What style home do you have? I feel like the shiplap walls have been over used during the past 10+ years. If the shiplap works with your home (eg., if your home is a modern farm house style), then the shiplap would be fine.

You could add some picture moulding on your overmantel (maybe just one box + paint the entire overmantel with trim paint in order to make it look like wood vs. drywall) if you feel like it needs some detail - but again, it depends on the rest of your home. If this room had crown moulding + more formal built-ins on each side + a more formal mantel with a header and legs + etc., adding picture framing would look nice:

However, it seems like you are trying to move away from the style shown in the above photo (floating shelves + want to change mantel + no legs + no header under mantel + just a drywall overmantel+ etc.)

Picture frame moulding also could work with this more modern fireplace if the rest of the room had all of the other trim/mouldings :

Your built-in wood cabinets are nice. I also like the tile on your fireplace.

Your mantel (fyi - it's mantel - not mantle - people mix that up a lot!) looks like it was meant for a more formal/traditional fireplace.

I understand that you don't have the budget to replace your existing mantel right now. HOWEVER, have you ever seen/heard about "slip covers" for an existing mantel?

Here is an example of one:

The nice thing about using one of the "slip cover" ones is that if the style changes back to a more formal mantel, your existing one will still be attached to your fireplace. Many of the sellers on Etsy have free shipping (the one who made the slip cover one above does).

However, your new mantel might be wider than you want if it needs to cover all of your existing one (unless you cut off a bit of the angled ends off).

A 46" mantel made by this Etsy seller is only $136 (free shipping):

Here are the installation instructions - however, you could trim down your current mantel and just have to install the new one over it vs. removing it + installing a mounting bracket.

Also, with both sellers including the installation instructions, you are able to see how they both would be pretty simple to build. There are many youtube + blogs about how to build your own mantel (using pine boards would be very inexpensive).

I would concentrate on your mantel first - the type of mantel you install will have an effect on whether picture moulding would work or not.

I would leave it, and not put shiplap there. It looks fairly nice just the way it is.

Your ceiling lighting layout is flawed. See existing and revised layout. At least one light has to be moved. Are these wafer lights. The lighting supplied is very flat.

I think the TV would look better mounted on the wall instead of just resting on top of the cabinet.

I lowered the art over the fireplace, removed 2 candlesticks & added a larger ivy.

The plan was always to put the tv on the wall (as stated in my initial comment). Painting needs to be done before putting the tv on the wall. I dont see your plan for re doing the ceiling pot lights. The picture is only there for Christmas. Thank you for your help.

I clearly posted the existing layout and the revised layout. I tried to fix it with only one change. The change is highlighted with a red arrow.

Looks like the light needs to be moved about one foot to the right.

The wood of your cabinets is beautiful. You have decorative herringbone tile. Let these selections speak for themselves. Shiplap will be total overkill and cheapen the look of this space.

Molding - no picture molding here. It seems to not be in the rest of your home or the rest of this room, so it doesn't belong over the fireplace or elsewhere on this wall. Crown molding? Is it in the rest of your home? If so, do it in this entire room. Do not do it on just one wall in just one room.

Your wall hung TV, shelving, and art above the fireplace are exactly the right amount of decor and objects on this wall. Nothing else, no molding, trim nor extra decor.

You are right, the perfect paint color will tie everything together. This is tricky because the cabinets call for a more muted neutral, yet that might clash with your very bright white fireplace.

We need a color expert to weigh in here on what color can mediate this situation. I'll try to tag some of the good ones on here. @Lori Sawaya

Are you keeping the current wall color?

Do you know what the current wall is?

Do you know what the current white is that is over the fireplace?

I would soften the white above the fireplace - it is too cool and too bright right now.

I used a mask that was the same color as your wall and put it over the bright white at 50% transparency to illustrate how softening the white above the fireplace would change the feeling.

Identifying the colors that are currently being used can help us identify better whites.

As for your lighting - I agree with Bev that it looks like the lighting isn't aligned with the fireplace, but I am wondering if the angle of the photo is making it feel off center. Maybe it is aligned when you are standing directly in front of the fireplace.

Mine is not perfectly aligned, but when I spoke with the electrician he showed me how the rafters in the ceiling were laid out and why the boxes for the lights couldn't be exactly the same distance from center.

I just saw that you did tell us the color above the fireplace - Decorators White. That is a very cool white.

Samplize.com has a bundle of warm whites with the most popular warm whites

I would probably skip Chantilly Lace (too white) and would definitely skip Snowbound (pink undertones), but the other samples in this bundle are good options. Simply White may be too clean with your wall color and tile. My first guess would be White Dove, Cloud White or Alabaster will be the best whites with your fireplace and current wall color.

There is no way to avoid testing colors in your own home with your own finishes and lighting.

Just for comparison I pulled the cool white bundle - where Decorator's white lives. You can see how gray it is in comparison to the whites above.

Response to Dani_m08…. These are pics of the joining rooms. My kitchen is right beside and the dining room is on the other side of the kitchen. I’m not sure what style of home I have. Maybe you or someone could tell me. lol. I’m hoping to eventually buy new furniture for the room with the gas fireplace.
I like your ideas very much. You spent a lot of time mulling over my project. Thank you very much.

I like fewer, more impactful pieces, rather than bunches of stuff on shelves. Many of the advice columns on styling shelves still seem to be too busy for my taste.

I think this article is better than most.

https://simplyhomedecorating.com/our-approach-to-styling-shelves/#:~:text=1.,feels%20organized%20rather%20than%20cluttered.

Thank you very much! I totally agree. The stuff on the shelves is just for Christmas and I will have to buy things to put on the shelves. So thanks again.
Yes, The lighting (pot lights) looks wrong in this room but that is because of the pic angle. They are all symmetrical. The green paint is Benjamin Moore and called HALO and the white paint is Benjamin Moore DECORATOR WHITE. I really do need help with the paint colour choices. I have decided to splurge and buy a solid wood mantel to replace the existing one.

Halo and Decorator's white are a mismatch

I think it is much better with these whites and my gut is saying cloud white will be too yellow for your fireplace tiles. Test White Heron (aka Oxford White) and White Dove.

Hey Jennifer, I like your paint choices. I don’t have the Oxford white yet, but I will get that. Thank you for making an effort to help me is very much appreciated. I will include a picture of some of the Benjamin Moore colours and maybe you can tell me which ones to exclude but I do like the colours that you have suggested. Yes I totally agree that Halo and decorators white is a total mismatch. Thank you.

Colour chips on the halo painted wall

Colour chips placed on the decorator white colour

Hi Jennifer. Thank you very much for taking the time and making the effort to help me with my project. I really appreciate it. I will look into getting the larger paint samples as you stated. Benjamin Moore staff have never told me about larger samples that you can get. I’ve been painting with Benjamin Moore for 35 years.

I've been feeling sick all day - so, I'm just now looking back at your post.

What color white was used on your kitchen cabinets/trim in the rest of the house/the accent wall in your dining area? Is the same wall paint color used in those rooms?

What does your foyer look like? Also, would you mind posting more photos of your dining room? The way you've used trim/moulding on the accent wall in the dining room is very pretty. I'd love to see a closer photo + more of the room.

I'm clearly not a designer - but your home appears to be transitional - mix of some traditional and some contemporary elements.

It's late - I will be back in the morning!!

Samplize has only been around since 2017. Prior to that I made my own sample boards, but this is so much easier than buying a sample size jar and making your own samples.

BTW - The samples are designed to be peel and stick, but I never take the backing off. I just tape it to the wall so I can re-use the sample. I have a notebook that contains samples of all of my paint colors so I can take it with me when I go shopping for furniture or other interior items.

Close-up pictures of my dining room

This is my ugly front foyer and our next project. Does anyone want to suggest paint colours or anything at all? Please ignore the two pieces of furniture in the front foyer. My neighbour is coming to pick those up and take to Goodwill

To-Dani_m08- I hope you're feeling better soon. There's lots of flu going around, yuk yuk. I am more than willing to change the colours in the room with the gas fireplace and very pleased if you or anyone wants to make any suggestions. The kitchen cabinet colour is "classic white" and I think Sherwin Williams makes that colour. The cabinets are made by Deslaurier.

My next project is my ugly Foyer. We bought the house several months ago and looking forward to many changes. I would appreciate ideas for the front foyer if anyone would like to participate. The furniture in the front foyer is only there because I'm waiting for a friend to pick it up to take to Goodwill. Thank you for all your help.

I would appreciate if anyone wants to flooring or paint or decorating ideas

To Jennifer Hogan- the paint samples are $9.99 American plus and plus shipping for each sample. I live in Canada and that is quite expensive and will add up quite quickly How did you use to make your own samples? Did you tape a bunch of them together? Also, I am very willing to change the colours in the room with the gas fireplace, if you think that's a good idea. Or? Again, thank you for all your help.

To Kendrah- thank you for all your help and great suggestions and for finding me a paint expert. Looks like the general consensus is to not do shiplap so I wont be doing that. are you interested suggesting new paint colours for the with the Gas fireplace and for my front foyer? Thank you very much

Please ignore the white sheet on the sofa. I have a dog and need to protect my furniture from getting dirty and hairy.

@dani_m08 - Just scrolling through. Sorry to hear you were under the weather. Hope you're bouncing back!

@Kendrah - I appreciate your message. If there is anyone on Houzz who understands how it feels to be dealing with multiple health issues similar to mine, it's you. I think it's difficult for other people to understand what life is like dealing with these issues.

INHWPC (OP) - I assume that the paint used on the dining room walls is BM Halo - same as in the living room? What is the color on the baseboards in the dining room (and the trim/doors in the foyer)?

It looks like your tile on the fireplace is a dolomite leaf pattern mosaic - not Carrara marble.

Dolomite typically has some light gray lines in it (the less expensive type has more gray lines than yours does - easier to tell it's dolomite). Is it dolomite?

I feel like BM Halo doesn't work well with your marble (dolomite) fireplace tile. I also wouldn't select Decorator White for over your mantel.

Look at what a big color shift there is depending on the light in the fourth photo of your original post.

In the photo, on the right side of the wall, Halo looks like a cream with a yellow tone to it - on the left side of the wall, it has a green tone.

Below are some colors that work well with BM Halo:

A color that works well with Carrara and Dolomite marble is SW Sea Salt - it's lighter + leans greener than BM Palladian Blue:

BM Gray Cashmere has a bit less green than SW Sea Salt - but will still have the green tone show on most walls. I've never seen BM Gray Cashmere in person - however, I have seen SW Sea Salt - and it's very pretty.

I like the way BM Halo looks on the walls in your dining room (if it's Halo in there). However, you don't have a cool marble that has some gray in it that's fighting against it.

SW Pure White looks nice with SW Sea Salt for trim.

With respect to your foyer - I assume that you are up for painting the walls? Also, are you able to replace the tile OR would you like some ideas of how to work with the tile?

I hope that @Lori Sawaya reads this post - she is an extremely talented expert re: everything that revolves around color.

To dani-m08- Hello again and thanks for your effort and time spent on my project.

1. Yes, the dining room walls are BM Halo and the Halo is around the gas fireplace and living room. I totally see the differences in the color of Halo in the pic you mentioned. Is that a bad thing?

2. As far as i know the trim paint in the dining room is just "trim paint" from Benjamin Moore? sorry. The trim is white though. The foyer doors were painted before we bought the house so i don't know the white color that was used but i am willing to paint them.

3. Yes the tile on the fireplace is Dolomite. Great observation!

4. I agree with you about the paint colors around the fireplace (bad). That is one of the biggest reason i started this request for help.

5. So are you suggesting to try Sea Salt or Gray Cashmere for the walls above the mantel and above both lower cabinets? And pure white for the mantel and trim.....until i replace it with a solid wood mantel? I have decided that i am going to change the mantel to a solid piece of wood. Should i stain it the same color as the lower cabinets?

6. As for the foyer... yes I want to paint the walls and replace the tile with something that will give the foyer a wow factor. I don't know the colors used in the front foyer as it was painted by past owners of the home. Also, should i put pot lights in the foyer? The ceilings are only 8 feet high. The yucky light in the foyer has to be replaced. Also, I'm thinking about putting picture frame molding on the wall going up the stairs in the front foyer. Any thoughts about this?

I was thinking about putting the same type of trim on the wall as in this picture. What do you think? This house is very similar to mine that is in my neighborhood. Also, I like this tile flooring. I’m open to ideas on colours and flooring types for my entranceway.

I LOVE marble - so, I've learned quite a bit about the different types - I was 99.999% sure that it was dolomite on your fireplace. I really like dolomite tiles - I almost did my most recent guest bathroom shower renovation with dolomite - but decided that I needed one bathroom to not have genuine marble for the shower/tub surround.

I think that you asked something about samples in order to test your paint colors. I also think that you commented that purchasing samples from Samplize is expensive. I've purchased packs of poster board that I then painted myself. I make them a decent size so that I'm able to get a better idea of the color in the room. I also was able to move them to different places in the room in order to see if the color is affected depending upon light exposure (direction and amount).

I love the idea of adding moulding on the wall next to your curved staircase! Is the wall curved also or just the staircase? The staircase wall in the photo from the similar home that you've posted looks like the wall is not curved. Would you mind posting a photo of your entire staircase wall?

Coincidentally, I have been trying to decide what type/how much moulding to add the walls of my staircase. I've been looking at MANY different photos over the past several days. I think I will most likely add picture moulding - I haven't decided on the layout of the boxes yet.

I have an open switchback staircase (u shaped). I'm not home right now = I can't take a photo of it - but it's very similar to the staircase shown in the two photos below. My railings aren't as curvy/ornate + no baby blue walls! Also, I don't have two full railings coming down from the landing - the inside one ties into the stringer before it reaches the landing - it doesn't come all the way up to another newel post + have all of that extra handrail that scoops down and then turns around the corner (hard to explain - it's just not so "congested" like in the photo - it's a less busy looking design.

(FYI - in our jurisdiction, we only have to have a handrail on one side of a staircase - as long as it's continuous for that run of stairs - it doesn't have to be continuous for the entire run of the staircase - the landing divides the staircase into two separate stair runs).

I have one tall (I think it's about 78") rectangular window on the landing (as drawn in red) - there is room above + on each side of that window for picture moulding boxes (I think the height from the floor of the landing to the ceiling is about 14 feet).

If you are standing on the landing heading up the second run of stairs to the second story, the wall to the right is one large/tall solid wall (I've attempted to color in the wall 😂 - obviously, the railing on the left side heading up the second run of stairs from the landing is open with balusters + handrail even though I had to kind of scribble over part of it in order to make my very "professional looking" solid wall).

The wall is large/tall + is currently blank (haven't hung any art/photos/etc.) and would really benefit from adding moulding/trim.

Also, when heading up the first run of steps to reach the landing, the wall on the right side is solid (again, no railing on the second story looking down into the staircase - except for the area where I've attempted to draw a straight red line. So, while this wall isn't as large as the one on the other side of the staircase, it still is a large space of blank/plain wall = boring.

My staircase is across from the foyer (unlike the one in the photos which is to the left after entering the front door) = all windows are on the back of the house. The staircase is also a double switchback that is open down to the basement (however, the left wall heading down to the basement is not open - it is also a solid wall (fireplace in kitchen is on the other side of it.)

So - I'm thinking about adding picture frame boxes on all three walls heading up to the second story + adding them on all the walls going down to the basement. I've thought about some other moulding/trim ideas - however, I already have wainscoting (picture moulding) in my formal dining room + my home is a traditional colonial. While I would like some of the updates/renovations that I'm doing less traditional in order to create a more transitional looking interior, picture moulding seems like the obvious choice (although I've seen some other interesting ideas).

Wow - that was a really long and boring description of a staircase - I guess that's what happens when your doctor puts you on pain meds for a few days!!! 🤪 (Please excuse all spelling/grammar mistakes - I'm not double checking this for typos!)

Send me the photo of your entire staircase + all walls of your foyer. I have some tile ideas. Personally, I don't like faux marble LFT tiles. Most of them look very fake to me (although, @chispa used some in a bathroom renovation and they looked nice).

I will try to be less "dopey" when I post my next comment!!

Okay, let's start with the ship lap. You are not installing genuine ship lap (why, as it is for the siding of boats and it will cost you $$$ for the authentic and install). With that lovely fireplace surround, consider an appropriate wallpaper, instead of phony and will cheapen out the fireplace. Decorator's white is over fireplace? Leave it...perfect.

Wallpaper, find one in a sandlewood color to work with the new cabinets, the white fireplace and Decorator White, yum.

Move the t v over to the other side of the fireplace because it is larger and won't look squished in.

New art over fireplace.

Judy, where do i buy a pic like that?

To make my own samples I purchase the sample of paint from the paint store and paint 2 coats of paint on watercolor paper. It is heavy enough that it doesn't warp like lighter weight paper and isn't as expensive as foam core.

this is the last pad that I purchased: Canson XL Series Watercolor Textured Paper Pad for Paint, Pencil, Ink, Charcoal, Pastel, and Acrylic, Fold Over, 140 Pound, 12 x 18 Inch, 30 Sheets

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJVYCKS?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_11&th=1

I have used the pizza box lid or amazon box in a pinch - just used a couple of coats of primer to cover the brown cardboard.

It seems like you are designing your color scheme one room at a time rather than looking at the whole home.

It is getting late here, but I will try to give you an abbreviated of my methodology.

It is a bit different than many other methods I have read about, but I love color, color psychology and years ago I read some studies that show that seeing colors that are associated with happy memories actually increase the dopamine that our bodies produce and that when we are sad we don't see colors as well. Reduced dopamine impacts our ability to see color, making everything grayer. (You don't feel blue, you actually feel gray, but we relate blue to gray).

My method starts with making a plan of a home - which rooms are visible from each room.

After I make my plan I go through the home and determine the things I cannot change (either don't want to change or can't afford to change) I document those colors in the plan.

Next I want you to think about the colors that make your heart sing. Think about the colors that you are drawn to when you are shopping or looking at art. Look through your home. Why do you love that vase? Why did you buy the pillows or blankets? What colors dominate your wardrobe? Usually there are a few colors that keep showing up. Often they are colors that make you feel like a 10. We like feeling like a 10 so those colors that bring out the best in our personal color palette tend to make us happy. I love smokey purples, teal greens and wine reds (I am a cool winter) . My sister loves fall colors (greens and golds and orange reds) She has olive toned skin and medium brown hair. My sister-in-law (blond hair, blue eyes) loves blue and pastel peach and soft greens.

Knowing what colors you love is a great place to start. You may not ever paint a room that color, but your art, decor, furniture, linens, area rugs will have those colors and walls are simply a backdrop for all the other beautiful things we own.

The next thing to figure out is the neutral color families that works with the colors that you love. For me - taupe (gray / beige with pink and violet undertones) works best, but violet grays can also work. For my sister Greige works best (gray/beige with green undertones) gray greens, green beige, yellow beige and orange beige also work. For my sister-in-law cream works best, but soft blue green grays and blue grays also work well.

Now is the tough part - can we find a neutral that works as a great backdrop for the colors we love and the colors that must stay. (I hate when I can't afford to change something -but were not all wealthy enough to gut our entire home.) Sometimes we have to make some adjustments or cheat. The tile in the bathroom doesn't work with my neutral, but will work with a complementary neutral or a color that also works with my neutral. Usually there is some room in the home that creates a challenge.

Next I think about some wall colors that are not my neutral, softer versions of the colors that I love. They can be darker or similar in depth to my neutral - I don't usually go lighter than my neutral.

At this point I am ready to fill in my plan. Which rooms will I paint with my preferred neutral, which ones I will paint with variations of my neutral or some color. How will I introduce the colors I love into each room. I may pick one color for the kitchen walls and use that color in the chairs and centerpiece in the dining room. The chairs and centerpiece may have 2 of the colors I love - the one in the kitchen and the one that goes into the living room.

Here are two examples that I found and often share as samples of whole home color palettes.

Miller paint has some examples on the color tours in their blog.

https://www.millerpaint.com/blog/