When you have a large stone (it doesn’t matter what kind) fireplace, it will totally boss you around when it comes to decorating and choosing wall colour for your home. It’s rare that you can totally ignore it and unfortunately this is one of those times when I would NOT recommend painting it (brick you can paint--not stone usually). In the two images below, the warm brown and tan colours in the stone have been repeated in the furniture and wall colour which really pulls the stone in and makes the room look attractive and pulled together.
One of the first on-line consultations that I did with one of my lovely readers was a house that had a large two sided stone fireplace right in the middle of it. You could see it from the entry, it was the focal point of the living room as well as the other side in the dining room. The current colour on the walls was a pale, clean yellow and did not relate to the stone at all so the first (and one of the only options) I gave her was a yellow beige to relate to the stone. Varying tones of warm grays work well with most fireplace stone; however this colour still needs to be repeated in the space for it to work.
A big reason why people call me is because they want something new, sometimes fresh colour, and fundamentally they want to feel happy surrounded by their new colour! Even though I could tell she was not happy (in the moment) with the colour I recommended, I stuck to my opinion knowing it would pull her space together. But I was worried that maybe she wouldn’t follow my advice and end up thinking I was a bad designer!
Then a few weeks ago I received an email from her and this is what she said:
“We had a phone consult back in September. It took me some time but the living room, kitchen, dining room, library and sunroom are now all painted. I followed your suggestions and must say I am quite happy with the results. I will admit that I was initially not very excited about the beiges but of course, you were right!! They look fantastic and pull the finishes together. Thank you very Much!” Debra.
Even my friend Lauren at Pure Style Home chose toss cushions and an ottoman to relate to the stone fireplace in her family room (even though the turquoise wasn’t chosen to work with it at all).
It’s best in the end to select stone that’s more neutral if you want a more cottage or ‘cabin in the woods’ look for your home, like this one from The Holiday movie. This way you won't be married to the colour scheme forever!
What about you? Do you have a stone fireplace that’s bossing you around?
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.
Related posts:
Is your Flooring bossing you Around?
Hiring a Designer; Luxury or Necessity
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