Definitely stain the fireplace surround to a rich & darker color. A friend had a built in hutch in her dining area which was open to the foyer in a relatively new home. I hated the color from the get go. But this spring she re-did her kitchen and included refinishing the hutch. The faux painter called the former color "urine" and transformed it into a rich dark brown. Her crystal looks stunning inside but more importantly, it has revitalized her tired looking dining space. My first thought when I saw your photo was to darken the surround and it will look stunning against your wall color and make that POP factor too! From the photos I'm not certain about your brick color, that might need to be changed for more of an accent as well. We changed our fireplace surround during our remodel and the used brick interior looked uneven and detracted from the whole. Our painter used some black paint-- almost like charcoal and then wiped it off. The result is still brick but it fades into the design and doesn't cry out for attention on its own. I'll try and upload a photo this weekend for you to see what we did.

You don't need to find this elusive plan. You need a professional who can create it for you on the lot you have taking into considerations what makes the most sense for your unique lot and area.

We've been snowed in for just about 3 days now and so I have had time to think about things, we are expecting warmer weather tomorrow! I'm confused about what to do with my fireplace. The hearth is flush with the carpet and it's hardwood. The sides of the fireplace are in ceramic tile. It all has to be replaced. I'm not sure if we should 1. pay a contractor to raise the gas fireplace just a few inches to have a small hearth 2. keep the fireplace low and where it's at and just embrace that everything is flush and don't have a hearth 3. Keep the fireplace where it's at and coordinate the tile and still have a hearth (maybe do faux stone?).

Hey There: My suggestion for your windows are motorized roller shades. I believe you don't have power to the windows, so a lithium battery operating system (the charge lasts 6 to 9 months) with a remote control is a great solution. Minimalistic style to keep the openness of your windows. You will cover only the squared part of the upper windows though - the roller shades will line up with your horizontal bars in the window. The different height in the window give a nice variation in design. The roller shades are only 2 1/4 and not bulky - no casing is required and you can operate them from your smartphone. To charge the roller shades, just plug them in like your tablets and recharge them over nite - done. (no chain though)