Bring your fireplace design up to snuff with this makeover lowdown

The fireplace is often the most commanding element in any room it’s in. Size and abundance of material are often factors, but as renovation specialist Ron Parko points out, our eyes are naturally drawn to the darkest object in a room anyway. Oftentimes, that’s the firebox when it’s unlit.

Naturally you want this element, and everything that surrounds it, to complement the rest of your home. In many older homes where large brick fireplaces prevail, this can pose a challenge. What do you do? Cover it, paint it, rip it out? Here’s what to consider.

Do they strike you as even more boring than watching white paint dry? Consider what makes them the darling of so many

White paint can be a surprisingly divisive issue. Those who hate it consider it too sterile and hospital-like or too boring and impersonal (think “rental white”). Those who love it would probably paint everything white given half a chance, and they’re constantly in search of that elusive “perfect” shade. Benjamin Moore recently announced Simply White as its 2016 color of the year, and white is popping up all over the design world, from fashion to interiors to objects. No matter which camp you fall in — or even if you’re somewhere in between — here are 10 reasons to give white walls a chance.

Here’s a cool inforgraphic from the folks at ContractorQuotes.us