I think you have to take a worse picture! It looks great on my screen :-)

LOL I think it looks lovely for its style too.

I like it really well. How about some colorful artwork above the fireplace, if you don't want a mirror, with candle sticks, small boxes or statuary on the mantel. A nice green tallish plant on the right
side of the fireplace would cozy it up also.

You all are so...well, kind! I appreciate the responses, and the fact that it's perhaps not as awful as I thought. Can you indulge me while I get more specific?

The baseboards are all whiter than the trim/mantle. I will have to repaint them when we do the flooring (considering White Dove). Do you think the fp trim should also be white dove/whiter? It feels very yellowy now, and reminiscent of my nursery. Love it, but maybe not so much in the family room?

Also, I'm trying to avoid major work and expense, but feel the tile is all wrong. Any suggestions for that?

Many thanks again for helping me work out the kinks:)

I think the tile looks fine. Perhaps you are overthinking this. Think along the lines of grandmaof3's suggestions for decorating.

When I click on something that says "another call for ugly fireplace help" I'm *totally* expecting to see an ugly fireplace. I think I agree that stuff is going to help immensely. I am confused just a bit though - is the paint color on the fireplace trim the "cream fleece"?

We have sort of a muddy grey with pink fleck faux stone looking tile around our second floor fireplace, so I hear you about pink tones in tile. That said, for now, I think accessorizing may go a long way toward minimizing what you're focusing on there now.

I agree that if you get some colorful artwork (I'd do an oversized/large unframed piece) it will become the focal point and maybe distract your eye from the things that bug you. I love the clean lines and am not sure I'd clutter up the mantel, but that's personal preference. Not suggesting this art, but this kind of look:

[Traditional Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Vancouver Interior Designer Enviable Designs Inc.
This one has different toned paint from the trim, too. Looks great.

[Eclectic Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2104) by New York Artist And Artisan Smilow + Mathiesen

Or something different:

Ok, yes, I must confess to overthinking. I hope I didn't annoy anyone with an overly dramatic call for help. Perhaps I should have titled my post, "help with builder-grade fireplace":) Thank you all for reminding me of that.

grandmaof3: thanks; colorful artwork really would help!

I like the idea of unframed, colorful artwork and keeping it simple. It's only naked now due to painting, but I had a large multi-candle sconce on the wall, a tall candlestick on the left, and a plate on a stand that we got in Italy. It was just ok.

grlpwrs: yes, the mantle/fireplace trim is all "cream fleece", which I thought worked well with our previous wall color (Yorkshire Tan), but now looks strange to my eye. Maybe just a result of the change that I have not yet adjusted to.

olychick: Thanks for the photo ideas! I will use them as a reference while I shop around....

This post was edited by rovo on Wed, Jan 30, 13 at 14:46

I see nothing wrong with it in its current condition. However, if it were mine and I was committed to the gray walls, I would consider painting the trim around the fireplace a darker version of the wall color. This may or may not make your tiles appear more pink though. It is hard to tell from a monitor.
Diane

I agree with adding colorful artwork. I'd also change the surround. I'm not crazy about the pinkish tile. My FR fireplace has black marble, and my master BR has Carrara. I like them both and think they'd work with your fireplace. All of the trim/woodwork in my house is the same - Linen White.

Since you have someone living in a nursery, I'd wait to make major changes. I would immediately paint the FP trim in the same color as the baseboards so that it is harmonious since the yellow tones don't play nice with the pink undertones in the tile. Or follow powermuffin's suggestion and go with a darker (or lighter) version of the wall color. If you look at oly's pix, the 1st FP sort of melts into the wall color and the art stands out. The 2nd shows a cream w/ white which works because it doesn't have the pink tiles. The 3rd is a monolith against the wall but the art echoes the wall color.

Analyze what you feel most comfortable with until you decide it's appropriate to move forward with your major reno ideas. That could, understandably, take years as other priorities may impose. Don't sweat it if that happens, just enjoy making a happy home.

This post was edited by abundantblessings on Wed, Jan 30, 13 at 18:45

I don't think it's ugly either. I'm with the others- paint the fireplace trim the same color as your baseboards. I would also consider drywalling in the area between the two boards above the mantle, so that the fireplace looks like the one in olychick's first photo. For now, I would paint the area between those boards the same white as the rest of the trim.

Great, sounds like a consensus on painting the surround. I'll be testing both a white trim and a darker color to see which works best. Also getting some tile samples as the pink just has to go! Thanks for the Carrara idea, porkandham. I think that might just pull it together.

Definitely enjoying the journey, abundantblessings:)

I'll post pics of my "not so ugly" fp as soon as I can. Thanks, everyone!

While you certainly did not come across as overly dramatic, I do agree with the general consensus that your fireplace isn't ugly. I also agree that painting out the the fireplace in your white trim color will help make the tile coordinate a little bit better. Adding some lovely art would also help (something more bold than candlesticks or other smaller decorative items). I also recommend painting out the upright protrusions above the mantle the same color as the wall.

I can only see a corner of it, but is your couch kind of pink or mauve? Maybe that is causing you to see the pink tones in the tile. Agree with the others- I think it looks fine too!