I’d like to welcome Cheryl Torrenueva, of Home Heist and Restaurant Makeover fame, as our next Design Dilemma Guru-in-residence.  She’ll be lending us her makeover savvy through to the end of the year, but if we don’t get to your dilemma, not to worry, someone will!  Welcome Cheryl, and I look forward to you turning every interior into a restaurant…HA! Just kidding. 

A Bit About Cheryl:
Cheryl quickly moved from one of the top 10 finalists of HGTV’s 2003 Superstar Challenge to guest designer on Home to Go, to host of Rooms that Rock, a team member on Colin and Justin’s Home Heist and most recently a design host on Restaurant Makeover. 
After graduating from Toronto’s Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Interior Design, an internship at Gluckstein Design Group, one of Toronto's premier design firms, sparked her passion in residential interiors.
Cheryl’s MO is to always integrate industrial design aspects and non-conventional materials into everyday residential designs. That said, as with every good designer, her style is constantly evolving and refining, and can perfectly appease both feminine form and masculine detail. 

Cheryl has had a few cameos on Design Dilemma during Carson Arthur’s tenure, and let me tell you, I did a little printing and pocketing of her plans…She sent full plans!  Today however, her official kick-off, we take on a generic fireplace…

From J. Hall: "Can you give me any decorating ideas as to suitable accessories that I can decorate the fireplace I currently have?"

Cheryl suggests: This is a great start to make those plain old bricks more exciting. You can definitely reuse some of the pieces that you have, but there are a couple of ways in which you can make this area a feature;

• Paint it! I know that some may cringe when I say this, but I think it necessary to paint out the brick, white. Use a primer that seals the brick before applying the final coat. Paint everything including the shelves but leave the hearth as is. If you want to keep the existing fire screen, think about painting it silver or even matte black to give it more of a modern touch..
  

• Reflect to Embellish; you should take advantage of the recessed areas beside the fireplace ***. Custom cut mirror to fill in the areas above and below the shelves. This will instantly make the space feel larger. 

• For the area above the fireplace, choose a chunky framed mirror that is roughly the same size as the fireplace screen. You can go with black or with a beveled mirrored frame.

• Clean Up the Ceiling; remove the existing track lighting and add 3 pot lights to keep the sightlines at ceiling level clean.  Place a light centered with the fireplace ***, and the other two to lined up with the recessed areas.  If you want to keep the track lighting, I would suggest moving it so that it lines up with the fireplace ***.
  

• Accessorize; when accessorizing, you should always try to tell a story.   Choose things that relate or compliment each other.  Start by hanging your pictures in a grouping in the recessed areas (see drawing) and keep the shelves clear of any knickknacks.  The area above the mantle should have a mixture of books, objects and candle light. Remember to create balance by keeping the accessories at the same height on either side of the mirror.
  

• Art? To add some warmth, you may want to find a piece of art with a vibrant palette of rusts, taupes and browns instead of a mirror.

• Add texture with natural elements by adding dried grasses to your existing vases, or perhaps a natural woven basket to store firewood on the hearth.  The more layers and textures the more interest you create! 

Got a Design Dilemma?  Take a photo and send it (in jpeg format) along with your question to stylesheetAThgtvDOTca, with Design Dilemma in the subject line. 

Previously on Design Dilemma: Carson Arthur Helps with Shallow Soil

Related:

Cheryl Creates a Super Helpful Plan for a Kids Bedroom