“Design is a never-ending journey of discovery — for which it helps to pack a healthy sense of humor.”
-David Carson
Ain’t that the truth? 😀
So, a few weeks ago I told you my gut had been saying “paint the fireplace white” from the time the Blue Yonder went up way back in September. I just wasn’t 100% loving it on the fireplace, and I’ve already got so much blue-gray in other areas of our house:
I polled you that same day, and most of your guts said the same thing: paint the fireplace white.
So, I painted it Simply White…but my gut did not dig it.
Nope. It didn’t feel right at all. I can’t pinpoint exactly why it didn’t work, and I didn’t take any photos, so you’ll just have to trust me…and my gut. 😉
I tried keep a sense of humor after realizing white wasn’t right, but after sampling several shades of gray on it, I really started to wonder if I had made the right decision to cover up the blue.
And that reminds me, friends message me all the time and ask for my advice about which paint colors they should use. “What’s the perfect gray paint color for the exterior of my house?“. “What’s the perfect blue-gray for my bathroom?“. “What’s the perfect green for my mom’s foyer?“.
I always give them the same answer: Sample a BUNCH of colors.
This is why: Without sampling, there’s no way to know what a particular color will look like in/on your particular house. Windows, walls, doors, rooms, and lights are positioned in different places from dwelling to dwelling, so each home is lit differently than the next. Also, everybody has different furniture, bedding, roof colors, etc., and there’s no such thing as one color that “fits all”.
Sampling *at least* four or five different colors (and more if necessary) will help you see which one (if any) is the right color for your home. I always tell folks to paint large squares of various colors in different places (on the walls behind their furniture and bedding, next to their front door (if it’s an exterior color), next to the flooring they have or want to install, etc) to see which one coordinates best in (or on) their house, with their particular (natural and incandescent) lighting.
That’s really the best way.
Take Light French Gray by Sherwin-Williams for example. That’s the color our fireplace (and our guts!) ended up embracing:
I sampled five different grays along with that one though. The others were either too blue, too warm, too light, or too dark. A couple of them looked great on the trim and walls in two of my friends’ houses, (which is why I got samples of them) but they didn’t look right at all on our fireplace. Light French Gray is exactly what we were looking for *our* living room, and with *our* furniture and brick. (Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean it will automatically work for everybody, or on every fireplace, or in every home. #SampleSampleSample)
(“Christmas Cow” by Ruthie Carlson)
I’m loving the subtle, more neutral change, and that I still have contrast between the (white) mantle and the (now gray) big “box” we built as a backdrop. I tend to use so many white things on the mantel beam throughout the year, so it’ll be nice to have that gray back there to pop off of. I also like the idea of the built-in cabinetry being painted Soft French Gray vs. Simply White because I feel like it will hide fingerprints better. 🙂
And speaking of the left and right sides of the fireplace, you probably noticed they were missing from all the photos I put in this post. We’ve got some fun stuff in the works in those areas right now, and I’m excited to surprise you with some more updated photos soon!
Meghan
i have to say i liked the blue better. but im glad you found a color YOU can live with lol
Layla
Yes! That was the goal! 🙂
Mandy
I Love it. I was undecided about which colour and didn’t vote in the poll but I think you’ve got it just right this time. I think the problem I had was that I really liked the idea of keeping the blue because it was the original colour of the reclaimed timber but this looks way better. Great call X
Layla
Thank you, Mandy! I struggled with painting over the original color too, but in the end I decided that just because they were painted that color, didn’t mean I wanted it on my fireplace! 😀
Jan
Love it! Trust your gut instincts!
Layla
Amen, sister! 😀
Karen
Ooo…I like the Light French Gray! I think you are right about the white accents pop better and it ties so nicely with the brick. Excellent choice!
Layla
Thank you, Karen! 😀
Kath
Love it!
Layla
Thank you, Kath! XO
Karlene
The gray really brings out the gray of the bricks, they look great together! And the cabinetry in that color will look lovely!
Color can be so tough, those swatches change appearance once seen with all furniture, trim, flooring and room lighting and time of day!
But everyone seems to know their choice once they spend some time with those swatches! SW is great they will order you a few 8×11 swatches to help narrow it down before you paint samples around the room.
Layla
Thank you, Karlene! I didn’t know about the bigger swatches…that would be so handy!
ange
I love it! I have light french gray in my bedroom and it’s such a beautiful gray. I just repainted my fireplace wall back to gray owl after I tried out chelsea gray on it. I loved the pop of the white fireplace against the dark wall but I didn’t love the way it made my home feel. Sometimes you gotta try it out before you can decide. The room looks beautiful!
Layla
Ooh- I bet it would look beautiful in a bedroom! I may have to sample it in ours! 😀 (Which is still a dark, mustard-y tan, by the way!)
Robbin
Very nice! The neutral helps your bricks pop and will be a great background for any color your beam will hold.
Layla
Thank you, Robbin! XO
Andrea
So I’m in the midst of re-vamping our fireplace and we are using very similar brick to yours. I have ship-lap above my mantle, and have painted it all Marble White (BM). Last night I was a tossing and a turnin in my sleep because my poor wee soul isn’t convinced on the white. Then a wake up to this-a sign?? Perhaps 🙂 in fact, I’m going to take a poll myself on Instagram and I will tag you just for the fun of it 😉
Layla
Girl, I did the same thing after we painted our Simply White! 😛 I just tossed and turned up there thinking about it. (So silly!) I’ll be on the lookout for the Insta-poll! XO
Julia
I do like that french gray but that cow made me smile!
Cindy in Oklahoma
Me, too…. I’m all about that cow…..!
Carmen
Very nice !
It’s amazing how when we add color to the same room or a piece of furniture then we look at it totally different.
It’s like when we look at people or situations like God does 🙂 .
Enjoy you new color .
Peggy
I didn’t do the poll because I wasn’t sure either….but your choice seems to really accent your brick perfectly. I can’t wait to see it with your projects on either side of the fireplace. Expecting them to be fabulous!
Geri
WOW may need to revisit some colors in my house I may be a changin’.
I found BM Marilyn’s Dress recently and have pretty much fell in love with my guest room.
I always get the best ideas and inspirations from you. I always marvel how paint changes not only rooms but feelings.
Hugs, Geri.
Kat
Looks great! But here’s the real question, do you ever even use the fireplace?
Layla
When the temp drops below 32! It doesn’t happen too often, but it’s fun to burn some logs in it a handful of times each year! 🙂 That said, I suppose if we turned the heat down, we could use it more often.
Melissa Barronton
Thank you for your affirmation that you have to try out many samples and then pick what works for you in your space. I tell my staging and redesign clients that all the time. I recently painted a small powder room –above the beadboard and chair rail Benjamin Moore Gray Owl because Emily Henderson recommended the color in her book and I thought I’d try it (I’ve used SW Balanced Beige elsewhere in the house). I looked at several pictures using Gray Owl and liked it and then tried the samples. Of the samples I tried, it was my favorite. However, once I painted the entire space, it took on a shade of baby blue, especially from the hallway. Even though my family said it looked fine, I couldn’t live with it. I ended up going with Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter- a color a couple of my clients ended up using and loving– in the end and am happy with the choice. You’re right–paint choices are never one size fits all.
Maggie
Love this. So cozy with the brick. Can’t wait to see your bookcases! Have a great weekend!!!
becky neville
I knew you wouldn’t go with the white 😉
Bobbi Palmer
Looks GREAT! When you did the post about your embroidered denim chairs I asked what font the “P” was, you said you would ask. Did you ever find out?
Julie
Love this paint color on your fireplace! Good advice. Paint is tricky. Your home is so full of charm. You have a gift! 🙂 Happy weekend! ~julie
Lauren
I do have to admit that I loved the blue on the fireplace, but I am happy you finally found a color that worked just right:) Still a great color and pops can’t wait to see what’s coming next!
Lauren Baxter | Lovely Decor
http://www.lovelydecor.co
xx
Monica
I voted for the white but wow, I think you hit the nail on the head with the grey. It looks SO good! It really warms up the space and gives some interest and it looks great with the bricks. Great call on trying colors out until you’re happy with it.
Sandra Rice
I need to sample This Color!! what brand -# etc plez
Sandy R
Layla
It’s Light French Gray by Sherwin-Williams, Sandra. 🙂
Gwen
I did the poll. I was one that did not vote for white or blue. I didn’t want to be the boss of you!!! But knew you’d know it when you saw it. I am not a gray painter. I painted my interior just as gray was coming in and also I had just gotten my decor finishing. But I’m not against it especially here. You nailed it–uh rather painted it!! If I were to walk in with the blue I’d have said ok but with this even your window pops!!
Marianne in Mo.
A perfect color for you! I don’t even remember what I voted for, so it doesn’t matter. All I know is it is lovely in your room.
I’m considering gray for our house, but have lived with khaki tones so long, I can’t visualize if it would work. We have a dark-ish brown leather sofa, and chairs in a menswear tweed in brown/black. The room was looking masculine ( even my husband said so! ) We will be building a new house, and I need to decide! I’m not a blue lover typically, and don’t like cool tones. Any thoughts?
Jenny B.
The gray looks very nice! I was a blue yonder lover, but gray was my 2nd choice. 🙂
Pinkie.crabtree
Perfect Choice!
Sharon Herbitter
I guess I don’t get what the point is of buying reclaimed wood that is painted…and then painting over it so that it looks no different from wood you’d buy at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Obviously if you don’t like something you don’t like it, but painting over what attracted you in the first place seemed (seems) odd to me. But — I am a color girl. Maybe it’s an age thing. I’m old, so I’ve got no time for white, beige, or gray! Give me yellow like the sun, blue like the sky, red like a rose! To each her own.
Layla
We took a shot with that blue-gray wood (it looked gray-er at Southern Accents, and like I mentioned in my post, you never know what a paint color is going to look like til you try it in your particular place), but in the end we weren’t 100% in love with having it on the fireplace. Plain and simple. It was worth a shot though, and it’s still 100-something year old wood…it’s just sporting a new color. (I’ve got time for ALL the ones you listed! 🙂 ) Besides, who knows if that blue-gray paint was even old. Could’ve been slapped on 2 years ago for all we know- LOL!
Sharon Herbitter
Good point!
Bernie
Glad you chose something other than white…..and I love white. The pictures of white mantles in your previous post all started to look the same….boring!!!! By the way, I painted my kitchen Behr Marina Isle 12 years ago, and I still love it. When your gut is right, it’s right!
Layla
Thank you, Bernie…but white fireplaces (like the ones I blogged about) will always be my favorite. 😉
Mz V
When something is right, you know it….and no substitute feels as good. Boy, did you confirm that process again with this color choice. I was waving the “white” flag over here in North Texas, but I think I’m going to surrender to your superior taste. That gray color…..and only that gray tint is perfect. I’m happy now!!!
Barbara Scheihing
It’s gray-t!!!!!!!
Jordan
Very beautiful. I think the new color really helps whatever’s on the mantle stand out more. Neutrals make the space feel less busy.