I have talked many times about how color can make a dramatic change in decor. My most recent client has done well with adding color to her home and likes to describe herself as a cave dweller. Her explanation is that she needs her home to have color and to be monochromatic. She did indeed have many different shades of caramels and chocolates in every part of her decor from the walls to the couch and the accessories. Having been in the home for several years now, the builder's white fireplace was wearing on my client's last nerve. It's no doubt that amongst all the warm colors she had in there, the fireplace was surely the sore thumb.
Here's what I did to change it up:
A fabulous torn paper treatment was already on the wall behind the fireplace and gave me the color palette for what I was going to do. I was requested to make the fireplace surround look like an old European antique. I took inspiration from the many hand-painted frames, and pieces of furniture in my client's decor and came up with a scrolled design and added fleur-de-lis at the homeowner's request. This finish is done in a couple layers of textural products, with custom designed and hand-painted elements. For the scroll work, I used a metallic gold that worked with the copper glaze on the tiles that surround the fireplace and the various gold and coppers around the home. I chose to keep the glaze very light to give an interesting contrast to the beautiful wall treatment. I think I know what I'm doing to my own fireplace now!
