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yvesun Your room is a good size I would paint it Georgian Green HC 115. It's a lovely brighter green during the day and a cosy green during the evening. It will pair nicely with your decor.

houssaon I would not be afraid of darker colors. This would work Tea Paint Decorous Amber SW0007 Paint But if you want to go light, try Stone Hearth 984 Paint or Northern Cliffs 1536 Paint Sherwood Tan, Benjamin Moore
Algonquin Trail, Benjamin Moore

julesnyunt Hi We're in the UK so not sure if Farrow and Ball paints are easily accessible but if they are, Smoked Trout would look stunning...

inkwitch Don't blame you. I'm not fond of brick either. THe photos have a "yellow cast" to them so it's hard to tell just what color is going on, but if you're going to paint this fireplace (and consult a professional for process; just slapping a coat of paint on it may not work, especially if you use it), why not go totally dramatic and pick an unexpected color like bright rust red or a red-orange. Those tones will go well with what appears to be your brown/ochre/tan decor.

feeny inkwitch, I don't think they are asking about painting the fireplace (which I think is lovely). They want a wall color that will look good with the tones of the brick. Isn't that right Sarah?

Teri Londagin I would go with a rustic black for the fireplace and lighten it up on the walls. Continue with black contrast on trim or doors. Gray has many shades, lol, I think you'd find appealing.

dejde Stone Hearth or Northern Cliffs shown above by houssaon!

Our fireplace brick and floor looked similar to your photo. We painted our living room walls in Martha Stewart's Stone (no longer available) and it looks very nice.

Select paint chips of similar colors found in your brick & line them up against your fireplace. Then choose your color by process of elimination. That test should work well for you.

Check your light bulbs to see if they are cool or warm. That will make a difference in the overall look of your room.

Good Luck!

Lee Design I would go neutral. You have a lot of yellow in the FP.

anitajoyce A nice beige or tan color would be nice on the walls. These colors are light in color and will help keep the space bright with the limited light.

eliwolf I have this same brick and I have a grayish blue on the walls. It looks beautiful and blends nicely with the grout.

toniapgar Hearth is beautifully warm so I would go cool on the walls, the Ben Moore Stone Hearth or Northern Cliffs mentioned above look great on my computer screen.

cbrantley Play up the color of the bricks. For instance, you can use wrought iron fireplace grate, tools, etc. to bring out the blackened brick and darken that mantle to a deep, rich walnut. Maybe pull the color of the mortar onto the wainscoting and the wall panel trim, and lighten up the wall color to eggshell.

diannagail A warm, shiney white would do the trick.

Janis Pasiecnik light sage green

sharleeg a warmer gray tone as found in bricks would look great. Houssaon showed you Stone Hearth, for example and something like that would be my choice. Best of luck to you!

Lynn I agree with fellow commentator...Go black for fireplace ! Room is so big and you can get away with it. It would look totally elegant and really make a statement in room! Brighten (warmly )the rest of room and you will have a dramatic "WOW" factor. :)
Walls : Ace makes a color called "wooden spoon" that is a fantastic off white and makes things on walls, furniture, carpet,everything pop! Even fireplace would look incredible w/ this color should you choose or not to paint fireplace. I NEVER would consider any other color anymore. Fantastic ,safe, sure bet color for no matter what colors are within the home!

cluelessintheyard Don't be afraid of strong color (midtone and up) in a dark space with low ceilings. It can pull a big, dark space into something more intimate and bring some balance to that big brick hearth/surround. (Btw, is that a brick bar behind the couch?!) I'm seeing something like tobacco or cinnamon/curry. Of course, that means bringing lamps in too, since can lights are so harsh. Some bigger scale art and throws with a little pattern (plaid? since the style seems traditional/earthy) would personalize the space.
For someone with a modern taste, white walls, graphic art and bright throws/pillows would be energizing.

Cotterpine I can see you have a lot of browns and yellows around (wood furniture, brown sofa, shelves, and even picture frames). On the other hand you don't have too much light as I can see the size of your windows.
I would recommend you to play with the skirting/low middle wall, is a good size one and you can paint it in strong color, leave a softer version of the skirting colour for the walls, and try not to use any cream, white, or similar.
Colours that I reccomend: Strong blue (like indigo) for lower part of walls and vertical mouldings, and softer blue (like washed jeans) for higher part of the walls.
You have a nice big fireplace. Try to give some visual points in dark blue around the room. Like a couple of dark blue cushions or a middle blue rug.
Hope that helps, I attached an image to show you the combination of colours that can work in the room. Good Luck!

sarah3k3 Thanks for the comments. I am just learning how to use this app and love it. We will likely not paint the brick so are most interested in the color suggestions. So many great ideas. Can't wait to show my husband.

sarah3k3 I meant to say....most interested in the color suggestions for the wall.

mjh900 you want to paint the brick??? why, these look like nice bricks,,, have you thought of a shelf which would ground the mass and make it more of a focus point

feeny Sarah just said she is NOT planning to paint the brick.

judyg http://www.houzz.com/discussions/243127/Color#comments Follow this link as it has a great suggestion. Your barn board could be swedish blue/grey and the wall the creamy white. Info included.

jwade1085 I would paint that fireplace white. Then use almost any color you like on the walls.

stacy1061 Gray looks great with yellow tones and obviously is very in right now. My favorite warm gray is SW Colonade Gray. Good luck!

Lanecraft Lane and Coach Houses Inc Here's my 2 cents:
My favorite wall color is Cloverdale Paint OW157 (Off-white 157) "Papier Blanc".
It makes your furnishings and built-in items like fireplaces really pop out and be featured. Also since the space is light challenged any colors other than off-whites will darken the room noticeably.
And even though you say you likely won't paint the brick, brick painted white looks really modern. Check out CB2's latest flyer:
http://www.cb2.com/Catalog/View-Online.aspx?catalog_name=83879_2441d7c1_268d221a&display_name=mingle%20and%20mix
Good luck!
Thomas
www.lanecraft.com

katiepie If you like green, try Sherwin Williams Koi Pond. Really nice neutral that brings the outdoors inside, is a very livable color and will cozy up you large room!

Elizabethsdream I would match the lightest shade of brick on your walls and add accents to your room with pillows, a throw, artwork, etc. in varying shades of blue. You could even add a light rust shade into the mix. Use patterns and different textures in the pillows, etc. Also, you could add an area rug over your existing carpet to bring more color into the space. Good luck with your decorating!

Granite Transformations Hi Sarah,

What about painting the base (is that wood?) a dark java brown? Then you could paint the walls either a Hearth Stone (from above) or something with color like a Dalton Blue by Benjamin Moore. The java and Dalton Blue would be my recommendation.

Color here- http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/dc-12

Good luck!

Kacy C Your room appears to be a basement area. I suggest you change the light bulbs to daylight color. You have plenty of the warm earth tones and neutrals in furniture and wood tones.

It's hard to say with the color balance of the pictures but if the brick is generally tan to orangish try sampling a complement along the lines of a robins egg blue maybe something like Benjamin Moore's At Sea or kokopelli teal. If it is more pinkish than orange try something a little more green.

bamamom Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull (warm Grey/Green) or Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (warm grey/taupe)

sugarplums I would put the color of the mortar in your bricks on the wall . If it is too dark, then go the shade or two lighter that is on the same paint chip sample. Good luck

LONGWOOD ANTIQUES, INC. THE BRICK IS DATED, PAINT THE BRICK EITHER A CONTRASTING COLOR FROM THE WALLS, OR PAINT WALLS AND BRICK THE SAME