I think I like it! Could be cool!

Do you use the fireplace? Here's what we did on our brick wall but it wasn't a fireplace.

Before

After

I love it, don't change a thing! I'm also a fan of MCM; my house is 1964. I think in order to add some liveliness to it, I'd hang a abstract brass sculputure on it, or maybe a cool MCM inspired sunburst clock. Also, change up that piece of art hanging over the center of it. something bigger, and horizontal in dimension. No seriously, play up the retro of it. =0)

i'd leave it alone for now at least... right now your furniture arrangement is ignoring it, so just make it a good backdrop. the l'il ones will eventually be grown and then you can turn your furnishings to welcome the fireplace.

(meanwhile, adjust your art on the right wall so that they have the same centerpoint from the floor).

t is an actual MCM fireplace but painting is often what I do with them so go ahead, why not add a wall to wall mantel and hang the art the other way it is IMO too narrow for the space you have it. Not sure why you orient all the furniture away from the fireplace

Leave it.

If you don't love it you should change it. You love Scandinavian styles so you will love it painted. I adore your lamps they are super awesome. Maybe rearrange the furn a bit to show them off better on either side of the chairs? The rug and the light colored woods really give it that nice clean Scandinavian vibe, play up on that. Those sunbursts above fit in nicely also. This room has a hopeful look, and the red brick is heavy bringing it down a bit. Disclaimer I dislike brick so I would be firmly in the 'paint' camp almost all the time.

Someone has already changed the brick: it has a weird combination of stacked brick and running bond. That's the strange thing for me....the inconsistent pattern. Anything you do will not change that. You might choose to hang large art on the wall, which will attract the eye to the art, not the brick pattern.

These are all great suggestions! I'm not sure how to arrange the furniture and have rearranged quite a bit. The room is really long and narrow and one side is all windows, open to arranging suggestions as well. I've added a few more pictures of a different arrangement for perspective

HI -- If you don't like the brick then paint it and the walls all the same color or do what you want ... it is your house . It is not a sin to paint the brick even if it is a MCM house . Many have been up dated that way . Just enjoy the texture pf the brick . The paint will brighten the house and it will still be an MCM house to be proud of . Look up re-modeled MCM houses and you will see lots of painted and not painted fireplace walls .

I would definitely paint it to match the whole room as was mentioned above.

Then buy some horizontal blank canvas and wrap them in some pretty Scandinavian type fabric and hang them on either side of the fireplace evenly and something sunburstish/Scandinavian over the fireplace. Next place square pillows stacked in twos or threes on thehearth in a bright accent color that coordinates with the print hangings. Now you have a wall that has weight to counter the other things in the room.

Something like this on either side of wall....should take up about 2/3 width of space between wall and outside edge of fireplace.

Put your little ones play things by the back of the room and move your furnishing up to surround and meet the fireplace. Your lamps are so pretty try to have them showing as a set on either side of sofa, which can work on the long wall with the pair of chairs centered opposite the sofa wall. Book case can go on short pony wall and rocker can go to right of fireplace. Have sofa feet and chairs sitting on rug a few feet in.

Or just paint the upper left area for real impact and leave the other brick natural. This would be gorgeous.....could be any paint color you love!

Also I like the furniture arrangement! You can get ideas by just looking at MCM living rooms with brick fireplace walls and see all sorts of possibilities.....I like the two tone looke expecially as the bricks are done in two different ways!

I say, paint it!

Try your couch along the window wall, with 2 arm chairs either opposite or where the couch was (making an L shape). Move front legs of couch and 2 chairs onto rug. And maybe try a coffee table?

If you paint it, I would do two tone to highlight the different patterns. Also, I would move your sofa to face the window, blue chairs in place of the sofa, and rocking chair in place of blue chairs.

Nice dilemma to have, love your furnishings and art. Putting the children's things behind the sofa is nice, now they have their own room.

Agree about playing up the different brick bonds. I would not paint the entire brick wall the same color. Be subtle and use shades of the same color or bold and paint one bond a white that works with your room and leave the other bare but different colors. It's an odd thing to have done, I'd own it.

The stacked brick is great. Paint it dark gray. It will look great against the wood floors.