Agree or Disagree to Paint Mantel?
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A big shout out to my decorator friend Connie, for graciously volunteering to be our first subject authorized decorating project. She has even provided great photos to share.Here is her story:Hi Kelly,I have a dilemma ;)I have a faux fireplace in our living room(actually it does burn gel canisters). I like the wood (I think it’s Brazilian pine like the armoire we have in our family room) BUT I’m wondering if its wood tone looks out of place in the room:
There are no other wood tones items in the room, either in the seating side where the fireplace is, or the opposite side of the room where the black grand piano is. Also, because the LR opens to the upper level, everything should flow nicely. No wood tone there either:
I’m kinda thinking the fireplace is the sore thumb and I’ve pondered over and over (and over!) about painting it. Of course, the next question is “ Should I paint it white like the trim or use a faux finish to age it like my end tables?”:
As a decorator myself, we do from time to time, have our own unsolved dilemmas ;). Thank you Kelly!What a beautiful room. It looks so comfortable (and so French!) Wonderful job decorating Connie. I think the fireplace wood mantel is very pretty and I would also hesitate to paint over. BUT as you stated, there are no other wood toned items in the room. For your first question wondering if the mantel looks out of place in this room, I would have to say yes. Your eye is immediately drawn to it because it is so bossy and different from anything else you see in the room. If this is your taste and style living room, I think painting the fireplace will work into your color and decorating design better:
If you look at the pictures you sent me, especially of the two inspirational photos you love:
You will notice that they both have white mantels in a white room. I think you already knew the answer to that dilemma. Yes, it should be painted to work with the rest of the room.Your next question regarding if you should paint it white or faux finish like your end tables, I vote for the white. Your sofa, lampshades, pillows and even your paint color looks ‘clean’, where the end tables:
Have more of a ‘dirty/beige’ color. Do you see what I mean? I think they work in your room for contrast but for not for such a big piece such as the mantel.What is the color of your trim Connie? Is it the same white you used for the staircase spindles? If so, I would paint the mantel the same to tie it all in together.Thank you Connie for sharing!Agree or Disagree everyone?If you need advice on paint colors for your home, contact me today.