fireplace contemplation

A friend of mine has a floating fireplace in the middle of a mid-century modern house. It is currently white painted brick. I want to smooth it over but I can't decide between white, gray cement, or black for the smooth surface. What do you think??
E

Designer i love: Laurie Smith

Laurie Hickson Smith used to be on Trading Spaces - if you remember that show. I thought everything they did was crazy and hideous, except for her designs. She married a guy from my hometown and moved back with him to Jackson, Mississippi. She detailed the complete renovation of her mid-century home in her book, Discovering Home, which is one of the only transitional books I often thumb through. She encouraged me to go to New York and pursue my design dreams in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and I have loved her ever since!

Her style is a little more traditional than I usually go for, but the reno of her home was impeccable and she has an amazing eye for contemporary art. I can't find a pic of it online, but I recommend the book just on her son's bedroom alone. She took a crewel work fabric of animals and had an artist paint it on the walls. Gorgeous!

E