I wouldn't paint the brick, especially if an iron insert is going in the firebox. What I would do is paint the shelving units in a satin finish black, to pick up the black from the fireplace insert. I'd remove all the brass accents around the firebox. For wall color, I'd go with something like the Duron Tobacco Road color that would pick up the brick colors. All those colors should look complementary to the green chair. What color is their couch? The couch color would make a difference, too.

Here's a link to the color I was talking about.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Tobacco Road

declutter, declutter, declutter, and the mirror is way to big for that fireplace, it takes over the space.

I mostly agree with nanny2a, I would most definitely NOT paint the brick! It is really nice and will look even better with the new black cast iron insert. I also love the suggestion of the Tobacco Road, however, it will definitely depend on what other furniture, fabrics, accessories, etc. she has going on in the room. I'd love to see more pictures of her home if you have them. As far as the build-ins go, I would consider painting them something light like SW Antique White. It is a really rich, creamy color that is awesome. I think it would pull out the white-ish colors in the brick and really make it stand out. We used this color when DH built our new home in '07. We have it on all of our trim and when he finally finishes all of our built-ins, we will use it on them as well. It truly is a beautiful color.

Regardless what color she chooses, they will definitely need some kind of primer first. Hopefully one of the great paint experts here will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do. That red is going to be a booger to paint over, that's for sure! Good luck. Please let us know what you decide to do and show us the 'after' pics!

Below is a link to some nice cabinets that are SW Antique White.

Here is a link that might be useful: Built-Ins - SW Antique White

Do you have other pictures of the whole room? It looks like a tricky room. I'm having a hard time figuring out the dropped ceiling with the can lights. Is this an area at the end of a big long room, or is this about it, just a tiny alcove?

Does the TV have to stay where it is or can it be put elsewhere in the room? Since this is the family room and it is going to be used by children for quite a few years, I would invest in away to store the toys and games when they are not in use. A few nice looking wicker or wood baskets that toys can be tossed in would keep things under control.

You've given your sister good ideas to start with. When you paint the built-ins, I would replace the shutter doors with something solid. Is that a rug on the floor or something for the children? I would get a nice rug for the wood oak floors.

I'd paint the brick. That color's hideous, to my eyes anyway, and will fight with every other color brought into the space.

I like the idea of black built-ins, but every little chip and ding will show, so as a family room with little kids, picking a more neutral color for the whole wall might be better.

I've never tried this stuff but wanted to when we lived in a house built in '59 that had a huge red brick fireplace. We ended up moving a lot sooner than expected so I never got to this project.

I thought this would be nicer than just painting it which most of our neighbors did with theirs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brick-a-new

I'm trying to talk my sister into signing up for a login so she can respond herself (she's lurking to read responses).

In the meantime, she wanted me to tell you that the green chair probably won't be staying - it was a purchase for an convalescing relative who needed to sleep sitting up for a while. It's going to get moved. The other furniture in the room is two brown leather club chairs. The room is not very big and is kind of a pass through - as you face the fireplace, the kitchen is behind you, the sliding glass door to the patio is to your left, and a doorway to the formal living room is on the right. The walls are all chopped up, so I'm not even sure they could fit a sofa if they wanted to.

There's lots of clutter right now mainly because they are waiting to figure out the shelving/paint situation before unpacking and getting storage stuff to put everything away (though with twins on the way, I'm guessing some clutter is inevitable). Also, these shelves will be used - they have lots of homeless books right now waiting for their new home -- so it's not going to be one of those pretty staged shelving units with a couple carefully chosen pieces of pottery per shelf.

RE the TV, they are planning to remove some of the shelves there so they can at least push the TV back more to minimize it's appearance. That side of the shelves actually has the cabinet part on the diagonal specifically to hold a big tv - at some point, she'd like to flatten it back out to match the other side, but no time right now.

I once had a 'hideous' fireplace that was all rock. It was so ugly and I hated it. However, when we painted the walls, it TOTALLY changed the appearance of the rock. IMO, I think she should do everything else first and then make a decision about the brick. You can paint and repaint the walls but once the brick is painted, it is virtually impossible to go back. I think once she paints the walls, paints out the built-ins and removes that humongous mirror, it will TOTALLY change the appearance of the brick.

I would paint the whole area in creamy white -- and add a good thick mantel (also painted white) across the top of the new cast iron insert .....

I've included a link to the wonderful blog "The Letttered Cottage" -- I tried to search to find her fireplace project -- but maybe you'll have better luck. They painted the living room in white -- including the fireplace -- and created a thick dark wood beam for their new mantel ....

Hope this helps! :) Let us know how the room progresses!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Here is a link that might be useful: The lettered cottage blog

This is lkplatow's sister. Thanks so much for your advice - I'm just horrible at picking interior finishes and this room has proven to be a challenge because of its location, shape and function (or lack thereof).

Right now, it's used mostly for a den/playroom for our 4-year-old. Once we get the shelving figured out, we'll move a lot of the open toy storage into the base cabinets, and his books on to the lower shelves. Again, have to apologize for the clutter!!

Here's a wider shot of the room, from the doorway to the kitchen which is opposite of the fireplace wall:

The next three pictures are starting on the left side of the shelves and looking along the adjacent wall with the sliding glass doors to the backyard, and then the small seating area with the leather club chairs, and a vintage advertising poster on the wall. Please ignore the lamp - I hate it but DH doesn't. We're working on that! :P

Continuing to look at the opposite side of the room from the fireplace, you can see the doorway into the kitchen and then immediately adjacent on the other wall, the doorway into the center hall of the house.

And then finally, coming back around, this is a shot of the wall to the right of the shelves/fireplace with the door to the hall in the back and the door into the living room in the front. We put in these white built-in's shortly after we moved in. That room was a desert rose color that was way dark, so we painted it a creamy yellow and all the trim white, along with building a wall of bookshelves with a fireplace mantle in the middle.

I don't know that I'm crazy about the idea of going black on the shelves. I was originally thinking a shade or two darker than the wall color, so this is a lot of good feedback! Keep it coming!!!!

Congrats on the twins. What type of decor do you prefer? Cottage, contemporary, transitional, etc. I have always liked white or cream bookshelves (looks like you do to from the view into the other room).

I agree with everyone else about not painting the brick as well as adding the cast iron isert and large mantle. Behind the tv remove some shelves and drill a hole to put the tv components underneath in the cabinet, then move the tv back a little.

Since the nesting urge has kicked in I would declutter and add baskets and bins for their toys. A nice plush rug in front of the fire place for the kids to play on. Float the chairs closer to the rug. Use the corners of the room for anchor peices like the desk or is it a sewing machine? Create multi purpose areas. The small chair and a basket of books for a kids reading area. Desk/craft area etc.

Good luck.

The new photos helped clarify my confusion about the dropped ceiling by the fire place and the size of the room. Since the room is playroom for kids you are definately going to need more storage space.

Even if you have an eat-in kitchen and DR I think this room could use a table in the area where the leather chairs are now, as a place for kids to draw and do crafts and homework. Something simple. Not too formal. You can find sturdy ones on CL for very little money. I would get a plain looking china hutch for the wall opposite the fireplace. That way all the weight is not on one side of the room. The hutch can be used for storage of the kids stuff. Get an open one or if it has glass doors put curtains on the door so you can cram all the Monopoly and Scrabble games on the shelves without it looking cluttered. A China hutch is going to be wider and not as deep as a bulky amoire, and a buffet would make the lower half of the room too weighty.

The two chairs facing the fireplace with a rug to anchor them, would make TV viewing easier than having the chairs on the other side of the room like they are now. Having the slanted built in shelve is kind of cool. I had thought the picture was distorted until it was explained. Once the shelf is out so the TV goes further back it should blend in. Hiding the peripherals in the cabinet below will cut down on clutter but will necessitate drilling a hole or two in the cabinet for wires.

Is this room also going to have a computer for the kids (eventually)? The secretary on the wall where it is now works and does not look to block the passage through the room.

With the LR having white built in cabinets I would do the ones in this room an Ivory so as to transition between the rooms. Ivory would make the bricks look deeper and richer, and help the bricks recede into the decor.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I don't think the fireplace brick is hideous at all. Why don't you try posting a closeup picture of ONE BRICK and let the experts here help you pick a color that would look good with it.

I agree that the mirror is way too big for that space. That was the first thing my eye went to. Painting and removing the mirror and brass fireplace surround will definitely put you on the right track.

Decluttering will definitely make you feel better about the space. Are you familiar with Fly Lady? Her website is a hoot and very helpful. My house would look sooo much better if I followed her advice!

I would also remove the play rug and replace it with something more sophisticated. If the play table needs to stay, maybe it could be pushed to the wall so that it doesn't take up so much floor space.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fly Lady

rkokinda, I don't think anyone has asked, do you like the brick color? It is major feature in the room. If you do not like it --- paint it and the built-in sides all one color, the creamy white mentioned above it probably what I would select. If you do like the brick and want it to stand out, pick a light color in the brick, and paint the built in cabs and walls the same. All one color would make the room appear larger and you can bring color in with accessories.

Hi RKO,

Happy Mother's Day!

I had more or less the same idea as Dilly Dally. Since the entrance to the living room is near the fireplace, I'd try to make the fireplace area the adult area of the room, with your nice club chairs placed conversationally in front of fireplace. Seated there, you can watch kids play outside or inside. It might be nice to add an ottoman and area rug there too.

I'd make a play area for the kids where the chairs now are, and orient the play table so the long side of it faces the fireplace. It looks like you have at least one cute kid-sized grown-up chair to use there too. More enclosed storage on that side of the room would be very handy for the times you really don't want to look at kids' toys. I'd move the TV to this storage, where glare would be less of an issue. You could paint the enclosed storage, or even the entire corner, with chalkboard paint (comes in several colors)for kids to draw on.

I think this sort of room arrangement would make it easier to keep a clear path to the backyard as well. That large poster art would nicely fill in and balance the wall that has openings to hall and living room. You could add some storage ottomans under it for additional kid or adult seating.

Back to the fireplace wall. Much as I love built-ins, I think it might feel more restful to remove them, other than keeping one shelf at hearth-height all the way across the room, to be used as side tables for the chairs. You could then paint the recessed areas an accent color, and add some floor lamps or wall sconces and artwork.

Much of this would be down-the-road of course. In the meantime, I'd go with white or cream paint for the built-ins, as it coordinates with the rest of your house. And your dark chairs will stand out more against a light surface. For softness, you might want to add some drapery panels to the slider.

Good luck! Remember to post your 'after' pictures in your 'spare' time!

since you have white in the other room, i'd either go with that in here also OR go a darker beige color picked out from the brick of the fireplace. (to me black cabs would just dominate the room; I like the brick and would go with a darker color picked from it with a lighter one on the walls). the color for the cabs and the wall could both be picked out from that brick.
you might try an odd piece of wood (like t he inside of one of the doors) with the beige color with a black wipe down (or dry brush) and see how that looks / you like it. it'd have to be done very lightly I'd think to keep the cabs looking light (not over bearing).

it'll lighten that end of the room - the whole room!

I would see about changing out the lower doors on the cabs. those look like louvered doors - a pain to clean. those lower cabs w/ doors will be a great place to store the kids toys and things like scrapbooks (protect from dust - which causes the need to clean more)

the mirror obviously has to go. whether you put a mirror up there, a photograph or a painting, I'd put it in a black frame to pick up the black in the fireplace insert. you could also pick up a black iron tool set for the fireplace.

a mantel can be added later.... getting it basically pulled together before the twins get here is what's important now.

the fireplace brick may look totally different w/o those reddish cabinets, mirror and brass stuff around it. I think it will and will look fine without all of the 'ugly' around it.

getting the cabinets calmed down, an area rug on the floor and a good color on the walls will all be major changes you could live with for some time. Then you have time to think on it more and decide how much more you'd like to do with it. but it'll be very nice to get your stuff out of boxes and put away before delivery time.

I think it'll be a great room close to the kitchen for the kids to play in, watch tv in, dh to sit and watch a ballgame etc.

I think moving the TV back into the shelf area (removing a shelf or 2) is a very good idea also.

Ack, my den looked alot like that until 3 months ago. Our brick is a peachy color that I hate but my husband did not want to paint it. So we painted the cabinets on either side a soft white, removed the brass surround and left the fireplace open, we tore down the paneling and had new sheetrock hung that we painted SW tealight. It really changed the whole room. Our room had windows to a back porch so very little natural light and the introduction of the tealight and white paint really made a difference. So my advice is to not paint the brick, with the new colors on the wall you don't notice it.