Option 1 or 2. It's totally up to you. Both would look good. It's a personal preference, go with your gut.

If you painted it white it would make the stonework POP. If that is what you want. I would probably suggest painting it white ONLY IF you are also putting in a kick-ass hearth. If the hearth is going to be underscaled given the size of the fp then I would probably stay with the wood mantle EXCEPT I would go for an oversized distressed piece of wood. Very weathered and that sticks out (almost like an old barn timber that has some splitting in it, etc). Once that is installed then you can fancy it up with photos, candlesticks, large seas shells or whatever the vibe in the rest of the house is. The third option is to find a remnant from a stone yard something more than 4 inches thick that has its natural edges. I would certainly stay away from what I call the "creep" where the floor color flows up the wall to the point that the fp is no longer the focal point.

Have fun. Wish I were you.

P.S. I like the wood you have just not the scale You may want to hire a distresser or tackle a fun DIY. They sell paint you can paint on and then rub it off with steel wool to get that distressed wood effect. a lot of blogs offer how to's on how to get er done.

Option 2.

thank you Chroma Design, at least it narrows it down to # 1 or #2.

I'm not sure if we want to make it white to tie it in with our kitchen OR if it's better to not make it look like it's part of the kitchen. Is white a more casual look and dark stained a bit more of a formal look ?

Don't be afraid to stain it a lighter color than the floor. If you are planning on keeping the walls white, you'll more than likely want a contrast to the wall. The white paint on a white wall on this large wall would just fade away in my opinion. If you decide to paint your walls then add some color like a medium taupe and then I would recommend a semi gloss white paint for the mantle. Good luck with your project!

thanks ! The walls are actually painted a very pale beige (Dunn Edwards Tea Biscuit). My contractor will paint, stain, make it look distressed etc. but the wood itself is there to stay. Thanks all for your good ideas. I'm just not good at this.

that made me smile and you're right, we'll have furniture... a comfy cocoa brown microfiber sofa, dark wood coffee table, my husband's recliner, floor lamp. On the mantle we'll have a large burnt brown framed mirror hung, a couple of candles in vases and a 11 x 14 framed family photo. Nothing fancy or new except a new area rug. Under the window closest to the fireplace we'll put our sofa table that matches coffee table. Our TV is mounted so furniture faces that wall, not fireplace wall. Windows will have roman woven shades.

Just need to decide about mantle. I was planning to get a 3 sided free standing fireplace screen.

Sounds very nice! And I really like the three sided fire screen instead of a flat insert. From the description of your furnishings and the burnt brown framed mirror, it sounds like a white mantle might be the way to go. A stained mantle may blend with everything whereas a white makes each piece stand out more.

HI -- I think the fireplace should be it's own look , not matching anything else . I think it's own stain color lighter than the floors. I like the idea of a wood mantel with a natural edge. What's there now ,-- the surround,-is not wide enough,- it's a little too thin.

The fireplace should be a focal point but most important find out if the mantle is a stain grade or paint grade. Either way you can go with a color that is a medium color that way the stone facing & hearth will pop along with the mantle.

lefty47, when you say "natural edge" do you mean squared off edges?

We did remove a strip of molding that ran vertically up the sides. There is a strip of horizontal molding on mantle and some little decorative flowery thing (both glued on). We were planning to remove the cheesy flowery glue-on but not sure if we should leave the oak molding horizontal strip on to give it some pazazz. Do you all think it would be better completely squared off or would it look too boxy ? Here's a close up photo.

In the upscale model homes around here, the mantels are stained the same as the kitchen cabinets (if the kitchen is within view of the FP).

thanks j222b, does this include cabinets painted as well as stained ?

I believe with the white kitchen cabinets, the fireplaces were stained like the stained wood floor.

Option 1

May I suggest, you paint it. It would also be interesting to add some molding on the wall to add depth to the walls. That coupled with some great art, and furnishings would create an environment that would play classic elements with modern. The art I would suggest needs to be more modern. Without knowing what other elements you are putting into the room and without knowing what you are trying to achieve in the created environment it is difficult to know. I do very much like that you are covering the old brick with the great tile, well done.

Paint it and make the stone the star of the fireplace!

HI --- For a natural edge means a slice of log board with the bark edge still on . I wouldn't guage interior design by what the show homes have because they are done to appeal to the larger public and don't have any individual character. Every thing is all matchy-matchy ---- boring !

Petlovermarcie, I agree with Chroma that either option 1 or 2 would work. And I have to complement you on how gorgeous your hardwood floor is. It is such a gorgeous colour.

lefty47: Well, around here the "larger public" is looking at 1 million dollar model homes....not too shabby considering that price is before any upgrades. They're gorgeous models, lefty47, even you might pick up a few pointers....

If it was my house, I'd paint it white. I think it would look fresher and more modern that way. I think the stain would give the fireplace a more rustic feel. So, I guess it depends which you are going for. Good luck! Love the space :)

HI --- We are surrounded with multi- million dollar homes , so I know what I am talking about . I live in Oil country after all.The highend homes are all mostly the same . Same styles, same colors, same decorating, same, same, same. I have learned a lot over the years and one thing I've learned is just because they have money doesn't mean they have good taste . I also don't assume things about people.

I would remove the wood "frame" on the sides. Find a good cabinet maker and have him/her fatten up your mantle across the top. Add a couple of corbels underneath the mantel and yes, stain it to either match the floor or be a bit darker than the floor. We just redid our fireplace too. Added stone and took the existing mantel -- thickened it up and added corbels. (Wish our corbels were a bit "fatter.") Your fireplace can and should be a focal point, so don't be afraid to go "big"!! Here is a picture of our before and after if you'd like an idea. You might even want to continue your new stone all the way up to the ceiling?

http://www.osbornewood.com/corbels-and-brackets.cfm

I'm curious as to why you decided to keep the original oak mantel and you are now talking about removing a portion of it?

I would like to see a chunkier style mantle stained the colour of the floors. I think it would look fabulous!

Karen paul interiors, the oak is in very good condition and already attached. I guess this is why we decided to keep it (running low on $ after all this work). What we're removing are little cheesy flowers, thin wooden decals that were glued on so very easy to remove.

I am considering building up the mantle and maybe the sides. Just wish the opening was centered as I'm afraid it will look off balance with one side more built up than the other. Tough having that one side butt up against the wall. Another consideration is the gas starter is in the floor about 6" from the left side so need to allow room to turn the key.

I love all the good ideas you're giving. Thanks!

I would like to see this mantle sandblasted. It will distress and allow the grains to raise. then wash with white. The wood will be visable and a wash of white stain will give a timeworn look. I like you kept this mantle, a few things will make it look great.

Get a professional sand blaster in, cover everything well. The results will be soft, subtle and enhance the brick. .. You could beef up the oak on the mantle top as an after thought .

Cheers!

DEW 340 will be your trim if you are doing a white surround. Your tea biscuit doesn't have much pigment....very, very light. I would suggest you try a few samples on boards (go to Michaels) and choose something from your brick that is compatible with your furnishings. I'm referring to colors vs a white trim. Take your photo of your fireplace and let the technician guide you to the correct families of color. Also, the photo will help him suggest the best product to prepare for painting. You have an open grain wood, so that needs to be considered in your prep stage. I don't think I would attempt to stain, as you are going to get some difference in color between your surround and the mantle piece. Good thing about painting in a color is you can always change it if you someday decide to repaint your walls. Also, once the dust has settled, you might find room in your budget to rethink the mantle and surround.