Trying to love my 1930s fireplace - what colour walls?

[Lasize]

Here is the very brown fireplace we have discovered behind some boarding. What colour walls do you reckon? Its a living room. The floor will be sanded floorboards. SE facing room. Usually I am quite confident with my colours but a bit stumped on this one.

Duck egg?

This eau-de-nil from Little Greene might work?

I think that's gorgeous! What about a sage green colour?

I think it's fab. I would not put a colour with it though. I would just put an off-white with it and get similar coloured funky 30's-50's furniture like this

Tbh I think it's very much the colour of wood - pretty neutral - and would not build a colour scheme around it. It would look good with a wooden surround.

I would put a mantelpiece around it. Have attached an image showing one with a titled fireplace just like yours. Either left as wood or painted off-white.

I'm wary of "colour" as a general rule. These greeny blues are lovely but I'm not sure I'm brave enough! If I did chicken out of "colour" am I right in thinking a warmer off white would be best?

I don't think it originally had a wood surround. The sides are curved and the skirting goes right up to the tiles on both sides. Hmm

That 3rd pic is pretty cool PrimalLass.

I started off thinking the fireplace was Ok, but wouldnt want it in my house, but PrimalLass's pic looks gorgeous and now Im very envious!

This is the bedroom one. Another challenging colour. I love this one though.

It would look better with one though

I think I would be inclined to keep it. It is part of the heritage of the house and deserves to be kept. It appears to be in good condition. Regarding colours, I would look at Slipper Satin, Pointing, Skimming Stone or Clunch by Farrow and Ball, depending whether you think a warm shade or a more cream shade is better. I think Pale Ash or Silver Birch by Designers Guild would look good too as the roomis SE facing. White for any woodwork, such as Wimborne White by F and B would go with all of these.

Personally I think putting a surround on it makes it look Victorian/Edwardian so it mixes up eras. The fireplace is later than that and is more 1930's. It is big enough to keep it as it is and have a large oval mirror over it. That would look very smart.

The surrounds I posted came up when I googled 1930s tiled fireplace.

I think it would look nicer without adding a surround.

I'd paint the walls white/off white - F&B Pointing, Dulux Timeless maybe?

I love the third picture of the fireplace very similar to yours with the wooden surround. you could wash the wood so it wasn't so heavy. that breaks away from the colour of the tiles then, leaving you to choose whichever décor you want.

Mind you a mix of era's doesn't bother me, I think it can look good when done well.

You could paint the fireplace itself. My parents' house has original 1930's tile fireplaces and they painted the one in one of the bedrooms and it looks great. Brown tiles are a hard look to carry off!

I was in my neighbour's house at the weekend and we were talking about original features. She has both original 30s fireplaces downstairs in her house - ours were ripped out by a past owner. The fire surrounds are similar to these around a tiled fireplace like yours. The living room one is oak in a simple shape but beautifully carved and nicer than these.

Def going to keep it (much to horror of friends and family) as I agree it is true to the house.

Long term I think a wood surround is the way to go - thanks PrimalLass, they def did have wood surrounds in the 1930s too. But will have to wait until money allows.

Think will go for a neutral... have Pointing in the hall.....

Thanks wowfudge

i have f+b dix blue with some similar coloured woodwork. if you're wary of colour maybe a feature wall? otherwise a warm offwhite

I'm with millymollymama - in fact I think I need her to come around to my house for paint advice

Ooh, please let us know what you go with. We have a similar coloured fireplace and I've been wondering what to do with that room.. So much else to do though so I haven't had time to give it proper thought..

My only tip is to avoid pink as it looks hideous

We have a similar brown fireplace too! Our walls are Timeless and because our sofas were already brown, it all works. A bit too brown though for me. In fact I would prefer to out to it out and get a wood burner in! I know that's awful but if it were any colour but brown I would like it more.

You could try painting the tiles Lagoonablue. I did that to a Victorian fireplace (sacrilege, I know, but they were horrible).