Why would you? I think it's stylish and imposing the way it is, but then again maybe you don't like the rustic feel coming from it...

Change the flooring, change the window treatments, paint the walls a color then decide if you want to change the fireplace. If anything had to be done, you just may want to paint it. The texture is great.

I find the fireplace very interesting. Could end up being the best part of the room.

I would add dark wood beams to the ceiling and replace carpet with dark hardwood flooring. Add a large dark wood mantel and simplify the window treatments.

Pick out something you love instead of this. It will dominate the room's style. There's no point in spending money to decorate when you have a focal point you you don't like.

I agree that it's awful. Here are two different styles to consider depending on your style of furniture.

I grew up with a floor to ceiling fireplace just like that with the same Stone far to the sides as well low down. My mom put up a huge mantel above the fireplace. Still didn't like it. When we bought our townhouse several years ago, it had a very similar fireplace Stone and I ripped it all off and re-did it. Huge improvement. My mom's last house had a very large river rock fireplace that was gorgeous. Point is, if you don't like it, no amount of decorating or Dressing it up is going to Change that. You could cover it with sheet rock and then put a different Stone over the top of that.

If you don't really like the floor to ceiling brick I would recommend building a faux wall casing around it the. Add the mantel! I saw the brothers on hgtv do it and it looked wonderful and is a lower cost solution than removing the brick.

Like this:

http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2012/10/how-to-build-a-fireplace-surround/

Thank you all for your input. I am wanting to get it removed as we are currently going through a remodel process, but the quotes I am getting to remove the fireplace is not in my budget.. We want to remove it ourselves but we have not tackled anything like this way before and worried what we will find behind the rocks..

OMG get rid of it, the stone is not very attractive and it is a monolith in the room. with the carpet in place put down some cardboard and a drop cloth and get a sledge hammer

So my husband tried to break the fireplace and found that there are bricks behind it! So will this be more difficult to remove? Attached are the photos
Thank you for your comments

Ok we hired contractors to remove the ugly fireplace and we love the new one! Best decision ever! Thanks all for the input.

thanks! gosh did not realize the amount of time that goes in remodeling before we bought this place