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Design Dilemma Fireplaces Home Decorating

I think my fireplace is swallowing my living room.

Kaitlin Johnson

6 years ago

I originally wanted this dramatic fireplace wall, but I underestimated how small my living room would be. Now, I think it has overtaken the space. Any tips or tricks to make it less obtrusive? Or, is this look ok? I'm interested in all suggestions. Whether it be as small as painting the mantle, or changing the fireplace all together. Thank you.

Featured Answer

hatetoshop

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Paint the wall over the fireplace mantel the same colour as the other walls. That should do it.

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Comments (13)

deegw
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
It's too much. Your room is very nice but it can't handle a soaring accent wall. Paint it the same color as the wall and it will recede.

Concentrate your decorating at the people level. If the people space is finished nicely, your high ceiling will look light and airy not bare.
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PRO
Flo Mangan
6 years ago
Just some tweaking. Are those mirrors either side of fireplace wall. Not sure they work well. I think the turquoise accent color isn’t working quite right. I would change out as you can to a more monochromatic look. Adding cream tones. Then you could hang a creamy round piece above TV to break up that space. A creamy/white Juju perhaps. Something with dimension.
K Laurence
6 years ago
It’s the paint above the mantle that’s the problem. Paint it the same as your other walls.
PRO
Flo Mangan
6 years ago
Something like this. Notice quiet art either side of fireplace wall.
RaiKai
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Definitely second or third painting the wall over the mantel the same colour as the rest of your wall. It will seem less...looming...than it is now.
amykath
6 years ago
I completely agree with what has already been suggested. Painting the fireplace bump out the same color as your other walls will make a massive difference.

Lovey room!
PRO
Flo Mangan
6 years ago
One more suggestion. When you can get a more substantial floor lamp. That one is pretty, might work in bedroom, but too small for this room.
Olychick
6 years ago
The thing I like about the wall the color is that the tv kind of recedes into it. If you lighten that part of the fireplace, the tv is going to be way more prominent and stand out. And the tile/stone will still be where it is in the room.

Is there any way to move all the furniture away from the fireplace a little more? Could you take a couple of shots from farther away? Maybe an adjustment in the arrangement could help? The colors and room are very nice.
PRO
Lars/J. Robert Scott
6 years ago
I agree that the surrounding wall color should match the fireplace wall color, but you could paint the rest of the room to match the fireplace wall or paint the fireplace wall to match the room. Having the contrasting colors makes the room too choppy, but either color would work for the entire room. I would not change the ceiling color in either case, however.
Edolie M.
6 years ago
as already suggested, paint the mantel. Its the mantel that's visually heavy and holding your eye in one spot. Either the whole mantel the color of the walls, or the bottom part of the mantelpiece the color of the walls, which will leave the mantel with an airier 'strip' of wood. Try the latter first, you can paint the rest, which is probably where you'll end up anyway. Once you reduce the heaviness of that mantel, your eye will be free-er to move about the room. You can further reduce the visual weight of the whole fireplace bumpout by painting it the same color as the other walls. This will make it 'disappear' into its surroundings.
dedtired
6 years ago
It looks very odd to have the television be so much larger than the fireplace. I would definitely relocate the tv. Losing the mirrors and painting as suggested by others would help.
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Betty Wasserman Art & Interiors
6 years ago
Painting the wall over the mantel the same color as the rest of the walls would probably help a lot.
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