Hi Carolyn ~ I like the picture and vision that Shake it up added with adding a mantel which will come closest to working within your budget. To remove fireplace stone is VERY expensive, the pictures above show a recent design I just finished. The mantel alone was more than the budget you are wanting to work within. Not knowing the area you live it all depends. As your budget allows update the track lighting to LED and put under mantle like shown in picture. Paint the walls in a soft camel or grayish color. Add one big piece of art to the side of the fireplace or place a few items from a selection of collectibles on shelves would be nice as well, like your baskets.

Our fireplace isn't as tall as yours but does go floor to ceiling. We have a simple, rough sawn, 10 x 10 beam that we used as a mantle and corbels. We starred at it for a few years before we finally decided what we wanted to complete it ( I have no idea why we didn't think of this before!); I had one of my photographs put on canvas and we think it works here perfectly!

I would agree with a big chunky wood mantel and a very large piece of art to break up all the stone. Update the lighting and I think you'll like the finished product without putting a lot of money into it.

Mary M.

I would change the mantel with very light colour quarts stone, make it into a floating shelf.Paint the stone of the fireplace also very light colour,it will compliment the floor.A big contemporary mirror would look great an the wall.This way you bring the hole room back to this century!!!Good luck,I`m sure it will be beautiful no mater which solution you`l choose.

Oh, dear God! No barn wood please! Since that is a huge fireplace, you need to tone it down, not make it worse. Covering what you have with tile (some many choices) would be the answer, however it's not going to cost $300 if you hire someone.

Keep the fireplace as is. Soften the contrast between the stone and the walls by painting the walls a light to mid-tone in a colour that brings out the warmer tones of the stone (not grey) and ties in with your new flooring. I have used Benjamin Moore HC-34 with limestone.

You don't need to do ANYthing to the fireplace itself or hang or place anything beside it
Because the fireplace seems to be tall & skinny, it is felt that it could topple over.. thst is the only discomfort. To fix this optical delusion you only need to paint the walls on each side of it the same color as the mortar ---as though the entire wall is the fireplace. That will provide the balance --the comfort, that I think you are seeking
I also would not like to see it cut in half (visually) with a mantel; and the dark opening provides (visual) heaviness, so I wouldn't block it either, especially with something so flammable as baskets .
Also, the fireplace has enough texture that nothing needs to compete with or add to it in the space beside it.
Just enhance it simply & enjoy it .

If you have a green thumb, get some Woolly Pockets and plant something that would thrive with the lighting conditions, then place them strategically on the fireplace to create a living wall. Then install shelving on the drywall to the right.

well $300 will barely get you paint spend a little more on the fire place since it will be the focal point,

It is a lovely stone fire place!

There is enough clutter around especially when you have children, so shelves would add more. Instead I would suggest to look for a nice ethnic rug or, depending on your choice of frame, think of a BIG mirror to hang either on the wall next to it or better on/above the fire place.

My house is aCalifornia tract house built in 1966. All of the houses had those ugly fake rock fireplaces. In the 90's I had mine changed. The guy who fixed it put drywall over the rock, put up a mantle and tiled the bottom part. I have wanted to mount the TV above the mantle but I think that since there is solid rock under the drywall, that is probably not possible.

havent read all comments, hope this isn't too repetitive. I would go with a bold piece of art rather than a mantle.

Don't paint the stone!! I had a friend that tried that and the results just didn't work.... I like the idea of a chunky mantle, or try balancing the fireplace by hanging a colorful rustic rug on the wall next to it. Love the baskets, but move them to the space on the right side of the wall for balance.

I so agree with potchiemagoodleberry, and was thinking the same myself. Bringing a rough-cut mantle shelf all the way across the wall would "widen" the look of the tall stone-work. Apply rustic wood to the wall below the shelf would blend the textures...... Add some colors with pillows and free-standing art, and some colorful art on the rustic wood..... and you have one-heck-of-a fireplace...

Late to the party here but some thoughts for you to consider. Since both the Hickory floor and stone fireplace have strong textures it might be interesting to paint the adjoining wall or the entire room, in a shade of Gray. Then install a basket collection on the wall beside the FP. Place the baskets evenly spaced like a gallery exhibit. Fill the wall top to bottom with these baskets about 18" apart.

Another concept; use a Kilim or old flat weave rug as art on the wall. Love to see when it's done. Jeff

It's a great feature. Find some paint that makes the fireplace 'pop' and then just repaint the walls. I agree that it may be a bit cluttered. Try removing some of the decor around it. It's really a pretty fireplace :) Enjoy it!

What about a gorgeous specimin plant or tree to the side of the fireplace. Lose the "things" around the fireplace bottom...they take away from it's beauty. I agree with a sculptural piece over the fireplace....large driftwood or iron piece, but it must contast with the stone. But I would still add a plant somewhere. Doesn't anyone like plants anymore?

Plants are like subway tile. You love it or leave it;)

I purchased a home about 2 years ago with a similar fireplace. Loved the house, hated the fireplace. My painter put a light glaze over the rock so that it didn't look like a Barney Rubble house. It lightened the space and the room and now it doesn't "pop" out at you. It's more subtle and my other decor speaks for itself.

@wooliewebs, I love plants - if they are real. I am also a plant biologist, so that may have something to do with it! That said, my collection has decreased since kids. Time devoted to caring for my large collection is now devoted to caring for my kids ;-)

We also have a local-stone fireplace that goes floor to vaulted ceiling. It has a rustic beam-type mantel and we hung a large, framed picture over it (a poster we purchased of the Grand Tetons on our visit there). The previous owners had put two can lights over it -sort of "spot light" effect....sort of. We have gotten a lot of compliments on the feature. Do not demo!

Your fireplace stone is beautiful! You can update it quickly by editing (remove the cushions and baskets). Move the log holder to the right and place horizontally. The screen appears more narrow than the opening. If so, I recommend a larger one. I think a pewter colored finish (low sheen, spray paint suitable for high heat) would look great. Find a nubby textured throw to roll up and put in your basket and place on your floor. Your new floors will look great. Enjoy!

...a v simple way would be to take the same wooden flooring planks make an 2 ft rectangle with the sides being uneven , but within the stoned area, add small square shaped framed art ( 3 of them ,to give a rectangular visual area ) towards the bottom end of the planking and affix that on the stone about 3 ft over the opening .This would of course jut out over the stone work, but will look nice. Hang a wrought iron hurricane lantern so that the bottom of the lantern is about 6-8 inches away from the planking top.

Keep it. Once you put in the floor, the fireplace will look amazing. Give yourself some time to see what it looks like with the new floor and then make decisions after that.

Have you considered dry walling over it? You can leave the firebox opening and maybe down the road, when you budget allows you could tile the wall around the firebox and add a mantel. I think I read that you may consider removing the raised hearth/seat. We recently did that on our brick fireplace and found that we had to frame-in and sub-floor over a hole in the floor--the footing for the hearth.

Mantel

Darn, thought I was going to get away with a one word response-should have known better. If you paint the walls a taupe, beige or other color pulled from the stones, the stone will blend better with the walls and not jump out at you so much. Not to mention that some color will also soften the massive presence of your walls.

I agree with Flair. Needs nothing that you could possibly get for $300.

Floors are fab.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking you must decorate the 30 foot wall. Keep your focus on the bottom 8 feet where you will be living. Draw your attention the your living area not the high walls or ceiling.

What does the rest of the room look like?

You will not be able to demo it for $300. Leave it and concentrate on the rest of the room.

Simple solution..paint the wall next to it a darker color so it becomes texture not an eye sore..then hang some floating shelves in an off set pattern in the color of your wood flooring.

You could place an extra large canvas art picture with a lot of white or cream in it to lighten up the space.

Can you post another photo? I would love to see more of how the rest of the room relates. If you do the same angle as pix #2, but include more of the room and the windows? Right now, I'm with the no mantle group. Horizontal floating shelves to the right ... also a no for me. It is, what it is! You need to embrace its height and decorate to celebrate it as a feature. The hickory flooring is beautiful. I think updating your lighting there is what will enhance the FP.
Invest your $300 is the most dramatic contrasting light fixture you can find hung at the mid way point. It will break up the space without cluttering it. Photo show is still too cluttery and chopped up (imo) show it just for scale of fixture and relative height to hang.

I think you could do as flair lighting said. If you wanted to hide it you could choose a grey or beige that is dominant in the stone and paint the surrounding wall that colour. That would make it camouflage a little. Then maybe make something else your feature. Maybe a large piece of artwork or a frame???

It needs a big huge minimalist mirror hung on it to break up all the stone and scale of how large it is. It will reflect light and brighten the space too. :) Good luck!

If you can save and budget, for a bit of a reno. Then use your flooring it's great, do a similar wood rustic thick Lower surround/mantle , a tall thin Porcelain slab-same material on bottom of surround. this will give a great wow factor. Tiered Pendant lighting in the corner over a thick seating cushion and accent pillows. Simple rustic with a modern touch.

Porcelain Slabs run about $30-$35 CAD per. sq ft. Aeon Tile carries a great selection.

I agree that having more pics of the space would show us what the fireplace looks like in relation to the rest of the space. I also agree with melbatil that the fireplace looks like it could topple over at any moment. Instead of a heavy mantel, I would hang a very large globe pendant with a soft light from the ceiling on a very long metal rod somewhat close to the stone so that is breaks up the height of the fireplace.. A globe would have some presence, then you could take down the track lighting. Like others have mentioned, I would then paint the wall next to it a grey color that matches the grout. Remove all the stuff on the hearth and voila!

Everyone's ideas are outstanding! I took some of the ideas and put it into the photo but am not sure I should do all the additions or pick one or two for the space. I will get more photos of the surround in a little bit. If you love or hate anything in the photo please let me know so I can edit accordingly. I should be paying everyone for this support!

Not sure I like the whole fireplace surround - just a nice big chunky mantle will suffice. Love the darker paint !

These are some photos of the space.

This is another option for the flooring it's a larger planks at 7 1/2 inch and hand wire brushed. If this could be a better option than the hickory let me know!

I agree that the surround does not work. You don't have a traditional surround/drywall fireplace. Don't try to turn it into something it is not; embrace the unique style! Below is a picture of ours. It isn't the best lighting or resolution but it is the only one I have handy on my phone just now. It is from Halloween so we tilted the picture frame. The big spider is actually suspended from the ceiling fan. :-) The black squares on the sides of the firebox are wrought iron heat vents built into the structure. You can see the beam-type mantle, though. Let that stone be the impressive feature it is!

Found another photo from Thanksgiving shortly after we moved in. You can see from the previous post that we have since painted and done some other work to the room. The antlers you see between the mantle and photo were already there. I think the previous owners had an antique gun resting on them.

A vacation home we rented this summer had a fireplace similar to yours in that it formed the corner of a wall with "blank" space to the right. Theirs does not have a mantle but instead had little stone shelves jutting out in a random pattern on which the owner has placed pottery or other decorative items. The blank space to the right is a built-in bookcase and cabinet. Just a few more ideas!

Thanks for the additional pix. What a big light airy space with views to match! Wonderful. Whatever you do, don't do "everything" - paint wall, add light fixture, and upscale the hearth. Make the seating nook colorful and dramatic

too with multicolored and patterned cushions and pillows in lux fabrics.

Lessismoore I really love your photo! What you did has really helped! Thank you for your time and effort!

oh those pendants......

If it was my room, I'd leave the fireplace as is, however, I'd paint the wall next to it a bold color---maybe a rusty-orange color, then I'd put several rows of hickory-wood floating shelves to the right of the stone wall, extending one of the shelves across the stone at mantel-height to tie it altogether.

I like the idea of a mantel that extends all the way to the wall on the right to use it as a shelf, adding a few shorter ones step-staggered above it.

Shelves:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/christoffersen-contemporary-living-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~102124

Paint color to match fireplace to blend it in more on that same wall as the fireplace:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/ashland-street-midcentury-living-room-seattle-phvw-vp~5560402

Choosing wood flooring that brings out one of the colors of the fireplace:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/refaced-fireplace-eclectic-family-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~2117439

The fireplace has a lot going on. Perhaps a wood flooring with a simpler look would really make the room pop with a mid century flare.

Adding a mental wth iluminating lighting would allow the fire place to have new life. Have you considered a mental created from reclaimed wood?