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stokes21

Love/Hate my Fireplace!

4 years ago

I bought all the supplies to whitewash this. Wire brushed it, started cleaning it etc. And yet I still can’t pull the plug on painting it. There are times I hate it and other times where I think it’s okay and I don’t want to ruin it.

My issues:

  1. The mantle, regardless, is absolutely horrendous and needs to go. I do wonder if I replace that first, if it might move me more towards the “love” camp?
  2. The “spotted” look to the stone bugs me.
  3. The colour. Which is SO HARD to accurately portray in any pictures!

I love the stone in general. We just moved in end of November so none of what it initially looked like, was our doing. Took off those hideous black tiles because I couldn’t stand them anymore! Wire brushed it, and started cleaning it because it obviously wasn’t taken care of. Still have more scrubbing to do! I WILL get a new faceplate in the future but honestly, it’s not top priority at the moment. I have other rooms in need of much love. (Let’s not talk about the horrible pain job done on it either haha!) We haven’t decided yet on stone or concrete slab to replace where the tiles were. Honestly not concerned about that at the moment.

First Pic - Original, as we purchased it
Second Picture - Night look
Third Picture - In daylight with new paint on the walls. Though I must mention, the colour of the stone is somewhere between what’s seen in this photo and the night photo.

I don’t know what exactly I’m looking for here. What would you do with it, if anything? I live in a 1970’s colonial. While I gravitated more towards “modern farmhouse” decor here, I’ve decided I don’t actually love it, I just tried to convince myself that I did! Hoping to be able to keep the wall the same colour as I JUST painted it, but moving towards more rustic decor. If any of all that matters in regards to the fireplace!

Comments (80)

  • 4 years ago

    So the idea this is going to be an accent wall with the fireplace? I think a blue gray is a great idea.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    here's some blue grays, (is your window facing north or east? at this time of year you're going to get a lot more blueish hues to your light. (especially as far north as you are) so keep that in mind.

    here are some blue grays from BM


    I also gave you two warm charcoal tones that would look very nice on the one wall. and would look lovely w/your wood floors. I actually have Kendall Charcoal on my own wall.

    some others




  • 4 years ago

    I like the wall color you have with your fireplace...but that may just be my screen. I also think a blue gray would be a good choice. Would you be waiting to paint when the weather is warmer so you can open the house for a couple of days?


    (I've been following, but not sure if I've commented previously. I don't DYI, but I think white-washing your brick could be aesthetically pleasing.)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @Flo Mangan (Lia, I think because Flo is on my thread, I can get her name to come up in green...and I think she then gets a notification. I just copied and pasted this from my thread because I could not get it to come up here. Non-techie...but maybe?)

  • 4 years ago

    Well it’s just that one wall I would definitely work on changing your paint color. Pretty easy to do. Benjamin Moore paints are low or no VOC. I don’t think you need to worry about ventilation too much.

  • 4 years ago

    I was hoping to go dark like this. This is BM Evening Dove. Obviously not a great example haha! I took out a compass last night and the window is south facing. Other walls will be white, unless a very light grey would do. I’m open to that as well. You guys have been great, learning a lot. Thank you!

  • 4 years ago

    As for my climate, winter is long and while we do have a lot of darkness (4pm to 930am) during the day it’s typically sunny in winter. Summer is long hours, and sunny (sun comes up about 4am to 11pm) We get on average, 304 sunny days per year. So I feel like I would be “safe” with a dark colour?

  • 4 years ago

    I have the van courtland going in my dining, sons bedroom and my bedroom. It’s an beautiful colour!

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    so, these were too light?


    (you said blue gray. I thought you wanted this tone. but you want more blue?

    Humor me and try the Kendall Charcoal color on that app. I think w/your floors, Kendall Charcoal will look stunning. (if you can get a sample of it, try it.) Don't forget a wood beam mantle.


    or this one


    Gentlemans Gray is nice
    paired here w/bright white ceiling, trim, wood floors






  • 4 years ago

    Yes, a bit too light for me! I attempted the Van Courtland in this room initially but it showed up SO light. And a completely different and darker colour (what I was going for) in my dining. It was like it wasn’t even from the same can. (Maybe it’s because of the existing paint on the wall?) I couldn’t believe the difference. First pic - The Van Courtland in living room. Second Pic - Kendall. While it’s gorgeous, definitely too grey for me but … Third Pic - That Gentlemens Grey is 😍😍 sooooo nice!

  • 4 years ago

    So. See how the Evening Dove is more grey? I’m looking for a colour where you’re kind of … is it blue? Or is it grey? I’m not sure if it works? I feel like it does but I’m obvious no pro haha! And then there’s … how is this going to look in the light? It’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow. Hoping to get in there and grab some samples!

  • 4 years ago

    Tatsiana,,,,stop spamming on every single dilemma.

  • 4 years ago

    I’m getting so frustrated. I think the fact that I’m limited to BM is starting to be an issue as well. I tried the Evening Dove and it is very blue, more blue than I’m looking for. It’s not even full sun here today. I guess maybe what I’m looking for instead is a grey with a blue undertone? Because these blues with hints of grey are just showing up blue in this room. I didn’t bother with the Gentleman’s Grey sample because the chip was waayyyy too blue in the room as well. She gave me Mysterious to try but it’s too dark. Am I just picky? LOL

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    No. But you're starting the process.

    If you can get samples, paint a couple of posterboards - one in each candidate color - and move them all over that wall in every lighting condition. An app is a great reference to start, but next steps are to look at some physical larger-scale samples you can move around that wall plane--the same way you initially picked your other tones.

    And then you can live with them for a bit (on posterboard). An eventual winner will reveal itself from that lineup. BM is a great product: you know you pay more but you never apologize for quality with BM.

  • 4 years ago

    ALRIGHT! I got some full sun. I apologize for my horrible patch/sample job. Yes, I should have done foam board. Anyways. I’m comfortable with this colour. Thoughts?

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Whitewash

  • 4 years ago

    I like the deeper blue/gray color and for some reason that fireplace looks so much better with nothing on the mantel. A piece of art or mirror above is all that's needed over it.

  • 4 years ago

    Over grout the fireplace with white grout. See if that does not help.

  • 4 years ago

    Love the wall color and right now the color of the fireplace works. I would not paint or grout till you have the wall color in place and then you could decide.


    I agree with the above poster, nothing on the mantel, a big bold piece of art over the fireplace will connect the wall and fireplace.

  • 4 years ago

    I like the color. you still need a wood mantle though. and a mortar wash or limewash would look even better!


  • 4 years ago

    Yes I really like the color! Paint the wall and then you can figure out what you want to put over the fireplace. I’m not convinced that you need to whitewash this.

  • 4 years ago

    Beth - Mantle will have to wait, but I absolutely do intend on replacing/covering it with a wood one! I ended up going with Sheffield Grey by Dulux/PPG but had BM match it for me. I have a baby on the way (4 weeks!) and have been busting my butt getting my sons room finished. So this wall has been at a stand still for the moment. It’s definitely not finished and a work
    in progress. So appreciate your help!

    I have decided not to paint/limewash the stone. I feel with the blue/grey paint, a new mantle, and new stone/tile on the bottom, it will be enough for me to love the fireplace as is. We intend on buying a new faceplate in the future as well because that one is just ugly haha!

    I will post again once the wall is finally painted! Ladies at the paint store know me really well now 😂

  • 4 years ago

    Love the Sisley painting btw...Lola (lolainlasvegas) knows a lot about good sources for Art repro, framed. Maybe she will chime in here.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I think what bugs me more than the fireplace is the wall color. It doesn't allow the fireplace any visual pop. Might suggest you try painting you walls white. That might provide a better background for the fireplace. Good luck!

  • 4 years ago

    Lots of online info/videos available using scrubbing bubbles to clean fireplace brick/stone.

  • 4 years ago

    DM I hope people read your post that updates where you are at with your plan. Good luck with it all! And good luck with the new baby! If this is your first it’s a big adjustment, if you have other kids you’ll be an old hand.

  • 4 years ago

    SUSAN … thank you! I would have never thought of using Scrubbing Bubbles! I’ll test that out! LIASCH - Thank you! This will be my 3rd so, seasoned Mom over here haha! NORWOOD - Basically the entire thread has turned into a mull over regarding the paint colour. It was initially pointed out to me that it doesn’t match the fireplace or the flooring. And thus, I have been in search of a blue/grey (that I had originally wanted) that I have now found. Sheffield Grey by Dulux/PPG (but matched by BM) The other walls will be BM Classic Grey. Which essentially looks white in this space due to the light. That was always the plan :) I am slow moving on this project, and all of them. We JUST moved in end of November. I have 2 little kids (4&1) and I am 8m pregnant. Things take time haha! EVERYONE PLEASE IGNORE THE DECOR! lol This space has hardly begun, let alone finished. Snails pace over here. It was always the intention to get a large piece above the fireplace and move the decor around as needed. :)

  • 4 years ago

    That’s the same age more or less as my grandchildren. If you have two kids that age plus you’re pregnant I’m astounded you are getting anything done other than eating and sleeping and even that can be questionable

    I think everyone on here needs to do a reality check…😂

  • 4 years ago

    Need an overall plan before doing anything. What is the color of the fireplace and surround going to be? What wall color goes with that? How long are you going to be there aka do you need to worry about resale, etc. Doing random things is just going to be respending and respending.

  • 4 years ago

    Best Wishes to you and your family!

  • 4 years ago

    DM, It's only one wall so it wouldn't take too long to paint. Do you have any friends who live in your community that would paint it for you as a pre-baby gift - maybe instead of a 'baby shower'? I think you'd be so relieved to have this one thing done before new baby comes. You could tape around the FP before the painting party if that would make you feel better. This is Baby #3 so you can have a less-than-conventional baby shower.

  • 4 years ago

    LIASCH - Eating is going okay, sleeping is going terribly 😂 My sons room was such a project. The boy who was in there before just destroyed the walls. I had to pry glue off the walls, sand all the walls down (with an electric sander, because they flicked paint all over the walls and then painted over it! So they weren’t smooth), peel stickers off the ceiling, the closet was just gross looking. It took me a few weeks in my current state to get anything accomplished in there. But I finally finished painting it this past week and I’m so in love with it. Despite all the work we still have to do in there. (This is an earth side child lol! New one is another girl. Her room is in questionable shape as well) Anyways. My body and her have been telling me to slow down so I’ve digressed lol! JAYAPPLE - No family or friends here. We live far, far from home. You’re right that it is just one wall, so I do plan on getting it done before she arrives. Because I spend a lot of time in this room and I’m sick of looking at painted squares all over the place haha! SUSAN - Thank you :) SUE - Literally just moved in end of Nov so not worried about resale. We will be here for a while. Anywho. Thanks all!

  • 4 years ago

    LIASCH - This is the worst wall in his room, before and after. You can still see some stuff up close but I did the best I could without having to redrywall the entire thing (which I would have loved/preferred to do but … 3 kids! $$$ LOL!)

  • 4 years ago

    Had to chuckle at the vivid yellow paint in the 'before' photo. Definitely what someone thought a kid would love. Or maybe the child was old enough to pick out his/her own color and kids have amazing tastes in what they like.

    This isn't your first baby but be careful now with energetic projects you want to finish before the little one arrives. Are any family members coming for the birth? Would they be willing to paint a wall - usually a granddaddy-type of thing to get away from all the 'mothering' going on (smile).


  • 4 years ago

    That wall…😵‍💫😵‍💫🤦‍♀️ it’s funny I do exactly the same thing, I just slapped paint up on the wall to test it. There’s something to be said for that and that it forces you to deal with it… L O L. At least that’s the theory. I still have a couple of places in my house that I’ve done that and guess what I still haven’t painted the wall. It’s my bedroom though so I’m not too worried about it.

    Oh my goodness no family or friends nearby… You don’t happen to live in Nova Scotia do you? That’s where I am. Halifax area.

    I totally get the not sleeping thing. My daughter-in-law is going through that. Surviving parenthood… It’s amazing that the human race continues.

  • 4 years ago

    Anyway congratulations on getting the yellow dealt with. When you just moved into a new house it’s important to look at what you have accomplished and with the new baby on the way you’re right you want to get your priorities lined up.

  • 4 years ago

    Worst case scenario… just get out some of the paint that you painted the wall with originally, (that green.) It really isn’t that bad! Paint over the samples and forget about it for a while. See if you have any artwork in your current collection that you could hang over the fireplace to connect the fireplace with the ceiling. I wouldn’t press yourself to get this done. Jay is right…it would make a nice grandfather/uncle/handy person project. I’m sure you likely have other things on your priority list before the baby comes. 🤪 if you had some artwork on the walls you likely would not notice the green OR the fireplace. I have a hallway that’s needed re-wallpapering since I moved into this house 35 years ago. (with two children age 4 and six months). I have to say I never pay attention to the wallpaper because I have Art hanging all over it.. 😂

  • 4 years ago

    JAYAPPLE - It was … interesting, that’s for sure! And prior to said yellow they flicked paint all over the walls. And some sort of glue (which is also on the ceiling, and in the closet!) I literally scrapped and sanded all the walls down as best I could. No one is coming anytime soon. Baby is due in 3 weeks. My parents will be here in June and in-laws not until the end of August. I like to save my Dad (electrician) and father in law (carpenter) for the bigger projects haha! 😂 Paint, I can handle.

    LIASCH - I am in Northern BC. I hail from Onterrible, oops! I mean Ontario, though 🤣 I too, have paint patches all over my entire house. Dining room is covered in them, kitchen, main floor bath, daughters room and our room as well. I am definitely going to get this one living room wall done this week and then call it quits. I have it all taped and ready to go (I don’t have the patience for cutting) I shall post when it’s complete! (I couldn’t move on if I wanted to. BM is having a shortage and I’m having a hard time getting my hands on the main colour that will be throughout the majority of the house. I had someone bring me a gallon from 4h away recently! I had posted looking for someone coming this way)

  • 4 years ago

    Try cleaning the stone first. That might help a lot. You should be able to whitewash as the stone is all the same shade. If you had multiple colors of stone, whitewash wouldn't do much.

  • 4 years ago

    Ah… Northern BC… British Columbia is a beautiful part of Canada. My OS DIL and grandchild used to live in Vancouver for many years. They finally moved back east… much to my joy. We will look forward to seeing the accent wall! Good luck with everything. Your new house looks like it has tons of potential.

  • 4 years ago

    Oh … this is Sheffield Grey by PPG/Dulux. I had Benjamin Moore match it.

  • 4 years ago

    DM…WOW🥂🥳that looks 100% better! You must be really pleased. What a great color… It’s kind of blue but not blue. I love it! You must be really happy. It also does great things for your floor and I don’t think you’re going to have to do the fireplace. Good luck with the arrival of the latest member of the family. And the rest of that wall looks good with the basket the lamp and the mantle piece. I know you have future plans but this is a good resting place. If it were me I think I might move the basket a little bit closer to the fireplace (on the left so placed in front of the wall outlet). But that’s just because I’m one of these people that move things 2 inches to the right and then 2 inches to the left… 🤣. So congratulations and well done!

  • 4 years ago

    I also think that wall colour works very well with the colour you have on the other walls (whatever that is… Some kind of Greige? ) It ties in nicely with the tones in the fireplace.

  • 4 years ago

    It’s deceiving in the picture, the other walls. They’re a beige with almost a pink undertone. It’s bad lol! There is 3 colours in this room. I don’t even know what they were thinking. Fireplace wall was the olive green, window wall is the “beige.” Then the wall opposite that is half beige, had a brown trim in the middle, and then the bottom half is like a browny-burgundy. And then the wall opposite the fireplace is half the olive green, also had the brown trim, and then the brown burgundy on the bottom there as well. They didn’t know how to paint to save their life, either. One coat, roller lines, didn’t take the time to cut OR tape, so there’s paint on the ceiling and the trim. I literally have to repaint everything! I don’t have the patience for cutting myself, so I tape everything. But every ceiling in this house has paint on it. Ugh! One day it will all come together! For now, I’m at least happy this wall colour is everything I envisioned so far. I think I’m going to plug away at some trim in the meantime (before baby) as it doesn’t require a lot of physical work on my part. The basket is likely going in my sons room, the lamp moved to that side, then my white leather recliner (baby rocker) where the lamp currently is. But I haven’t quite decided yet.

  • 4 years ago

    Keep going with that color; it will be a beautiful room.

  • 4 years ago

    Lol… you’ve inherited quite a paint job. Well you now have one wall in great shape. Doing the woodwork is a good idea. Are you eventually going to do the rest of the room in the same colour as the fireplace wall?

  • 4 years ago

    No, I feel it’s too dark for the entire room. It’s a decent size room (12x18) with a nice bay window but I’ve definitely noticed how this blue has closed in the space compared to the previous light green. It doesn’t bother me, because it’s just an accent wall, but I wouldn’t carry it through the whole room personally. I really want this wall to be highlighted (there’s direct view of it when you walk through the front door) So I’ll keep it as an accent. I was going to go with BM Classic Grey as in my sons room, but I’ve been considering a more light griege to tie in with the stone on the fireplace. I picked up a chip of BM Revere Pewter (along with 5 others lol) today to see if I want to grab a sample. I’m attempting to pull out some of the lighter tones of the stone, for the other 3 walls. The Classic Grey basically shows white in this room due to the light. I want something just a bit softer, with a hint more beige than white.

  • 4 years ago

    Yes that’s why I liked the look in the photograph because it kind of looked like it matched the stone… Obviously that was an illusion but the point being I think that’s a good direction to go in for the remaining walls. Something that will echo the stone and then the fireplace will fit right in.

  • 4 years ago

    I decided on white lol! Whatever colour I have as the main in here will be carried throughout quite a bit of the main floor, including my front entrance. Which is soooo closed in that it needs a really light and bright colour. My dining is also closed in (not an open concept house) so it also needs a lighter colour. People either love white or hate it. I used to hate it, but it’s so versatile as you can accent with colours however you want rather than having to repaint every time you want to change styles. New couch on the way as our family no longer fits on the one we have haha!

    Baby finally came on March 31, so we are taking our time adjusting to life with 3! Hoping to get a move on painting next week while my husband is off for a bit.