I agree also and no, I don't want it to be too dark. I was thinking that with the back of the shelves being white and the walls maybe being Believable Buff, that it wouldn't be too dark but I think you're right, it's still a bit dark, especially since our area rug has a lot of black in it. Would it look strange to have the top light and the bottom dark? I was also considering staining the mantle and arch above the mantle the color of the floor and doing the rest in the white. Aaaghhh! So many choices!

What a beautiful space! I don't see your living area as needing to be updated, as it all seems to complement and flow well. I love the rustic elements. If anything, I would consider painting the built ins the same as the kitchen cabinets, or perhaps a shade darker. I think the mantel is perfect.

Ok, well I asked about the built-ins and got much more! ;) JudyG - I can see why it looks that way in the photo, but it doesn't so much in person. I zoomed out so I could get as much as the room as possible, so though it is tall, it's not as out of proportion as it looks in person. The current color of the built-ins is a creamier color than the concrete fireplace surround and it doesn't look good together. Beth H - The install above the fireplace is made of steel sheet metal. As far as the fan, I did want something minimal so as not to add more to the space in addition to that major metal instal;, though I did question the size and length of the fan with company and the guy, who claimed to work in the industry for 20 years, said he'd never sold a download longer than 48 in and that this size was good for a 16x17 space. Ceilings are 19 ft. I wish we could've done stone; we committed to the metal and when removing the previous surround, found beautiful stone underneath that would've been lovely to put up, but it would've thrown us way off budget at that point - metal was made and ready to be installed. The the brick is still underneath the concrete surround/metal so that'll be taken into the next iteration of this home - which is WAY down the road. Our budget now includes paint and accessories. I love the ideas you've shared and wished I would've seen them sooner! So maybe paint the built-ins the same as the walls and then the cabinets a darker color to stand out? Like the 2nd or 3rd photo. Also adding windows to integration 2. The stair used to be white spindles and copper spirals, it was terrible and we wanted something cleaner, so no, the bars have to stay. Here's a pic of that part of the room: Also - nothing has been 'styled', just livable. I haven't done the bookcases, the sofa table behind the couch is the wrong size and color, also hate the light in the kitchen, but I didn't want to overwhelm this question with all of the issues in the room. Thank you, I appreciate all the suggestions!

It seems like a dark room, and even though you mentioned a few other neutrals in the space, I would honestly paint them a cream colour. It will brighten up that corner of the room. You could always get some really great peel and stick wall paper to fill in the back panels of the built-in to add some pizzazz. :)