Painting a travertine fireplace...thoughts? (photo)
tkaz2013
6 years ago
Long story short. 10 years ago we had a red brick wall & fireplace, we drywalled the "wall" & put travertine on top of the brick. Kind of wish we hadn't done that now but..that stuff isn't going anywhere!
I just painted my walls gray (excuse the paint mess, furniture was pushed into the middle of the room) & I've been considering whitewashing the travertine.
First, covering tile feels wrong. ??? Is it?
Second, I worry about scratches, like if we scoot a vase on the hearth & it scratches the whitewash, or Christmas decor on the mantle.
Third, if I change my mind in 10 years can I get it OFF???
What do others think?
I included a current pic, and the original from 2005. The hearth is wall length. Our tv is much smaller & on the opposite wall.
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PROSabrina Alfin Interiors
6 years ago
PROSina Sadeddin Architectural Design
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Help! Travertine BS has unwanted pink undertone!
Comments (8)ellendi - Thank you for your kind words. I talked to a interior designer friend of mine after I posted. She said absolutely don't change anything until the floors go in later this week. The grey cast from the cement slab may very well be adding to the undertone of the travertine. Another friend stopped by this evening to take a peek and said that looking directly at the BS, she didn't see any pink. However, when she looked directly at the two areas where the existing paint meets the top of the BS (no wall cabinet above) she did see where the coloring got funky...meaning in addition to the cement cast, the existing paint color, although it never looked out of place before, may very well be causing the travertine to change tone in those two areas - which just so happens are the two areas that have bugged me the most and looked the most off in shading. Because it came from someone else other than the crazy wife, DH actually sounded receptive to repainting the downstairs so it can be better suited color wise with the kitchen, which sounds like to me is more than likely going to have to be painted to better suit the BS. There is hope yet--this option sounds much better than pulling the whole thing out - which I don't know if that would even be an option with the DH. :D blubird- Thank you for sharing your experience. I have previously moistened it with a wet towel and it did take on a darker tone - I just wasn't sure if it was enhancing the pink tones as well. Although I purchased one and it's ready to go, I am going to hold off on using an enhancing sealer until the floor is in and then also possibly until after any painting is done. I am almost positive the paint color needs to be changed so I might as well have those constants in place before I enhance the travertine part of the BS. Which enhancer did you use? I purchased Miracle Sealants Company 'Seal and Enhance.' I checked out the reviews and it seemed like a good product although I am always open to suggestions!...See MoreNext Step...Painting....and I need your help!! [Photo heavy]
Comments (60)Thanks Ramses, but my DH vetoed anything brown or tan immediately...he doesn't like brown walls. I know, there are different kinds of browns and tans, but at this point I don't want to argue over, I mean discuss :-), it anymore. I was also thinking of a gray, but thought that would be too close to the black/white I'm known for. I want color! So, we decided to go with the Cornsilk in the Kitchen & DR and Wedgewood Gray in the FR and, I think, the LR. My DH is out buying the paint as I type! The color opinions here & on the Home Decorating Forum were split about equally...half for Cornsilk/half for Wedgewood. We decided to go w/our original plans b/c, as David123 said, it's easy enough to change it if we don't like it...or if after this foray into color I get bolder and want deeper/different colors! I'm taking baby steps here...! BTW...I did call a couple of BM stores near us and neither had color consultants any more other than the store staff. They both told me they discontinued the consultants...didn't really get a good answer why. So, what does everyone think about A TP holder w/room for extra rolls and a similar one for towels that are recessed into the wall OR A stand for TP in the corner in front of the toilet & towel rack for towel hung over the toilet OR A TP holder mounted on the wall in front of the toilet (sides are too tight) and a towel rack above it OR Something else all together?...See MoreHelp! Which paint color to go with travertine floors
Comments (54)@donna Hennings I’m leaning toward aesthetic white. What color did you use for trim paint? I’ve got to pain trim, cabinets and doors. I’m leaning toward alabaster for that. It’s not alot of contrast. I don’t want to go darker or on walls. But also can’t go whiter on cabinets as kitchen has the brown/beige/cream/gold granite and a lighter travertine backsplash. Plus of course travertine on kitchen floors (living room has dark walnut hardwoods)...See Morerenovating kitchen and master bath but want to keep the travertine
Comments (9)The whole point of stone countertops was that one would never have to replace them. "They will last forever" everyone claimed, to justify their use. Those stone slabs were quarried from the earth and transported via ship from a quarry that is not likely to have been in North America. Do you really want to refresh by putting them in a landfill? I would, instead, stick with more easily changed colors and trim. I like the color of your maple cabinets, too. I fear that darkening them to the color of the beams would make the kitchen feel much heavier and maybe oppressively so. I would keep the cabinets, paint the peninsula some (taupe?) color that goes better with the travertine, but pairs well with the counters. If the backsplash really does not look right (can't really tell without a view of the tops of the counters), then replace that. Just be careful to choose something that is not trendy - or choose something that is a cutting edge thing that might yet become trendy - or you will be wanting to tear it out in five years. With cutting edge, you may get ten. If you really want to replace stone counters, try using Formica or Wilsonart, so that it is far easier to change them out when you become tired of them....See More
tkaz2013
6 years agosmileythecat
6 years ago- PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago tkaz2013
6 years agoUser
6 years agotatts
6 years ago
PROLori A. Sawaya
6 years agoarcy_gw
6 years ago
deegw
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoIt would help if you moved all the stuff away and we could look at the whole fireplace wall. From the photos, the fireplace and wall seem out of balance but it is hard to tell.
I think your stacked wood could look really interesting in the right context, again, it's hard to tell from the photo.
It appears that the color tones of the wall, the fireplace and the floors seem a little off. I am afraid that whitewashing the tile might emphasize the tone differences between the floor and the paint.
The other thing you might consider is adding wall trim to around the fireplace to make it more finished and add some height and balance.
This a little more ornate than I was considering but it will give you an idea.
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