Picture rail/ painting conundrum

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

Can anyone help with a painting conundrum?

My house is predominantly almond white throughout with beige carpets, courtesy of previous owners

The finish is good thus I've introduced colour via furniture and soft furnishings.

I'd quite like to paint the alcoves either side of the chimneybreast in the lounge a fawn/mushroom/grey (predictable!). I've done this in my bedroom and I love the way it adds depth. The chimneybreast and walls remain almond up there, and there's no picture rail.

The lounge has a picture rail (you guessed it - almond) about 30cm from the ceiling. Do I continue the fawn/ grey colour above the picture rail? Ordinarily I like the effect where the ceiling colour reaches down to the picture rail, and a contrasting colour is painted underneath, but this usually applies where you're painting one continuous wall. I only want to paint the alcoves!

I can't really envisage it.

I don't think I really want to paint the picture rail or any other walls in the room, I just want to break up the almond a bit

Can anyone advise!

Why don't you paint up to the rail then see what you think? You are talking about the back wall of the alcove aren't you? We have about two and half feet between the picture rail and ceiling - I think that would look odd a different colour from the ceiling in the alcoves, but with a shorter distance could be fine.

If you know the house is painted almond white it won't be a big deal to re-paint it if it doesn't work.