You have nothing else to focus your gaze upon but the FP. Once flooring, an area rug and furnishings are added to the room, I think you'll be happier with the FP outcome.

However, you selected the stone, and it's much darker than your inspiration photo. Also, what's going on with the grout on the black tile? If you want it to appear monolithic, it must match the color of the black tile.

Ditto what Beverly said …

The stone is too mixed up in tone. Not homogenous. It isn’t the greatest inspiration either. Needs an utterly gigantic very modern room to not just be weird and oppressively dark.

Start over with something more suited to the home size and style in which you live.

Thank you! The tile is not grouted yet. it will be a dark grout when done. I agree on the stone comment - I did not envision it being this dark when I was looking at the sample. In fact, I thought we were ordering something very similar.

Your space was not going to look like the inspiration pic, because that room has very high ceilings, with the stone going all the way up. I think the darker stones work better in your space. And it‘s a nice arrangement of stone sizes, shapes, and colors; actually a bit more unique than the inspiration photo. I think this may be a ”happy mistake.” And as has been said, when your flooring and furnishings, etc. are in, it will all come together.

What does the construction drawings show, floor plan and interior elevation?

I have to agree with you - the fact that the stone doesn't wrap around the sides is less than ideal. If you decide not to replace what's been done, you could paint the whole end wall a dark color. That would be a different look than what you originally set out to do, but the built-ins would look good against a dark background and it would disguise the edges.

The challenge is that the inspiration picture and your selections/construction are not close, so it just looks like 2 different spaces. Your tile and stone is already in place, it would be a shame to take any of it down. The center will look much better with a dark, matching grout. It looks like the stone work grout is done - that should have been darker; it seems too light.

I do whole heartedly agree with others - the room is very unfinished. Things will look so much better once the floor goes in and you decorate.

Good luck

I'd run wood trim along the outside of each side that matches the beams.

Yours is far more attractive than your inspo pic. Put your hand over the top part of your inspo pic so it appeara the same height as your room. It looks awful. I think you dark stones tie in the dark tiles and looks really nice.

Look nice nice. Finish the room. Live in it for 6 -9 months. If it still bothers you then condiser painting that entire back wall and niches grey or black so it hides the bands of white wall next to the stone runs. Running vertical trim here opens a can of visual chaos worms. It is going to draw too much attention to the ceiling beams, which look like they could have been done with three and not placed on either side of the fire place.

Sorry I’m going to be blunt , only because now is the time you can change it. I think your instincts are right and this isn’t succeeding. In addition to the glued on brick, the beams protruding from the brick make the beams as well as the brick look extra fake to me. The black tile in the inspiration is stacked while yours is running bond - this breaks down the verticality of the piece so it looks more squat. Yes this will be better with grout. Also the proportions are very different, especially compared to the niches on the side. I think if you ripped out the brick and tile above the fireplace it might look better?

Please tell us you're not planning to add a TV screen above the mantel.

Susan L - I agree how everything is constructed is making this look like an afterthought. The sad part is, these are real oak box beams and natural stone!

BeverlyFLAD - unfortunately, that was a compromise with my husband on the TV. Sports are just a reality in our house!!

Here is another angle of the room looking in from the kitchen if that helps on the box beams.

Well,.......then the whole wall is pretty insignificant when the TV gets mounted.

Very pretty room. What about lime washing the stone to the lighter color you wanted? I think the black and white contrast could be nice especially with the black window frames.

You have another photo showing the whole room. It actually looks pretty good!

Thanks, all! We are going to start with talking to our builder about how the beams have been installed since that was an issue we flagged as soon as we saw them (they cut them and butted them up against the stone rather than doing the stone work around the beam). Once we have some direction on how they propose to fix that issue, we will decide whether we remove the stone or live with it. If we keep it, I’m leaning toward casing out the recessed areas with wood to add depth like was suggested.

What's jarring to me is the drywall outside the stone. What color are you planning to paint the room? I think of those white vertical walls were a color from the stone it would look more cohesive.

What are you planning to put in the alcoves?

For those lurking and want ceiling beams to look authentic:

The ridge beam normally spans a goodly distance and carries half the weight that every rafter (in this case exposed rafters) carries. Those rafters carry the weigh of the purlins (in this case having the appearance of being above the drywall ceiling) that cary the weight of the roofing material. Each of the rafters are supported by the ridge beam at the high end and ideally by a column at the low end, or a beam.

A ridge beam is usually larger than the rafters because of the amount of weight it must carry.

The rafters range in size depending upon their span and their spacing. Each rafter should have a rational means of visual support by having a column below it (exposed it concealed) at the lower end, sufficient space for a beam (exposed it concealed) of minimal span.

If a wood member terminates into masonry, the masonry should be configured to accept the member and not look like it is adhered to the face of the stone.

Back to real work.

AnnKH - our walls are a warm white. The picture doesn't quite do all the colors justice, but currently they are white.

Mark - thanks for comments on the beams. This is the issue we are having on the fireplace beams with our builder. Instead of running to the wall, they ran them to the stone which has created very odd spaces and gaps due to the uneven stone surface. They did them correctly in the kitchen, but the living room is an issue. These are box beams, so obviously not structural but still spendy and not sure why the builder wouldn't have known to take them to the drywall!