Probably not what you wanted to hear but if it were me I would paint it as close as I could to the cabinets...they are what you see with the return...not the stone.

I have much the same in my "now " DR. The huge open cabinet was not finished on the sides as it was a built in rescued from am old home in New England. Fast forward to my room. The sides were open. I had GC cut pieces of cabinet and place them on the sides. Then I looked and looked and decided that the wall color was what tied it in to the room. Here is a link. I think the greys would show up as too much contrast.

sides white...

{{!gwi}}

are no chocolate...( I can take a better pic if needed)

Thanks trailrunner! Very pretty cabinet you have, and you're right that does make the side disappear. My concern with that in my application is that because it's a drywall and stained wood, it won't be exactly the same.

I suppose that can be option 3: painting the same color as the built-ins

Nice stone! This may also not be what you want to hear but I'd paint the return as well as the entire room in a darker grey.

why would you paint the whole room darker, luckygal?

I would get some molding stained to match and just trim along the drywall where the stone hits. Will there be crown molding? If there is and it's stained to match the cabinets it'll really look like you meant to do it.

I think it's not actually as bad as you think it is right now. It looks good! Finish it, put your stuff out, and then see if you need to go back.

Yep...fori's idea is even better ! A nice molding to frame it out....will look better than paint. Great idea. c

I vote for # 1 leave as is.

The overall look is amazing and looks really good; darker paint around those built-ins would overpower the room, imo .

I like fori's idea also, to frame those sides. But honestly, once your built-ins are
accessorized, I doubt anyone will notice the sides, since the frontal view is what strikes you most when you enter the room.

I'm in the molding camp....

My vote: Leave it as it is.

Now that the bookcases are stained, you have a large dark presence at that end of the room. If you darken the return-wall, it will all blend together and become one overwhelmingly mammoth dark object.

I actually like the light return-wall now... it breaks up the darkness and makes the fireplace "float"... which is good.

I think it looks gorgeous as is. I wouldn't touch it.

Not very helpful here-- I just want to stay I like the stone and the pale gray.

Those in favor of molding - where would it go? There is no crown.

Beautiful. I'd leave it as-is. *Maybe* add molding as some have suggested but I wouldn't feel the need to paint darker.

I too would leave it as is. I don't think it needs a thing. Once you fill/accessorize your bookcases, the color of the fireplace return is going to be a complete non-issue.

I tried picking out a stone color to use, but frankly, none of them looked good with your wall color. Clashing grays or greiges. I tried using the wood color, but that didn't look right either. All these produced a block of odd color that just didn't fit. So I tried a darker version of the wall color, so that it looks like the wall in dark shadow, and to my eye, that looks fine.

Is there any way the moldings on the cabinets can be removed so the return can be faced in more stone? Then put the moldings back on the cabinets, size adjusted for the stone facing.

awm - no.

I do like the photoshop you did, but if people really think it looks ok as is I'll hold off on doing anything right now.

Hello,

Another vote for "leave as is", I think it looks great!

if people really think it looks ok as is I'll hold off on doing anything right now.

I really think so! I think you may be over-thinking things and worrying over something that is not even an issue. Then again, I understand doing that. It's often hard to "see" something a certain way when you're in the midst of making one decision after another anyway. Your room is going to be stunning. Your fireplace is just wonderful, and I can't wait to see the finished space!

Another vote to leave it as is.

ditto what SunnyCottage said. If I see another post about this and a request to vote again I am going to scream.

I think it looks gorgeous as is!

Wow, the built-ins look great now that they're stained. I really like the pale grey on the sides and wouldn't change a thing.