That brown doesn't go with the fireplace rocks. I'd keep it all the same color.

But i keep reading everything totally matchy is out of style?

who says it's out of style? You need to decide what you want from the space.

The dark is too dark and the white trim is too stark a contrast.

IF you want a wainscotting look with a darker lower, then paint the lower, including the chair rail AND the base a brown the same color as the flooring/carpet.

Coordinating with tones in fireplace is different than matchy. An example of not having everything matchy they are talking about is not matching your end tables to your coffee table, or your dresser not matching every other piece you have in your bedroom

Any suggestions on a sherwin williams color that you think may work? we are gettin all new carpet as well. a lighter color.

i used Chatgpt for the color backdrop from floor to ceiling. thoughts?

The dark brown it way too harsh a color for the space.

what is the color paint in the bottom photo?

There’s no substitute for sampling paint colors in your space, in your lighting , with your furniture, , with the stone on your fireplace.

The darker color on the bottom, makes the room, look cramped and smaller than what it is. I agree, the white is too stark for the paint on the walls, and the darker colors are too dark, and look bad with the fireplace. I would paint all the walls, upper and lower the same color. Trends are not for everything.

2 paint colors on an 8’ ceiling space makes the room feel squatty and smaller than it really is. Stick to one color - the mortar color of the stone is a good place to start.

If you are getting new carpet - please for the love of god start there and then pick a paint. Again, mortar color of stone is a good place to start for the carpet color.

Why a rug?

Consider all white for walls, ceiling, trim. Go with a white floor and let the fireplace be the focal point it should be. I choose a white LVT over carpet.

A&A Surfaces Whitmore White 20 MIL x 7 in. W x 48 in. L Waterproof Click Lock Luxury Vinyl Plank

White is very stark, especially for a room with a stone fireplace. We have one, too and I used SW Antique in my entire house. It works with the fireplace and all the dark wood trim we have.

We also made the mantle simpler from what was there originally,

I would keep it all one color too. In my own living room a dark lower wall made the space feel smaller, and the stone fireplace already gives the room plenty of contrast on its own.

When decorating a room, the wall color is the last item chosen. What else is in the room--rugs, furniture, curtains? If you're starting from nothing, then devise a plan before you pick a paint color. What style are you going for? What kind of light does the room get? More context is needed.

You need to select the new flooring first. If the sample in the one pic is what you are considering I would worry about how long it will look good. When I bought my first home the bedrooms and office had the most beautiful light cream carpet. I loved it. Dirt loved it too, I replaced it within 2 years.

I have found that carpet with some color variation is so much easier to maintain. I also have picked commercial grade carpet for the same reason. It will continue to look good for years.

I know others who can keep their carpet looking new for a decade - I am just not one of them.

Flooring needs to work with the stone

Furnishings need to work with the stone and flooring

Wall color generally serves as the backdrop for the other beautiful elements in the room - fireplace, furnishings, art, decor. Select that color last if it is serving as the backdrop.

Design is design and although most of us know fashion design rules, we fail to recognize how the same rules apply to interior design.

A tall, slender girl can wear a white shirt tucked into a pair of black pants.

A shorter, heavier girl wearing the same outfit will draw the eye sideways making her look shorter and wider.

A sharp two-tone paint split does the exact same thing to a room with eight-foot ceilings. It creates a harsh, disruptive belt right around the middle of the space, cutting the vertical height in half and making the room feel squat and visually chopped up. To make a lower ceiling feel tall and elegant, you want the interior design equivalent of a long, uninterrupted vertical pinstripe or a continuous monochromatic outfit. Painting the entire wall a single, cohesive shade creates a seamless column of color that allows the eye to glide effortlessly from floor to ceiling, instantly lengthening the room's proportions and giving it the breathing room it needs.

^^^ What @Jennifer Hogan said!