I would paint the entire fireplace including the mantel, all trim and shelving white. I like the Whisper White, but you must bring the paint samples into the room to see for yourself. The sheen on all woodwork should be semi-gloss, easy cleaning and looks crisp. I agree with painting the walls and I would paint the part above the mantel the same color as the walls, Summer Hue is beautiful, but once again I have no idea how that would look in your room. The walls should be flat most brands make a fairly easy to clean flat. If the fireplace were the focal point of the room, it could look very cool and dramatic to paint it a very dark gray almost black. But at least in this picture it seems that the entertainment/shelving unit is the focal point. hmm .... better stop while I am ahead.

Thank you roj leather and Simon for your recommendations. I like the hanging chair and the almanda creeper on the wall. This will certainly liven up the patio.

I'm not against colorful homes. There's bright, and then there's too bright. I wouldn't go with persimmon for the whole house. The photo you provided has lots of white trim which offsets the orange, but your house doesn't have that much trim (unless you were planning on adding some, which I think would look good no matter what color you ultimately choose, but even so, I wouldn't go with persimmon for the whole house, as it's still too bright). To repeat what @nwduck said, the other homes in the neighborhood don't appear to all be done in the bright colors, and so yours would stand out too too much. I like @deco's idea of the bright door, if you really love a bright color. For the rest of the house, any more subdued color would be fine, along with additional trim around the windows, and assuming that your siding color coordinates with your roofing color.

I would say definitely teak for outdoors in the tropical climate. Wicker would be fine if it's in a covered area. Here is an article about different woods for tropical climates. "The price of sustainably grown tropical outdoor furniture is becoming more and more affordable as the industry utilizes other varieties of sustainably grown tropical hardwoods, such as the following: Eucalyptus is a sustainably harvested plantation grown hardwood that possesses a smooth finish, lovely grain and a rich honey-red color that weathers beautifully due to the high oil content of its wood, and it smells good to boot. If allowed to weather naturally, the wood will take on a pleasing soft gray patina. It can be stained to retain the rich golden red color of the wood, however most people prefer the soft gray patina. Eucalyptus is less expensive and much easier to maintain than some of the other woods used for outdoor furniture. Balau is also one of the hardest of all tropical hardwoods. It is much more dense than teak and is in abundant supply. Like eucalyptus, it is more affordable than teak and will also withstand years and years of exposure to the elements. You will want to treat the wood occasionally with good wood oil if you wish to preserve the natural color, however this is a very low maintenance outdoor wood. Teak for good reason has become one of the most sought after of all the tropical hardwoods. Although it was at one time the preferred hardwood, along with mahogany, for ship building and decking, it is now grown on teak plantations due to its scarcity. The demand for teak is still high among those who are able to make the investment in furniture made from this beautiful top quality wood. Teak outdoor furniture is one of the more expensive options for outdoor furniture." http://www.thehouseandhomemagazine.com/Articles/Vol1No8/OutdoorFurniture/tabid/228/Default.aspx