Keep it simple. I think you are probably trying to cover it up but there's a lot of stuff there. Also, why is there a side table/cabinet in front of the fireplace? And are those wine bottles in the wood box? Does it stay cool enough? Center the mirror and take the lamp off the mantle it looks squaty. I like the camera collection but keep them together off the floor of the wood box. We love our families, but ...scan the pictures and get one electronic picture holder to rotate the pictures. They are not expensive and hold hundreds of pics, it's fun too. I love baskets too, but you might consider one large one to hold whatever is in there or use the cabinet for that. Less stuff will draw you away from what you consider an eyesore.

We recently removed a floor to ceiling brick fireplace surround. It was not that hard with an air hammer. There was sheetrock behind the brick which needed only minimal patching then texturing and painting. It lightened the look of the room greatly. We plan to install an entirely new fireplace and surround but you could keep the brick remove the brick immediately around the fireplace. Explain the cubbies to the left of the fireplace?? it looks a bit awkward.
Option 1: Consider removing the brick from the edge of the cubbies over to the left edge and putting a hearth to ceiling book case there. Lower the mantel to about 12" above the fireplace and let it die into the book case.
Option 2: Lower the mantel as before but stop the book case at the height of the mantel and let the mantel keep going to the edge as it does now but lower. Remove the brick above the mantel and texture above.

Unfortunately, we can not remove the brick it goes straight through to the other room and is a load bearing wall. The other side of the wall use to be outside porch and is now a glassed in sunroom. The brick on that side is fine. As for the cubbies that used to be wood storage from outside to inside as there are metal doors behind. I love the book case idea but I can lower the mantle as there are brick pedestals that hold them and I have asked a contractor to remove but they have steal rebar in them and we can not remove them because it will damage the load bearing wall.... I think the book shelf is a good thought.

I will remove the lamp and center the mirror for now and see if that helps till I can get a book case built. Wine is being moved to a frig when my laundry room is complete. I do have a larger basket and I was planning to remove the piano seat and other chair. Thanks for the suggestions! Keep any ideas coming.

Painting is out, but what about tile?

If that's out, I'd declutter, fill the cubbies (which I assume can be removed) with a pale wood (e.g., birch logs), put some shiny objects on the mantel (you already have some - they just need to be curated a bit), and switch out the black screen for a stainless steel. That should detract from the dark brick and encourage the eye to look at the brightest spots.

I would cover the brick and cubbies with gyproc and paint to match the wall and get rid of all the stuff on the mantle When covering just make sure the space on either side of the firebox is the same , I think if you go to the edge of the cubbies it should be.

If possible shorten the mantle or replace by one that has the same colour as the bricks. Now, with the white mantle, the contrast is big and draws attention ( which you just don't want).
Even better remove the mantle and all that's there and put a huge palm, ficus or other plant there. It will soften the look of the bricks.

The mirror is not serving its proper purpose of reflecting something beautiful or interesting. The ceiling does not qualify. With such a narrow space between the mantel and ceiling, I'd use it for a collection - your cameras, for example - gives you an excuse to collect more of them. The wine storage next to FP seems a bit incongruous to me - wine should be kept at cellar temp, not FP temp. I'd remove all of that shelving area and put in decorative logs - so the spot looks to be fulfilling its purpose too. I'm guessing from the chair and table in front of the FP that your furniture could use arranging too. If you want more help, comment here and use the Attach Images button below the comment box to add more pix of the room.

So if you cannot remove the brick try this: build a book case in front of the cubbies, extending flush to the left edge of the brick, up to the mantle and about 12 inches from the fireplace opening. I agree with decluttering. Instead of a chair try bold solid colored throw pillows on the brick hearth in font of the book case. Consider placing a unique collection of relatively large or chunky objects with not much fussy detail so that from the room you can appreciate the shape or color of the objects - such as a collection old crocks or colorful pottery, objects that compliment the massiveness of the brick. Consider painting the mantle another color that compliments the objects

I like your fireplace, just have too much stuff around it that doesn't work together. I would remove the wine shelves and the shelving above that. Then go back with a more conventional Horizontal shelving that would work with your mantle. The x and the vertical piece in your shelves doesn't work with the fireplace. They seem like an afterthought or a makedo kind of approach. I'm seeing more brick on the interior of homes and I feel you have a perfect fireplace that could look real nice with a few simple changes. Find some shelves that flow with your mantle, or change the mantle as well. The Old Cameras are awesome!

Remove the mantel for starters.

Groveraxle, that looks good but she said she could not remove the mantle because of the brick pedestals with rebar in them, holding it up. How about what you did, but paint the mantle brick color so it blends in with the rest of the brick.? Maybe she could remove the mantle but leave the brick pedestals there...not sure.

I love this idea too. Paint the mantle black, it will disappear then. Keep everything to a minimum and you will nearly have this look.

Try to catch your husband in a weak moment, then get him to agree to paint! We had one and painted it all white and it looked awesome! :)
If that fails, declutter and maybe put a nice bench and cushion on the left side, or even just a rug and a vase with something tall on the side (willowy branches?), and if you don't use it for fires, maybe hang something like a painted tile picture, or a big rustic tray in the space over the opening and mantle.

I renovate old houses for a living and what we usually do is resurface the fireplace with tile/marble or a mosaic brick of some kind depending on the style and budget of our renovation. Though most of the pricing is pretty similar and minute when it comes to just a couple of boxes of tile or marble.

Our contractors usually skim coat the existing brick with thin set and then apply the tile or overlay the brick with 1/4 inch wonder board and then apply thin set.

It all depends on what type of design you are looking for: more modern or antique. Best of Luck!

Love your thinking kooch! weak moment... ha ha. However if you could match the brick you could fill in the UPPER cubby. The remaining cubby is then even with the fireplace which would clean up the look a bit. Replace the X shelf with regular horozontal shelving for books OR leave it open for firewood. Like the idea of a bench but a bench on a hearth...put a cushion on the hearth. Like erinsean's idea of removing the mantle but leaving the brick pedestals. Thank you erinsean! Hadn't noticed the pedastals but gives me a whole new idea - Place 3 glazed clay pots of the same color - turquoise or deep yellow with greenery in the pot on each pedestal. Heavy wrought iron fireplace tools and replace your screen with rugged looking fireplace door to complete the look. Have a pic of a better fireplace door that I will show when I find it but this one gives you an idea...

Ignore the surround and focus in on the fireplace doors - will dress up your fireplace with a rustic look fit for your brick. Web site for the one on the left is www.fireplacex.com