What paint colour to go with this, ummm, unusual, carpet?

[WellTidy]

DH and I are working from home, and therefore spending a lot of time in our previously not very used study. We moved in about 10 years ago and haven't touched it, and now that I'm spending more time in here the decor of the room is getting to me a bit!

It is north facing, single sash window. It isn't a bright room. The carpet has to stay, for now, and I don't know what paint colours could possibly go with it. It is a rust colour, but quite pale, as rust goes. The walls are a light apricot shade. There is a cast iron fireplace, which we will paint white. We have a very comfortable tan sofa in here which we will also keep as it is nice to have another option to sit on. Other than that, there is a white ikea desk, and absolutely loads of white billy bookcases.

All ideas welcome! (PS no wallpaper as neither DH nor I are up to hanging it!)

What on earth would possess you to paint that fireplace?! 😱
Could you share one or two photos of the whole room?

Cross post. I still think it would be a mistake to paint it. And I'd replace the sofa with an armchair.

Please don't paint the fireplace. Black is perfect and traditional. You could paint it Matt black if it's gloss just to look more modern.

Ooh, I'd go with very dark walls

Just don't touch the fireplace!

Much as I like dark walls in photos, or in other homes, I wouldn't be able to spend as much time in a room with dark walls as I need to at the moment. Looks great, but it wouldn't work for me.

Leave the fireplace alone!

Very very pale sage-ish green walls, or even just in recesses or one wall.it completely depends how big the room is, the shape and how its configured furniture wise. The greenish tone balances out the carpet whilst a white on it's own will show it off. What are you putting on the sash window? A pale green toned tone bling.if you get one on a white background maybe eiyh grey in that opens up options for s rug and matching decorative objects. Can you do more room pics?

I do get the not wanting to spend too much time in a dark room, OP.

Here's the pale sage idea...

Pinterest is a good place to start - just search for any key words

You do realise how difficult it is to get paint off a fireplace don't you? We knocked ours out, had them dipped then plastered back in. And if the sofa is covering it why paint it?
Save the fireplace!

Paint the whole room white and get a rug. https://www.irugs.co.uk/turquoise-4x6-havana-area-rug-33139737?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcSk6sbH6AIVSrDtCh1S3gC2EAQYASABEgLLzDD_BwE

Opposite colour on the colour wheel is a greeny blue - I'd go for a greyish sage green.

I would save my time and put the paint money towards a carpet fund.

We have skimming stone in our lounge, it’s a nice pale neutral. We also have shadow white in the hallway which is nice. If you wanted to go down the green grey route I’d suggest Cromarty. But not F&B paint, get it mixed. Johnstone’s have a licence deal with F&B so it is the exact formulation, dulux will scan the chart

I’ve pondered, and you’re all starting to tempt me with a pale sage green. What do you think to a blind in this pattern John lewis with pale sage green walls? Would that go or should I be thinking of a different green for the walls?

There are plain teal blue tiles in the fireplace, not sure if they’re original, but they’re very plain.

If we’re moving the sofa away from the fireplace, they would have looked good with the rug linked to upthread, but the rug is too traditional a pattern for me and DH. Which is a shame as it would all go very nicely.

Not sure whether the greens will go given that the blue in the tiles would be visible. Or am I overthinking?

Impossible to say without seeing better photos of the room tbh.

I would base the decor on the things you can't or don't want to change (for me that would be the fireplace as well as the light in the room) and just ignore the carpet as I would replace it as soon as I could.

I love teal so if there are teal tiles in the fireplace I'd go from there.

How can you not have room for a rug, they go flat on the floor! You put things on top of them.

I would second rbe78 and paint it in dimity it is a warm off white and I wouldn’t paint the fireplace either. Use accents of colour in furnishing and objects in coral / terracotta and teal blue.

I’ve ordered sample pots of joa’s white, skimming stone and dimity. It’s a start.

That rug is gorgeous!!

The sage green should be fine with teal tiles OP too, you are overthinking!

The carpet looks clean and of a decent quality. Can't see a fireplace but I wouldn't paint it.

I'd go for a neutral colour on the wall. A contrasting colour will draw attention to the carpet. Put the rug down, it will grow on you.

I'd pull the carpet up and have bare boards and a rug rather than that monstrosity.

I grew up in a 1970s orange and blue house. With mustard yellow, red, black and orange patterned carpet.

I still hate your carpet more.

I’ve ordered sample pots of joa’s white, skimming stone and dimity. It’s a start.

I had/have all three of those colours in my home. Joa's white is quite 'beige'. I liked it for a long time but it has yellowish undertones. Skimming stone is a warm grey and I like it a lot. Dimity has a pink undertone.

Please don't paint that lovely fireplace. I'd paint the room a sage green (check out F&B old white) and pull up the carpet and put down a rug. If you can't afford a big rug, buy a large natural jute rug and put a smaller cosier rug on top. You will get a similar effect. The main furniture ie your sofa, fireplace etc are lovely. Keep it simple.

The blind you have chosen is quite like green and woulfnt be my choice yo go with sage ish tines. I wouldnt say it matched personally. Is that the type of print you like? Ehat other types of patterns do you go for @WellTidy

Can you show a picture of the tiles?

This would go with sage walls and your white book cases. Not too kitchen ish or over patterned for a study room and a cosy character.
You could go for white slatted wood. I'd personally go for a sage green textured fabric Roman blind (much warmer than slats and gives a cosier feel) even a stone colour probably.we need to see the room or at least an approx scale room plan and an idea of your taste.