I need YOUR opinion...

kellyyfaber · Aug 31, 2005

As some of you know, my husband and I are remodeling our home. We are just about finished with our formal living and dining room but we've run into a dilemma. We had some leftover paint that we painted our walls with and decided to paint the accent cutouts on our fireplace with it. Now that it's been tiled and see everything together, we're not sure we like the brown paint on the cream-------well, one of us does and the other doesn't

. To be fair, I won't tell you which one likes it and which one doesn't What do you think? Should we leave it the way it is or paint over the brown with the cream color.

katspixiedust · Aug 31, 2005

I personally think it would look best without the accent painted brown. I think fireplaces look very nice when completely white.

ugaimes · Aug 31, 2005

Oooh chick, I LOVE that tile!

I voted to not paint over the accent- I dig it!

kellyyfaber · Aug 31, 2005

Thanks for the input, guys....we're so undecided!!! Here's a pic of the
fireplace before we added the wood decorative pieces, painted the accent on, and tiled it. Boring, huh.

himmymommy · Aug 31, 2005

i LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS

rosehawke · Aug 31, 2005

Personally I think it needs to be painted. You introduced a complex design element when you did a tile makeover, and now it's fighting with the brown accents for attention. Your eye doesn't know where to look. I'm a bit in the same boat, as I did a tile makeover of my own fireplace and completely removed the mantel and surround. I've about decided that I don't need a complete surround as it would compete with the tile for attention. Sort of "too much of a good thing" as it were.

xocats · Aug 31, 2005

I did not vote because I think what you do with the mantel paint, depends on how you plan to decorate the rest of the room. Whatever you decide to do...it's beautiful.

Lei

valanhb · Aug 31, 2005

OK, I think I'm going to totally confuse you even more Kelly.

I would repaint the dark brown accents because, as Cindy said, they distract the eye from the beautiful tiling you did. BUT, I would also do an antiquing glaze in a gold or copper to bring out the mosaic squares you have in the tiling on the wood detail parts on the top and sides of the mantle (but not the frames of the details, if that makes sense).

kellyyfaber · Aug 31, 2005

Originally Posted by valanhb

OK, I think I'm going to totally confuse you even more Kelly.

I would repaint the dark brown accents because, as Cindy said, they distract the eye from the beautiful tiling you did. BUT, I would also do an antiquing glaze in a gold or copper to bring out the mosaic squares you have in the tiling on the wood detail parts on the top and sides of the mantle (but not the frames of the details, if that makes sense).

We've considered that too, BUT...the cream color on the mantle really really looks nice with our crown molding and all of the metal on our light fixtures and our light switch and outlet plates and door handles are brushed nickel. I'm afraid if we did the whole mantle like that it would clash badly.

rosehawke · Aug 31, 2005

Are you able to do a "comp" in an imaging program? Here's a comp I did of mine, which is why I'm leaning toward just a simple shelf. It helps to visualize!

coolcat · Aug 31, 2005

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

What do you think?

Hi Kelly...

My vote was it for Yes!....IMO you should to put on a top, a pic of James Heftiel shaking his hands like this

....

just kidding! ...

Seriously....a white colour is my favourite...

Cheers!

valanhb · Aug 31, 2005

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

We've considered that too, BUT...the cream color on the mantle really really looks nice with our crown molding and all of the metal on our light fixtures and our light switch and outlet plates and door handles are brushed nickel. I'm afraid if we did the whole mantle like that it would clash badly.

Oh no, not the whole mantle. Just the accent bits within the frames you have painted now, and the filligree bits on the sides. The majority of the mantle I would leave cream.

purr · Aug 31, 2005

I got so excited when I read the title

but this is a hard one! This is why I'll never do any interior design myself! I'm voting for YES because there's a lot going on there!

kellyyfaber · Aug 31, 2005

Originally Posted by valanhb

Oh no, not the whole mantle. Just the accent bits within the frames you have painted now, and the filligree bits on the sides. The majority of the mantle I would leave cream.

Ahhh, now I see. Good idea!!!!

sooz123 · Aug 31, 2005

There's already a lot going on with this piece... My philosophy is that elegance is all about simplicity. You've got the plain white mantle (which I love), then a surround with several wood accents and also decorative tile squares... there's a lot competing for your focus, so personally I would've gone with fewer wood accents... but don't listen to me, I'm no Martha Stewart!

So, my vote is paint it back white!

The previous owners of our house firmly glued an accent, which they left unpainted,

on our mantle (which is white wood over a brick surround). I'd like to get rid of it but it'd be quite a job just to pry it off, sand and repaint the mantle, so I just painted it white.

MoochNNoodles · Aug 31, 2005

The paint brings out that beautiful detail. With the white it is hard to see it.

cheeseface · Aug 31, 2005

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

Ahhh, now I see. Good idea!!!!

So Heidi means something like this?...

(I didn't color the side bits, but filling the rectangles in doesn't look too bad.

)

If you painted it white again, it would look something like this, except with the rectagular indentation, which I didn't do.

valanhb · Aug 31, 2005

I meant something more subtle like this:

Just a hint of the glaze to pick up on the mosiac metallic tiles.

(Hey! I could actually do interior design if I could do it all in Photoshop!

)

cheeseface · Aug 31, 2005

Okay, I see.

dawnofsierra · Aug 31, 2005

I voted to paint over it, Kelly. I'm no decorator, but it's just too many squares, and the brown just doesn't feel right on your lovely cream. I also agree it takes away from the other beautiful features. The small accents already present inside the brown add elegance without distracting from the beauty of your other work and the overall design.

I need YOUR opinion...

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