All of these ideas are good so far. What about this? What appeals to you?

I would add some flat beams to your ceiling in a painted finish. How high is your ceiling?

Thanks for all the feedback. I like the idea of leaving some of the stone exposed. We close Nov 1 so I will update when we are aboe to actually get in there

We repurposed an old brick fireplace into the next century by adding cabinet grade plywood facings and 1 x 4 trim with a new mantel. The hearth we covered with slate and the a 6 inch facing around the firebox.

Adding the mantel alone may be enough to make it feel traditional. If you do go ahead and build up the mantel above, make sure you wire it for electrical and or tv!

Oh, no! This is a beautiful fireplace. I hope you install a simple thick wood mantle (similar wood as those wonderful floors) and that's all. The stone gives it a warm, welcoming look.

Do not cover that beautiful stone - only enhance it with a lovely mantel.

had similar situation. Boxed it in, and bought beautiful mantel from "the mantel shoppe", emantel.com. Highly recommend! All custom sized I bought the Bradford for a simple farmhouse and was very pleased with result. But there are many lovely styles to go with a variety of decors, good luck

I would leave the stone and simply add a heavy, traditional, white mantel. It would be more of a transitional look than a truly traditional, but I think your stone is lovely!

Beautiful as is! No enhancement needed IMHO.

We tackled a rock fireplace that was quite ugly and transformed it into an eye catching focal point. We removed the rock, which you may not be able to do if you have a true masonry fireplace where the visible rock is supporting more rock above. We built out the fireplace chase,then added a cast stone mantle and covered the new chase with a split slate veneer. In your case if you can not remove the rock you might try furring our around the existing rock and adding the new mantle and chase covering. Before and after photos are attached.

Television is off center. Stacked stone veneer, super easy to work with!

What about painting an ugly brick fireplace? -- and what color should be used?

Some good and interesting ideas here. But - when building out around a fireplace, check local building codes. I have seen homes for sale that fail inspection because someone re-faced a fireplace and used combustible materials (wood, drywall, plywood) too close to the firebox. Just an FYI -- enjoy the new house

If it was mine, I'd remove the brass insert first. Then wait until I furnished the room. The stone is pretty as is, so I wouldn't be in a hurry to change it. Live with it for a little while. But, I think a simple live edge slab for a mantle would look nice, without putting in a surround. A lot depends on your style of decor.

I actually like the stone but the fireplace seems oversized for the room. I think I'd tear out the stone and replace it with a smaller stacked stone that ends at the mantel instead of the ceiling.

I would leave the stone its stunning and add a mantle but even up the size by making built in shelves all the way on the right rather than leaving the small arched alcove . You could have display shelves on top and storage doors on bottom

I would leave the stone, as I think it adds character and looks nice with your wood floors. I have a hard time seeing what the hearth ledge is made out of (perhaps a stone slab) but it looks dingy and needs a good cleaning. The fireplace doors could be replaced to update the look or just consider taking them off. You might consider doing a light cream paint wash over the stones to tone down the colors a tiny bit. Many times we are in a hurry to tear down or modernize something, when we can just tweak what we already have and not spend a great deal of money. A chunky rustic mantle would complete the look!

sample only

Love the stone. I would add a hard wood mantel and put a large traditional painting above it....framed excellent and representing your style. The bookcase is what doesn't work in this room. I would sheetrock over it, totally remove it. Good luck and congratulations on the house!

In other places, an option would be to ask a stone mason to lime plaster between the joints in the stone to make a more uniform profile and to downplay the stone itself. Less rustic if there are fewer bumps. In those cases, the stone colour seems to adapt to the lime 'mortar', this allowing you to dictate the tones of the room. If the lime were white or a cream that complimented the eventual wall colour, you could end up with a full stone fireplace and chimney that doesn't dominate so much. A mantle is always nice, and you could do one (with or without a surround this goes to the floor) in the same stone colour as the lime. The photo of Anna Rhees shows a more rustic version of this that works. You would need to use rugs and soft furnishings to make sure that the room retains the warmth but the stone would be a worthy centre-piece.

The only thing I would do would be to put a thick wood shelf over the fireplace. Stain it a warm color like the floor. It's gorgeous just the way it is.

Here's what I have done for a similar look. Work with the other elements in your room - the arched doorways. A little rustic is good!

No matter what you choose to do with the fireplace, I can only say one thing: "lucky lucky you" :)

I agree with the ideas from Intermix INt. In my view there is too much stone for the wall it is on. The proportions are off. By boxing part of it in it will enhance the look of the room. Fun project...good luck!

I would build a surround and leave the beautiful stone around the opening of the fire box to meet code for non combustible. Then drywall to ceiling above and hang your favorite piece of artwork or mantle clock with a few favorite collectables to create more interest! A slightly darker paint color above the mantle would really help the whole thing pop.
Beautiful room! Love the arched doorways and hardwood floors

If the walls on each side of the arch to the left of the fireplace are equal, whatever you do needs to take into consideration that you could create an imbalance in the look there if you wrap the fireplace entirely. If the wall is not equal anyway, you could wrap both of the sides of the fireplace in wood and part of the front of it on each side to create a narrower stone chimney in the middle of a wooden wall above a new mantel, using a fireplace surround/mantel something like the second pic suggested by The Buckingham Group on September 20.

Like Roger28's idea, but would also extend the hearth, if you use it much you'll thank us later

I had a similar fireplace, only out of brick. I hated it & lived w/it 40 yrs! Just had it done in a similar style to the 3rd pic at the top. My mantle is natural maple. I LOVE it! Can't believe I waited so long. It didn't cost much to cover it w/sheet rock. Got the mantle off Craig's List! Good luck.

We make beautiful mantels (custom built). There are a lot of them on e-bay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Made-Wooden-Double-Mantel-Mantle-Envy-/330404562100?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT

the house has a style, from the 1920s. the FP can be the same style. I would have a real designer whose work you have seen and liked, come to the house and have a mason check out the stones. I doubt that this FP is original. The theme in the room is the arches, which can be replicated in the FP

I would leave the stone but add a beautiful traditional wood (your color choice) mantle. With the mantle and how you decorate it, it can look very traditional.
I'm still working on ours. We need window treatments and the wall hanging (I'm thinking a mirror) above the mantle.

I would spray paint black the fireplace brass and leave the brick exposed. It looks like a beautiful home;)

I would first take out the brass doors, and use satin nickel doors. I think you should live with it for awhile before you decide to do a drastic change. But, I would try repainting the grout in a lighter shade, almost as light as the room's woodwork, and adding a mantle that is the same color as the room trim. These inexpensive changes may be what it needs to bring it up to date. You can also actually get someone to faux-paint some of the rock that is not your favorite color. I painted the hearth rocks on my fireplace, with the help of my artist daughter, and they changed the whole look. From the pic, it looks like your hearth is also too dark. I didn't use special paint, in fact, I got some of the tiny sample sizes, and worked 3 or 4 shades together to create veining and depth. Of course, you would need to clean this very gently, but then, a rock fireplace really doesn't need more than a thorough dusting anyhow. I like the arched bookshelf - it mimics the door on the other side. Put your favorite things here, and then decide if you want to change it. From my own experience, I urge you to try to live with what is in place before you go to an expensive reno. Try a mantle and some paint:=) Home renovations are always more costly than we expect...give the fireplace a chance.

Okay call me crazy but I would paint the stone black and put a huge starburst mirror above it. It kind of gives it a modern twist yet still enhances the floor. Don't do what everyone else is doing. If you want to get a feel for the black just put a black sheet or black cardboard up. That built in wall shelf I would paint the back white. Or honestly I kind of like it how it is too. But would still paint the white behind the shelves. Have you looked on Pinterest?

No I'm strongly thinking leave it like it is and just paint the gold trim with a krylon high heat spray paint. I would go with a traditional mantle in white but an antique one that goes with the history of the house.

a stone fireplace is very traditional. I tend to like stone.

I'm buying a property and the one thing that I really need to change is the fire place any good idea and advice would be appreciated and or recommendation in weatherford Texas thanks

Looks like a Spanish/Southwestern style home? The rounded firebox opening is unusual and limits some of the choices. If this is a sw style home, I would stick to doing some relief in plaster. One idea would be to build out a "hood" out of plaster -- basically sticking out from the wall above the opening and looking like a canopy rising to the ceiling.

It appears to be an adobe fireplace with SW roots. Given the region of Texas where you are located stone and timber are much more traditional. If you want to give it some splash a Moroccan tile could be appropriate given the house style.

I like InterMix's 3rd picture example. But I do like your FP as it is. Work with the colors in the stone as one reader who sent a pix of her room. Add a big chunky mantel & maybe paint the back of the bookshelves one of the colors in the stone. How about accenting with bronze & pumpkin or butterscotch. I'd live with it for a while. I think you might end up liking it.

That is one awesome fireplace! I wouldn't touch it for a million dollars.

I'd live with it for a bit before making any changes. You may get a better feel for what you would like to do. But pleeeze don't paint the natural stone, just to be doing something different. It would be a hard mess to correct when you quickly tire of it.

Live with it for a year. It is spectacular. Be sure to avoid the HGTV shows that rip out original character and turn wonderful homes into looking the same (which get outdated VERY fast.)

That is such a beautiful fireplace I think the most I would do to it is to paint the brass doors black and add a classic mantel similar to this. This would give you so many options to accessorize and style the wall with ceramics such as large ginger jars, a mirror or a nice painting. That is a feature wall to die for!

That stone is gorgeous...are you sure you want to cover that up? That is unusual stone, is it regional to your area? Why don't you consider improving the hearth instead, making it more inviting, it looks dark. I think that is what is taking away from fireplace. WHY DON'T YOU TRY LIVING WITH THE FIREPLACE before making any decisions. Light and bright furniture and light color paint on the wall might be better.

I appreciate all the feedback! To clarify this is not original to the house (added in the mid 90's) or I would absolutely would keep it. We are looking at options that are true to the original design. I will update when we have decided and done the change. We close nov 2. The house in in Northern NJ near NYC.

I agree with others...this stone is gorgeous. Why change it? Best scenario is the idea presented by rbrad: add a mantle to give a little breakup, then decorate.

As others have said, the stone you have is beautiful. Our home is Colonial Revival style but it was built in 1941. The downstairs living room fireplace had been wood burning but converted to gas a number of years ago. The living room has the original mantle which we saved and re-used on new stone work and new built-ins. A second fireplace was added to the upstairs family room (room with cathedral ceilings) where we used the same stone but different mantle style.