Project Update: The Fireplace

our house has a gas fireplace which I love because i don't really do real fireplaces. (and that's because when i was really little – like 2 or 3 – a house burnt to the ground in our neighborhood and my parents took me out to watch. i don’t remember it at all but i have always been afraid of fire which they attribute to the watching that house. i used to freak out over candles even in our house growing up although i got over that and will even light my own now. :) but wood-burning fireplaces still scare me a little. i’m fine if they are in someone else’s house but not mine. my parents never once had a fire in the fireplace. it's a little cray-cray i know!) so a gas fireplace is the perfect option in my opinion – particularly the on/off switch. plus it’s a lot neater than real wood.

there was a point to this story... oh yes the fireplace area in our house is really blah. i found a great mirror at homegoods for above the mantle but i feel like the yellow walls blend into the built-ins and nothing really stands out. 

my plan is to add some color in the form of wide horizontal stripes in red and off white above the mantle that will wrap around the sides as well. red is such a hard color to choose - don't you think? i had about 15 swatches sitting on the mantle for a long time but have finally narrowed it down to one (the one on the left above): combustion from california paints. and for off-white i’m using the tried and true linen white from benjamin moore. something like this:

the little bit of wall below the mantle will be painted out the same off-white. i can’t wait to see how it looks!