Other ideas for updating big fireplace

13 years ago

This fireplace is located in our living room. The first picture is the view of the fireplace if you're standing in the living room and the second picture is how you see it from the entryway. I think the fireplace is outdated and the scale and color overpower the room. I don't want to resurface the brick fireplace, I don't mind having a brick fireplace it's just that it's too much brick and it's too dark

I was thinking of plastering/putting drywall to the bricks that are to the left of the fireplace and painting/whitewashing the fireplace to a lighter neutral color. I've been debating what to do with the right side of the fireplace, the area that you see coming in. I want to give it a distinct feature. Should I plaster the whole thing and paint it, should I install wood panels from from floor to ceiling to and paint it with white enamel to make it it look like a built-in, or a combination of both ideas? Any other ideas/thoughts. All feedback is welcome!

Featured Answer

lefty47

13 years ago

HI --- It really looms large for the room . The more you add too it or display on it may make it look even bigger so you have to keep it simple . The view from the entrance can be fixed by putting a panel of wood full height and deep enough to cover the brick. I think white washing it will make it look better. What adds to the look that I don't like is the contrast of the morter and the brick. The light morter makes every brick show ,- so if that can be blended then I think it will look better and a little more updated. I think the rounded hearth base seems a little too large but fixing that would be a big job . But if you really don't like the look of the fireplace it may be best to remove the whole thing and have a new fireplace.

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Comments (17)

PRO
Brickwood Builders, Inc.
13 years ago
Saw a comment in the last couple of days here on Houzz ( I think it was in Before and After) about putting stucco on fireplace and how good it looked. You may want to try to hunt it down on this site and see the impact.
charleee
13 years ago
I love your fireplace as is, I think it's absolutely gorgeous and I wouldn't do a thing to it. If the view from the entryway bothers you, place a tall potted plant next to it: [houzz=
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mollythecollie
13 years ago
Until you make a decision what to do with the fireplace wall, I would put something on the fireplace to the right such as a sculpture. I'll tell you why. I can just see my son and his friends when they were teens hopping up and turning it into a seat. He would also have thrown his backpack and soccer ball on there. LOL It is a beautiful fireplace and it looks like you have a nice view through the windows.
Jamieson
13 years ago
I'd be very tempted to whitewash your fireplace. I'm all for preserving original brickwork, but if it's overtaking your living room this may be a way to scale it back. As to what to display on your ledge, I'd keep it pretty and simple...you can't go wrong with a big vase of flowers!
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Laurie
13 years ago
I would look into having the the entire thing reworked. Expensive I'm sure, but in the end it will be worth it.
houssaon
13 years ago
There was a reason it was built out into the room, I bet. Anyway, I like it too. If you find some great artwork and sculpture, I think it would really look good.
michigammemom
13 years ago
Here's a great thread about whitewashing brick that includes a fellow houzzer's before and after DIY photos. Is the niche to the right for firewood storage? https://www.houzz.com/discussions/was-the-brick-on-the-wall-dry-brush-pain-dsvw-vd~38813
PRO
Vikrant Sharma Homez
13 years ago
As said by Deborah Butler, Brickwood Builders , stucco will be a good option .
PRO
User
13 years ago
I love your original idea! Built ins would also allow you to display great pieces, particularly in the area that you immediately see upon entering. I also agree it is a lot of brick and adding wood would break it up a little bit as well as introduce a new texture. Not sure where you live or what the architecture is in the rest of your house is but take a look at the stucco fireplace others mentioned. It looks great however it really worked in that house and mimicked other arches and the architecture. Don't think it would work in a lot of houses I do in the NE which are more colonial and traditional based :)!
gumspring45
13 years ago
I agree with left47. I had a fireplace in a previous older classic type house with that issue. It wasn't the type of room in which painting brick would look good. I figured out what color for the grout would blend with the bricks. I got a stiff brush and painted all the grout. It was not as much brick as you have, but it stuck out into the room by at least a foot or more. The right color mortar made all the difference.
diymedina
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, I'm leaning for stucco on one side and stucco &wood combination on the other. Thanks for the insight on the color of the grout, I never thought about that and it can be an option as well. Agree some sort of sculpture of vase would look good on that ledge
anitajoyce
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
Love the fireplace. You could paint the brickwork on both sides of the fireplace in white and add shelving to display things.. By painting the side brick parts in white, the front of the fireplace is the main focus of the space. If you don't like the brick front , you can white wash the front of it for a nice look also. Even out the shelving on both sides also.
zzuoh5
13 years ago
Try Brick Anew. See before and after photos here.
http://www.brick-anew.com/pages.php?pageid=688
K Davis
13 years ago
I love your fireplace.
anne1950
13 years ago
If it's feasible, i'd be cladding the fireplace in stone & installing a honed beam for the mantel and side shelving.
PRO
Realm of Design
13 years ago
Hello- we have updated/converted many brick fireplaces. Some change entirely--some combine the materials. Check out our Realm of Design Houzz page or our website at www.RealmofDesign.com for inspiration.