Don't worry. It's just transplant shock. I had the same problem last Sept when they were just planted. Now they are blooming with shinny green leaves. I have several of "Pink supreme", "white", "scarlet" flower carpets. Only one of the "white" flower carpets got a bit of powdery mildew last winter. They are such tough plants and easily to root. I dropped some cuttings to entertain my very busy toddler. Now I have several new plants!

It doesn't take much water to allow concrete to hydrate, in fact it can't be too dry and still be placed in the field. When concrete is poured the excess water rises to the surface as the aggregate drops. That water must be removed and the rest of the water in the mix is used up in the chemical reaction with the cement (hydration) which is often called "curing". That process was completed long ago so the concrete isn't giving up any of it's own moisture. It must be coming from somewhere else. The possible sources are earth and air. It's not hard to figure out if you consider each possibility separately. But first make sure that the downspouts are installed properly, all rainwater flows away from the house, and any foundation drains and sump pumps are working. It would help to know the climate, the kind of wood used (KD, GRN,) and how the air is conditioned in the house.

Although pretty on the sample, I think once it's installed the limestone would be a little on the "blah" side for me. A fireplace is an ideal opportunity to inject some interest into the room so I'd go for something more like the other sample you have posted. I really love that and think it would be beautiful in any room (but I may be biased since we chose something similar for our kitchen backsplash as well as an autumn toned slate for our master bath). If you did go that route, you could install a carpet like the one in the center. An alternative suggestion is that there are an unlimited number of color options in the Frieze especially when it comes to mixing multiple shades. Maybe you can find one that combines a the colors of the flagstone with colors of the darker carpet as well as some darker brown to match the floor. That's kind of what we have and it's awesome. I don't know if it's because of the kind of carpet it is or if it's the mix of colors but the occasional messes from a sick animal have been so easy to clean up and it doesn't show stains or dirt. I think ours is Shaw.

Carpet installer should be able to tuck directly to the built in with no problem and it shouldn't be noticable. We do it all the time if a built in was originally installed over carpet. No worries!