Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of the fireplace so you'll have to use your powers of visualization. So picture this: beach cottage, all newly renovated but attempting to still look like an older/retro, kind of funky beach house. The living room is an odd-shaped room with a smallish fireplace that originally had a plain white wood mantel and brick that was painted white. The hearth is gray stone, nothing remarkable. It is a gas fireplace and the trim/surround is black. When the living room is finished, there will be beadboard wainscoting 1/2 way up the wall, painted Decorators White (same as trim). The wall above the beadboard will be BM Odessa Pink (HC 59). Floors will be maple hardwood.

If we keep the brick white, the fireplace will blend right into the white beadboard. We think we'd like to paint the brick a color other than white, just to be a tiny bit crazy and make it 'pop' (sorry) a bit. The question is, what color? The furniture in the room will consist of two chairs (close to the fireplace) that have cushions upholstered in blue floral fabric with a lot of pinks and greens. There will also be a sofa on the other side of the room w/ a green & white striped slipcover. That's really it -- there is some other furniture that's all wood or painted wood.

I thought I might take a color from one of the nearby rooms. The closest room (open to the living room) is a small sunroom that will be painted Rich Cream (2153-60). The other room that is nearby is the den, which will be Quiet Moments (1563). And the stairway, which is partly open to the living room, is Lookout Point (1646).

At the moment, I'm leaning toward Quiet Moments (because I love this color so much) or maybe Beach Glass, the next color on the strip. Or I could go lighter, with Healing Aloe. Or... Rich Cream... or a shade lighter, the Ivory Tusk...

WWYD?? I need to figure this out this morning, as the painter is trying to finish up!

Thanks!