Ingrid, Your house looks lovely. I like how the vase picks up the green background of the picture. I think the picture stands out well against the white..I really like the picture, btw. I am not sure I'd pick grey but I bet your husband would be a good consultant on that since he's a painter. It looks to me like there are some warm light brown tones in some of your upholstery. There's also the rust or brick tones. I wonder if a very muted, light but not pastel version of one of those colors would work.
But it would have to not clash with the red of her blouse. Maybe something that would echo her skin tones.
Looks like you have a wonderful view.

My uncle was a wonderful painter and I have some of his paintings. He spent some time in Europe painting and one of his looks as wonderful as a Van Gogh to me.
Linda

some color there would also help the fireplace stand out as the foal point of the room. It is such a gorgeous fireplace.I am not sure about the color, I am awful about picking colors. lol

I love the painting. I think your idea of painting that wall a different color is a good one. I've seen this done before affectively. Soft gold appeals to me looking at it but your idea of gray is nice. What about Mourning Dove gray?

Hi Ingrid,

Here's my 2 cents, I know you're thinking about grey, but what about painting that wall a deep scarlet/burgandy...something along the lines of the color of the girl's blouse. I would pick up the lighter red tones in your pillows and curtains, and would really add a pop of color and drama. I would definitely highlight the paining because it draw the eye to that area since the rest of the room is a cooler, neutral color.

Eric

I agree with sunnishine. You could paint the fireplace an accent color. I like your fireplace.

Carla

I just love you all, accepting my blunder about posting on the wrong forum without even blinking an eye and coming up with constructive ideas and comments. It reminds me of the lady on the decorating forum who accidentally posted there about a problem a neighbor was having with a feral cat (of course she had meant to post on the pet forum), and lots of people answered her with really great suggestions and solutions. I think they were actually glad to get away from thinking about paint colors and kitchen remodels for a while. At any rate, if we do repaint the walls I'll be sure to post a picture here for all of you since you've been kind enough to take an interest.

With thanks,

Ingrid

Ingrid, I really like your dh's painting. No decorating advice here, but I think your living room is lovely. It reminds me of some of the pics I've seen of your garden.

Eric, the burgundy is actually a very good idea except that I have a dining room that is painted a terra cotta red which you can see from the living room through a large arch. Major clash, I'm afraid, but otherwise definitely worthy of consideration.

Pam, I'm going to look up Mourning Dove Gray. The name alone is very appealing. Thank you for the suggestion.

Linda, it's interesting you should mention Van Gogh, since my painting was inspired by one of his, La Mousme.

Ingrid

Hi Ingrid
perhaps a very soft coral pinky/peach? It would pick up the tones in the girl's face, and also echo the corals in your drapes and pillows. Something coralish would also contrast with the background of the painting. I noticed that you have a lovely drop-front under the girl's picture. You may be very pleased about the effect that coral ,yellow, and green paint tones have on the wood pieces in your house.
Happy Spring,
Avalon

Hi Ingrid. You have a VERY pretty house. I think I would pick up a soft warm tone, such as Avalon is suggesting....a soft coral peach would be soft and warm at the same time. Something in the same tones as your drapes and pillows, but much lighter. I think a grey would be too cold looking for inside the house. We once had stark white walls that were towards the grey side of white. I felt like we were living in an operating room. We painted with a soft cream that has a hint of yellow in it, and had some decorative flowers and vines painted on the walls for accent. I have never tired of this soft look. It's warm, relaxing, and homey.

Sandy

Sandy and Avalon, thank you so much for your kind comments and suggestions. For whatever reason the tones you're suggesting, while no doubt pretty, have never appealed to me. The color of my walls is cream, and not nearly as white as the picture suggests. The gray I was contemplating was a warm gray with brown undertones, not a true gray which is more bluish in tone. I've seen some beautiful warm grays on the decorating forum (which is where I had meant this post to go), but I'm still undecided about what to do at this point. Thanks again for posting.

Ingrid, it is extremely important for you to like the colors on your walls, so you will really have to trust your gut with that.

It sounds like that particular shade of gray appeals to you, and you must truly have an inkling that it will blend. I think you should look at some color chips, pick a gray tone that you like and go for it. The wonderful thing about paint is that it can be painted over again if it doesn't quite work out.

You may want to talk with a helpful person at a paint store to see if their brand of paint appears to darken up once on the walls. Sometimes I've had to go a shade or two lighter to get what I want.

I also didn't mean to imply that gray was not a "good" color. We have gray accenting our entryway to our house, and the trim around the windows, which harmonizes with our gray roof. The walls of the house are white. It's nice and neutral, and blends with whatever colors of roses and other plants I want.

I worked for several years in the medical profession, so that is why I have a need for sunnier colors inside the house.

Sandy

Blush.

Nice painting, BTW.

-Greta

Ingrid, first of all your living room is lovely, but it's not the paint color behind the wall that needs to be changed, it's the FIREPLACE!!! It looks kind of blah. In that room the fireplace should be the center of attention and the focal point. The painting is fine and adds quiet interest on that wall. I agree with your husband (hey we guys have to stick together) that since the fireplace is uniquely angled in this room, painting that wall another color than the rest of the room would throw it off. Perhaps you should tile the fireplace in some beautiful colors or add a wooden mantle and overhang to it. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Best Regards,

Chance

I would leave the ceiling white and paint the walls the same color as the fire place. Then I would paint the fireplace just one or two shades darker than the walls.

Hi Ingrid,

Would the picture fit if you moved it to the fireplace mantle? I think this beautiful original painting deserves a place of honor above the fireplace (if it will fit there). I think it should be the focal point of the room. I also like the gray wall idea. I've always thought gray was a very classy color. I also love creamy warm off-white walls.

Unfortunately the picture is too tall to fit on the fireplace wall; we were in favor of that idea ourselves.

Hoov, the fireplace is painted exactly the same color as the walls now. I think the texture of the brick and angle might make it look darker.

Sandy, I work in a hospital so I know what you mean about craving colors. The remainder of my house is very colorful because color really makes me feel alive. The living room is the most subdued room in the house, every other room has rich colors.

Ok, I see what you mean. Hard to tell in pictures sometimes. What about a soft beige with a slightly darker beige for the fireplace. White competes with the picture. A beige would be less distracting. See if there is a beige in your curtains or one of your pillows to match up to.

Gail, I just think that beige is something that everyone has, and the furniture is basically beige. I really want something different and less predictable. If a warm, soft gray on either side of the fireplace ends up not looking good, it's not going to be a disaster, it's just a matter of painting over the color. Homes are like gardens, you can always change things you don't like. (Well, maybe not the chartreuse $6000 leather couch that looked so great in the catalog. Yikes!)

Ingrid, in reading my last post here, my advise seems like it was somewhat flippant. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to come across that way. You seem like a woman of very good taste from your decor. I say try your idea because you are right that it's only paint and you seem to know what you want. Let us see your finished results if you find it works for you.
(Although I do wonder what you fireplace would look like with a slate veneer of say a taupe-gray color).

Good Luck,

Chance

May I add my two cents to the mix?

I was (retired now) a professional portrait photographer and in our studio we (after several iterations) used a medium neutral gray with gray glaze as background for our portraits. It allows the skin tones to really sing, and that after all is the point of a portrait.
Using a warm background would be the opposite of that. So if you want to play up the blue color use a warm background color.
Gray is such a useful color and if used correctly will not even register when someone looks at the wall, all they will see is the fine portrait.
One small suggestion, if you prefer to keep the painting off-center on the wall you could put the plant up on the hearth to balance it. Right now the negative space is too strong there.

Nice painting. I paint also but not portraits.

Denise

Hmmmm.......you know, it just might look nice to paint the fireplace, or a section of the fireplace an accent color. I never thought of that. It might be something for you to consider.

Sandy

I would paint the wall the portrait is on a very light grey, a white with grey tint,sherwin williams used to have a grey called zurich grey but they don't sell it anymore. This would make it blend in with the rest of the room because the wall is not angled and reflects a lot of light. And I agree with imagardener2 in that a grey will make the portait stand out and I think it will also subdue it at the same time. I wouldn't paint any other walls.

Thank you all for your additional responses. I need to point out that the secretary and the portrait are not off center, they are exactly centered from the base of the fireplace which juts out quite a bit. We tried moving the secretary and portrait closer to the fireplace and it looked awful. I suppose you have to see it in real life. I have moved the plant up on the fireplace and it is an improvement in filling the empty space.

imagardener2, thank you for your validation of the color gray. Your professional background and experience in this regard are very reassuring, and I appreciate your taking the time to respond to this (unrosy) thread. I posted this thread on the antique forum by mistake but it's been such fun to read the responses from all of you. You've been great.

Ingrid