Don't paint the wood on the bookcases. The wood will go with everything-at least this one, since it's a pretty and deep color, rather neutral.

Now white won't look right with the fireplace too, It will need to be some darker, warmer color So I don't see what you will be gaining. Your wood is very nice.

I'd be more worried about how to tie together your living room which has more earthy feel, with the kitchen that will have "fresher" vibe, with gray and white.

The floors you are changing..are you painting the walls as well? or the wallpaper stays?

The biggest thing to consider is the fireplace wall..of course.

I wouldn't touch it, (especially-it being rather nice brick) at least until I have everything else in place-new kitchen, floors, maybe wall color.

Then I'll try to bring gray and white in accessories, and style around the fireplace, to have more natural flow between the kitchen and the living.

Does all the furniture stay? I feel it brings the room down a bit, being on a heavier side. There are also many pieces (table, etc) that are more or less the same finish.

It will look different when the flooring will be changed, but maybe you'll decide you can take something out of the room/bring in something in other color. Maybe you decide you can paint one small piece, like a small end table, or easy chair or something. And pick something bold for it-lemon yellow? scarlet red?

I'd also bring something bigger for that wall on the right from the fireplace..it looks a bit not balanced enough, in comparison to the shelves. Bigger art? Higher plant? Something along these lines.

It's a pretty room.

I think the same, don't paint the bookcases or hearth are but maybe remove the wallpaper which is confusing the eye and then paint the walls a tone that is in the brick on the fireplace. Then it will look cohesive.

I'd be more inclined to paint the brick than the bookcases. They go well with the fireplace surround; however, if you wanted, you could paint them all for a fresher, lighter updated look. I think you can paint the bookcases and then put a couple of coats of protective poly on, if you are worried about wear. But I'd bet that people here can recommend a very durable paint. I'd definitely remove or paint over the wallpaper, as it does look dated to me.

Thanks! I will wait until the rest of the changes have been made and maybe re-post a picture. But to answer your questions, yes the wallpaper is coming down! And we are also pulling the ceiling down and replacing it with smooth sheetrock - don't know if you noticed the lovely stalactites on the ceiling. To the right of the FP is the dining room and I am considering adding a wider but shallow buffet on that back wall. We will be replacing most of the furniture too - this is an older picture and its pretty worn out now! Would love to hear more ideas and suggestions!

Instead of painting the entire bookcase, you might think about just painting the back. You could also use a lightly patterned wallpaper for a different look. This way, you are not seeing so much wood but it won't get scratched.

I'd add non-permanent wallpaper, contact paper or fabric, maybe lighter burlap (with starch) to the back of the bookcases and maybe even consider darkening the bookcases with a stain. Could you add molding above the bookcases?

Yes, I do Iike the idea of adding some trim on top to make them look more finished! And the top of the right side does look higher but that's an extra shelf sitting up there! Good eyes! Putting something on the back side is also an interesting idea - but if we do that we will have to remove a lot of the contents so that it will actually be visible....

Funny - I just got an email from one of my renters who just left - saying how much they love the house because it feels "like home". I hope our changes don't negate that feeling....but it so desperately needs an update. We bought it 25 years ago from a retired couple who built it and planned to live there full time - but then the wife fell ill and they sold to move closer to the kids. The only thing we changed so far in the living areas was to replace the old cranberry colored carpet with something lighter. It's time...looking forward to tearing that wallpaper down right after Labor Day!

Not sure if you want to paint the brick, but I would start by removing the wood surround/mantle. That alone may give a more modern vibe.

For me for a vacation home I would leave the wood. It'll be lower maintenance and it is a nice colour that will blend well with a wood tone floor, plus it seems both contemporary and cozy. I happen to also like your brick from what I can see, it looks pretty inoffensive, and I think it could tie in well with white cabinets and stone countertop in your kitchen, but will clash with ikea bodbyn grey so if you are committed to the gray cabinets I would paint the brick warm white.

I'm going to cast a vote for white cabinetry as I believe the gray will lack a bit of longevity and look dated a bit sooner. In a vacation home you don't want to be switching out the cabinetry every 10 years. I do really love the look of the gray and would do it in a main residence where I updated more often.

It looks good, but especially (to me) because of the painted shelves. Would you consider a color for your shelving like they did?

It looks good but IMO not necessarily better. I'd re-evaluate once the wallpaper is removed. You also need to keep in mind that your book shelves are actually full of books, so creates color.

I changed black on the fireplace for antique brass, lol. And an old one at that. Everybody and theirs aversion I guess..

Together with that, whitewashing seems more natural looking.

(I remember one of the last entries in Maria Killiam's blog was dedicated to changing a brick fireplace..many comments about fully painting vs whitewashing vs completely changing..if you want I can find it for you. Commenters share their experiences and all. )

Otherwise, I don't think the transformation is better than what they had. They like it more because it's newer, and they got tired of the old look. But for me, who sees it for the first time, nothing screams "What a great transformation".

(and yes, I am somebody who hated her newly inherited fireplace so much she changed it as much as she could. (Still not done). So I get it. I fully get the desire to completely change the look of an irritating fireplace. I am just not particularly impressed with the article)

I agree with nosoccermom-it's better to tackle(or not) the fireplace last. You'll see better what it asks to be, when you change other things around.

I wouldn't hesitate to paint the bookshelves and the brick. I like the example you shared in the link, and I also like white bookshelves with a slightly darker toned brick (like Olychick's last pic). Properly prepare the surfaces for painting. I've painted so much wood in my day and never had a problem with its durability as long as I prepped, took my time, and did it correctly.

I did read through the blog aprilneverends mentioned - here -and it was very interesting. I will definitely wait until we get the wall paper down before doing anything - will probably also take the wood trim off also. I do feel like some of the commenters on the blog, that anythime you paint brick or stone, it tends to look like lipstick on a pig. But if you have a pig, and you don't like pigs, you have to do something! We could cover the brick with tile, stone veneer, or sheetrock (at least on top) and that might not be too expensive. But for now I will wait and ponder my options!

The bodbyn grey is very pretty too :)

I would whitewash brick and then take thin board and upholster or wallpaper to fit back of shelves. Bright and light and easy to change!

Here is link to a thread I just started on the Kitchen forum asking for help with my other kitchen design choices- cabinets ordered -opinions on my other selections. I would love input from the folks here who might not follow that forum - and it shows a pic of the flooring I am planning to get.

As I said above, my basic style is more contemporary/transitional so I really feel like I'm struggling with this vacation home remodel - it doesn't really fit my normal style and I want to make sure it has a very informal look to it.