and make that niche a bookcase.

The firebox could use some help regardless of whether you paint or leave it alone. If it is non-working...line the firebox with mirrors and then do the candle thing...

Yeah, the bricks really aren't bad. I ditto the people above, but would also think carefully about what furniture I put to the sides. Some nice bookshelves? Nice artwork?

If you can paint the brick, I think it would like nice in a glossy white. I would also add a mantle, horizontal beam (or shelf).

Why paint the fireplace - it's the best looking thing on that wall.

I'd remove the mirror and scalloped trim, and paint the alcove above the fireplace the same as the wall; a nice medium taupe.

I like the idea of a good solid horizontal mantle. Perhaps a couple of upright beams as well to "frame" the bricks. I'd leave the bricks themselves alone. Also like the idea of flanking the surround with bookcases or shelves.

Same here. I'd leave the bricks - they look kinda cool. But ditch the scallop and the mirror and I bet you could do something really mod looking there. It'd be so hip!

DahliaCactus is right -- Bricks really are a pain to paint, and the process is nearly irreversible. Leave that for last. In fact, you might want to consider taking the brick color as one of the key base points for your new color scheme, so that you can make sure everything works well.

In our case, we hired a decorator. My wife knows what she likes and she does a pretty good job on the smaller stuff, but on the larger whole-house stuff, we just don't have the experience or the talent. And early on, we frequently looked at the decorator (Molly) in very strange ways when she suggested certain things. And we did that again during the process, multiple times. But she did have a vision, and it did all come together at the end.

As a result, Molly selected our house to represent her best work when she was selected to be in the 2007 edition of "Beautiful Homes of Texas: A Collection of the Finest Designers in Texas". And our new house is so much better than the rental we were in when those pictures were taken.

Moral of the story: Get a good designer. They really will make a difference.

Debi -

I grew up in a series of parsonages, and I understand the "rules". I'm glad you're going to get rid of the scallops, because they're very 1930's and were installed by someone who was trying to cretae that earlier time sometime after the 1950's when that fireplace was built.

Meanwhile, that fireplace is a strangely small version of what people did in the 1950's, but it's not ugly. I think that if you're going to add moulding, please do NOT do the rosettes. If you do the fluted kind, I'd consider doing it INSIDE that nook, almost as paneling, not as a frame in the way the scallops are. No rosettes. If this doesn't make sense, let me know, I'll try to do a little drawing, although I'm out of town on a friend's computer and I couldn't do it until next week.

I'd consider putting in a mantle as someone above has suggested, but if so I'd have it be bigger; I have an idea about that part, too.

Since the fireplace brick is beige with grey grout, I'm thinking about a pale grey wall, instead, since you want neutral, and that would be a very period version of neutral for that time, but seriously, paint is an easy fix for the next parsonette.

If you really want to get rid of the brick, but can't do something permanent, you can always build some kind of simple wood surround and mantel, or try to find one in a salvage shop/junk store/ antique shop/flea market and cover it up for the time you're there. It can always be taken off after you leave. You can also cover the mirror, with something like a large picture or a wall hanging or a quilt.

Grey (or taupe) from the fireplace for the walls and how about ignoring that mirror and using the shelf to hold logs cut to present a uniform depth to the front. Birch would be perfect because of the subtle hints of grey in the bark and of course get rid of the scallop, no mastter what. This would be a clean and modern look. Alternatively you could make that recessed area into bookshelves or suspend a picture from the celing and ignore the mirrored area because it is awkward and dated.

I love the idea of the Taupe and soft creams.

Smoky Taupe by Benjamin Moore
http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-983-Smokey-Taupe-p/mpc0006913.htm

China White -Dulux
http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Match-of-Dulux-China-White-p/mpc0049216.htm



I also saw another color combination you might like
http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-Pottery-Barn-Colors-Fall-07-Warm-p/mpc-bmcombo_pbf07w.htm