lefty47 great ideas and I would have said the same thing about removing that fireplace surround and painting the brick.

Fantastic house! And great ideas from everyone above. I don't have anything to add except I like your idea of re-purposing some of the paneling. Economical and green thinking. It'll be great - Enjoy!

You have a fantastic floor. You should appreciate it. You probably will when you decorate.

I would lose everything around the fireplace and those charming curtains, too. And all the scalloped valances.

But I wouldn't paint the brick, I really love the look of it. I would refinish the floors and stain them dark; it's unexpected and really quite beautiful. Def paint the beams.

I would hate to paint the red brick. Try to maintain it, but then brighten up the rest of the room with more earthy tones

Lots to work with...I would get rid of the fireplace surround and put up a mantel shelf. Paint the brick white. Paint the paneling the same color. The parquet is in good shape and I'd save that.

Please don't paint the brick. It looks like it's in amazingly good shape, and clean.

It's a great project. Personally, since you have varying textures on the wall, I'm a fan of treating those textures differently, even just slightly if you don't it too be too bold. When you paint, maybe the paneling is a slightly different color than the brick just that it doesn't come off as you trying to even out the differing wall coverings with one color. Make sense?

Agree with most of the above comments. Great floor! You could actually sell that paneling on Craig's List probably, as it looks like solid pine, and there are some wood lovers out there. I wouldn't reuse in there in any way, as then you are messing with the architecture, and that is one of the problems with it now. It wouldn't be very costly to skim coat the brick and just paint it, no less than painting the brick directly anyhow, which soaks up paint like crazy. 86 that fireplace surround, please! Like the above idea^. The radiator boxes - those might be a pain and expensive to get rid of - are they even working? with all the outlets in them, it wouldn't be easy, but would make massive improvements in the space! First thing I would do is rip down those cornices - yikes!!!

Think about painting the paneling first. Next I would consider the beams - I know I can hear the screams, but seriously this place needs some lightening up. Check out how that looks and if this is enough. Hear me out (still hear the screaming). The brick may look ok as a focal wall with everything around it painted. And although the floor is busy and the brick wall, the floor will be covered with a carpet and furniture I presume and the brick wall could have shelves and paintings. My point is very little of the brick and Parquet will show.

I would keep the floors as is, unless they need refinished but they look like they are in great shape. I would take the surround around the fireplace down and paint the inside of the fireplace black. I would paint all the brick and paneling white, including the ceiling and beams.

I would not paint...that is too permanent in this situation. But, I will say I have never seen such an awkward situation. I thought mine was bad..... I would put my money in making that fireplace harth bigger....with the matching woods and detail maybe flanking each side of the harth with big shelves where you would no longer see the bricks...then that odd window on the same wall make a wrapping window seat so it looks like it has "always been there" (that is my all time best saying in design. Then grounding the room with a wonderful large area rug....and floating furniture placement. I love the nook where the mirror is....that would make many interesting situations for designing with purpose! I love a good challenge! Plan Plan Plan....don't paint! Laura

*Remember it's better to NOT hide the white elephant....but, make it grand elephant....inhance it! You will be glad later on you did!

Paint the brick, paint the mantle...I would keep some of the wood wall panel but only as a accent wall and paint it as well...I would keep the floor but here's where the kicker is...I would sand the floors and repaint them a neutral color like a light gray to make it look eclectic but contemporary

I hope you are painting the panelling.

Leave the parquet floors! I would paint the beams and brick white. The wood panneling you could repaint in some neutral color, and use, carpet, drapes and pillows to ad touches of color.

Hire a brick layer to come in and "rub" the brick with morter, he will know exactly what to do, it gives brick an aged look. I'm in agreement with the floors and with painting the paneling. Good luck!

Yes I agree! The parquet floors have a charm, let them shine. Mix it up with some beautiful rugs. Horizontal paneling is faboosh. Personally I would go cheap on the floors and walls and do something spectacular with the fireplace.

I guess there will be holes and stuff left by the removal of the mantle and lights etc so instead of wiping out the brick why not just do a floor to ceiling strip of rendered brick painted some compatible colour or limestone or whatever. I mean a stip kind of protruding about one brick out from the wall maybe with a couple of little modern niche elements in it for displays. The bare brick really would not look too bad after you get rid the curtains and paint the wood paneling to harmonise with the light mortar.. Someone else suggested kind of antiquing the brick a bit and I agree that might work

All that paneling would look great in a soft white/ a white with a tinge of color. White ceilings in flat paint. Leave the floors as they are and add a hearth to the fp that blends with the colors of the floors or contrasting. Don't try to match the floor - since there is going to be a lot of white- you can go a little darker on the fp wood tones and add some soft white tiles/perhaps with a little bit more hue than the hue chosen for the white on the walls.
Add long flow-ie drapes with thick rods in your color or a darker version of the walls. (the valences have to go) They could just be dummy panels and woven roman shades from privacy. Another opportunity for another texture. If you use rods, hang the high...about 4" off the ceiling. This will give your ranch a sense of higher ceilings.
Add rugs to define areas within the space and save the money from potentially replacing the floors and/or spend it on a great sectional.
The brick fp wall can be painted an accent color. For example, if the soft white you choose has a tinge of grey (would be great w/those floors) then that wall would look awesome in a flannel grey. & you can pick up that color on the curtains /panels.
The beams you can refinish in similar stain as the floors, or pick up the color of the fireplace wood.
Depending how detailed you want to be, you could also change the shade of the wall color slightly and paint the baseboards so you can really define/differentiate those from the walls.
Email us more pics if you would like more ideas and/or suggestions. info@seainteriordesign.com. I would offer a complementary consultation to pull your new room together if you like.

jayden I really dont either, i would keep the paneling before the brick. I would drywall over it and leave the wall clean and moden with no mantle. or build it out some to match the level of the of where the radiators are. No with a big budget, i would do limestone or something. I hate brick indoors.

The last thing I would do is anything to make it look "traditional" or generic suburban. Most pix i see on here the first thing I would do is rip out their cheap surround/mantles. lol. its usually the biggest problem with the rooms

Personally I would stain the parquet as dark as possible while keeping a warmish tint to it, remove the window top treatments, keep the sheers and paint all of that paneling a light color. Take down that old mirror. Invest in a nice mantle, or depending on how handy you are... this one is from a concrete diy project I found online. Keep the brick unpainted. That will make the fireplace a nice hearty focal point in the room and leave the rest as a nice blank canvas for your furnishings, lighting and art. I am attaching a mock-up of how it would kind of look, sorry the brick looks a little messed up, but you will get an idea of how it could look.

I think I'd add more woodwork and molding to "build up" the area around the fireplace making the mantel and sides appear more massive. Next, I'd build bookcases on either side of the fireplace from the fireplace to the walls on either side. Have that lone window to the right of the fireplace boarded up and put your new bookcase over the space.. I'd probably paint the brick behind the new bookcases and over the fireplace a really warm shade of green. You might want to paint those red beams the same shade of green for continuity. Something like a hunter green would be nice. Green really pops against dark woodwork! Finally, I'd have recessed lighting--they used to be called "eyeballs" but I'm not sure what they're called now-- installed in the ceiling in front of the fireplace and bookcases and have them turned to shine on the bookcases and fireplace. The floors are gorgeous and I'd leave them alone. A really pretty oriental rug laid over them would make a world of difference in the way they look now.

can you reuse the paneling to cover the brick,? Or do a wainscoating and then paint the upper brick . And put a fake witndow on the left side to tie that corner into the room, interesting project good luck

Homes by Marie,Inc. I would paint the bricks white, but the wood mantel could be another color
what syle are you really trying to accomplish ? Black is sometimes an eye catcher and looks great with brick .

Homes by Marie,Inc. I would paint the bricks white, but the wood mantel could be another color
what syle are you really trying to accomplish ? Black is sometimes an eye catcher and looks great with brick .

I am not in favour of painting the brick, since is a permanent change and can also look very dated. However you could cut out some of the parquet flooring and install tile in a geometric pattern with the wood. The right choice of color could really add contrast to the room.

I would paint the brick and paneling white... paint the mantel black to make it look more prominent. I would also change out the screen. Keep the floors...Some nice rugs would be great. I would paint the beams a different color as well...something funky like a silver metallic to almost give it an industrial look. You could do mix of transitional furniture, touch of contemporary art and even a few antiques for interest. For the heaters, I would just paint those the same color as the walls for now. I would remove the existing curtains..They are dated...Do long rods and mount them close to the ceiling. Purchase inexpensive panels from IKEA or the likes . I would pick a curtain that would puddle on the floor but otherwise be clean lines. The combo will give the illusion of more height and be less choppy...it will also provide a little coverage for heater:)

I agree with those who recommend painting the brick and the paneled walls. While I understand where the purists are coming from, the room is just too dark, and the parquet floors and the brick just are too busy together. And I like the idea of a shag area rug, maybe cream too, with a few accessories to bring some color in.

There is an advantage to having some of the textures to work with. At least it's not a big blank boring blah room. I don't think you should decide on the finishes until you have determined the style that you are going for. Tell us more about the overall design of the house, and your personal style and taste preferences. I could see the natural brick working if you wanted a Soho loft look. If you wanted a beachy feel you could paint it all white. I would love to sit down with you and ask a ton of questions, and then come up with a scheme for you. If you know where you want to end up, you'll know how to begin.

Love the thought of aging the brick vs. painting it. Remove the mantel and put a big thick wonderful piece of wood with corbels in it's place. Paint the paneling...great texture. Restain the floors in a neutral stone tone...OR go nice and dark. Great bones here...I'd save money and work the best with what you have...decorate earthy, fresh and lux all together...good balance.

Everyone has an opinion on what you should do but you haven't stated what your style is, modern,casual, country etc., with out knowing this it is very hard to make suggestions.

I'm not a fan of the floor---too much dark wood. I don't know if I would paint the brick and the wood paneling though. Way too much brick there---why not add built in bookcases around fire place and cover up some of that brick and add a large screen tv over the mantle. Get a nice color in there and lighting, plus a fan in the ceiling would be nice. Needs character!!!! Good luck.

Are you sure that is real brick? Lived in a house once that had what looked like a very dramatic 2-story brick fireplace with chimney that went all the way to the ceiling. Turned out the builder had created the look in an almost stucco-type process. Firebox was properly installed and fireproofed including the metal chimney piping; then the surround and chimney were built out of plywood. Builder then stapled chicken wire over the plywood, then applied a thick layer of grey "mortar"/cement, and then applied a second coat of brick-colored mortar/cement - Had a long level and a trowel and created the brick pattern by troweling through the red mortar to the grey mortar underneath. Actually a good solution in that case since the fireplace weight - if it had been real bricks - would have required pretty massive structural support below it. Looked great and it wasn't until we wanted to hang a mirror and realized we wouldn't need special anchors for it that we realized what we had.

Anyway, the "bricks" on our faux-brick chimney had a similar, very clean, very regular, very symmetrical look to your brick wall.

BTW - in your case, add my name to the "paint-the-bricks" crowd. I like the parquet, and would leave it as it is. If that is real wood paneling, I would definitely remove it and drywall those areas. If it is not real wood, go ahead and prep it and paint it the same color as the bricks. Also think that the ceiling and the beams should be that same color - probably some not-quite-white. I think the different textures all the same color, with that lovely, golden wood floor would be a fun, contemporary "blank slate" to work with.

Leave the timeless brick alone. Dont rush to paint it. You can drasticaly tone down the brick overuse by starting anew with that dated fire place mantel. The fireplace can then become the feature by flanking it with bookcase shelves (open brick back) and a new mantle/wall that reaches the celing. Once you cover the brick in the center of that wall over the mantle and add the book shelves to the sides the brick will be a nice background with depth. Paint the paneling soothing greys (stay away from stark whites in this room. you need a serene color palet with the busy floors and busy walls) and complementing trim and door colors. Floors needs sanding and stain (match beams) and with an oversized (simple) area rug surrounding the furniture placement should simplify the busy foundation. The window wall needs a building look as well with window seats etc. with new window treatments it will really look updated!

Wow, this place is amazingly in great shape...the wood really looks well taken care of...If you paint the brick and keep the mantle, I would suggest installing some sort of tile where the brick is right now...that would give the fireplace a certain pop with marble or travertine, etc. Some of the comments about removing the valences...the floors are in great shape and with a few area rugs in there, that will cover the expanse...before I would paint over that paneling, I would get a professional opinion....you can have a designer come over for a fee to give you ideas; sometimes worth it when you're trying to make so many decisions...good luck; great place!

Paint is a quick and economical answer but it's not the only solution. Paint must be done correctly to last and look good for the long run. Is this an outside wall? I would suggest you contact a contractor who specializes in sheetrock work and get a bid to cover the brick wall at the least. It would be up to you to remove the paneling as well, but I would. Once you have the cost for the job you will know if you can afford to make the change or not. If this is and exterior wall, they will add a thin insulation before the sheet rock. If you decide to go with the sheetrock you will have a clean slate around the fireplace and can design an interesting fireplace surround and mantel. Mantels are a combination of mouldings so search for a wood working supply company to design one suiting your design needs. If your flooring is in good condition, have it refinished, repaired and sealed...it would be at this time you can decide if the current color or something else would be better. New mouldings around the floor and windows, perhaps the ceiling will moderize the room, change out the lighting etc....repainting the beams would be a plus after you decide what you will do with color in the room. We've had this exact project the results were amazing....have fun with it.

Thought you might get some inspiration from this photo. It looks as if the brick wall has two layers of color...a beige under layer with a white sponging atop. The fireplace surround is simple but striking and everything else in the room painted white. Love the above suggestions concerning lighting, staining the floor a bit darker, and removing curtains/valances.

Look at this fantastic grey painted brick with off white trim work; modern and classic too
http://www.houzz.com/projects/24529/Danville-Remodel
https://www.houzz.com/photos/painted-brick-wall-phbr0lbl-bl~l_37812

Sounds like you're right on track. A warm white (to match the warm wood tones of the floor) will look great on the brick and the paneling. Pull down those window coverings (especially that scalloped red valance) Then see if you want to keep the beams and the mantel brown or paint them as well. The floors will look great once you find the right rugs for the place.

I'd panel OVER the brickwork with a shaker-type mdf tall panel, paint all the woodwork white, treat the existing panelling as drywall, and treat it with a neutral coloured paint, just as you would emulsion walls, then with the parquet, sand it down and restain it DARK, then it'll look amazing

This is an article just published on the houzz site about when and how brick should be painted, titled, appropriately, "What You Need to Know Before Painting Brick." If you paint the brick, I am sure that you want it to look nice, and also if its something that is going to be a positive and not a problem down the road-and this article addresses some very important facts that most people should be aware of.
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/what-you-need-to-know-before-painting-brick-stsetivw-vs~4040365?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u161&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery4

WOW! Thank you Houzzers! I am overwhelmed (in a good way) with all the responses. I have read each of your responses and I appreciate all of your input and ideas. Funny how it seems like an even split between paint and don't paint the brick. I think I will leave the brick for now, as with the floors. Remove the fireplace surround that is currently there as well as the current curtains and valances (you guys didn't think I would leave those did you?) :-) THEN take another picture without all the distractions. :-) WIll post hopefully in a few weeks!

Look forward to seeing the new pictures after your updates, hoot_owl! Good luck... and enjoy!

This is like "to be continued" in a movie.....LOL...can't wait!!

I was so appreciative of all the comments I wanted to post an update. We just moved in and this is the state of the LR now. Well, I just realized I didn't update the *most* recent pics, the floors aren't finished here, but you get the idea!
We did the following items (to this room) before moving in.
Replaced ceiling (and insulation above) which got rid of the red faux beams
Doubled the number of recessed can lights
Removed the wooden window valances over the front windows and the florescent lights that were behind it AND the pink vertical blinds AND the curtains.. whole lotta window treatments!
Painted the wood paneling on the walls
Sanded and added two coats of poly on the floors.
Removed the arch header about the entry way to the hallway.. and in the hallway removed the wood under the "chair" rail.. added drywall..
.. I think that is it.. phew

Still to do.. Get rid of the mantle, replace the sconces (I at least took the plastic covers off and they already look better)

Going to leave the brick for the time being. I like it better now that the rest of the room isn't so offensive.

Thanks again for all the input. We are getting there! We also redid the bathroom, removed a wall you can't see in the pic among other things.. walls ceilings.. trim etc.. now we are broke and can plan on the kitchen renovation.. YOU SHOULD SEE IT NOW! ;-)

I expect that by the time you get your furniture in there you will be very pleased with the room. I envy your parquet floors.

I have a wonderful friend here in Oregon who is a designer and she bough tand redesigned a ranch a few years ago and it is so beautiful. Thought he mmight like to take a look.

I like you! - having met you only thru your initial post ideas and the consequential slew of suggestions! (a fun read) Do like what elbow grease has transformed this room into (phew is right!) Love seeing you bring your ideas to fruition - the paint on walls was right choice!