Client Progress: Flagstone Fireplace

When my client contacted me about helping her with her family room, her biggest complaint was how dark her family room felt.  She has this massive flagstone fireplace that reaches to the ceiling that weighs down the entire room.  The walls were also painted brown.

She wanted a light, airy and bright space.  

Initially, I suggested adding white millwork or tounge and groove paneling above the mantel to diminish the flagstone.  That might be a project she will tackle down the road, but for the time being, she took my recommendation of painting the mantel and living room walls in a warm white.  

In Progress:

She plans on getting a larger piece of artwork to go over the mantel, but I love how the originally brown mantel (now white) changes the whole look of the fireplace.  It breaks up the flagstone.  And, the white on the walls brightens the whole room.  This is what the fireplace looked like before…

Before:

Slowly, but surely, she is making progress and it is looking good!  Baby steps, right?  We've all been there.  She told me she has wanted to paint for the longest time, but was afraid to for fear it might look all wrong.  She now says she just wishes she would've done it sooner!!