This concrete looking brick might be a stone, maybe granite. Before you do anything drastic (like paint) have a mason come look at it. He can tell you what type of stone it is. I really like your fireplace wall. I love the texture and subdued color.

I would change the hearth stone to a contrasting color such as black. Also, Installing a mantle or hanging a larger picture over the fireplace will play off the brick color and help to diminish the overall size.

It just needs a mantle. Without it, the eye goes directly to the stone. With a mantle, the eye would see the wall as a whole and the color would not dominate.

Honestly the problem is not with your brick it is with the color of your walls. If you have a color on your wall that is very sharp and clean and fresh your bricks will look drab. If you soften the color of your walls to a muddy color, it will make the bricks come alive. I hope you understand what muddy means it's the difference between white white and four instance Swiss coffee.

My walls are now an off-white color. The brick is more tan than grey, so I lean toward a little warmer color. I have beautiful real hardwood floors in a medium tone. What color should I paint the walls? There isn't much wall space in the living room because the fireplace takes up an entire wall, a large bay window and front door take up another wall and there are 3 doorways on the other two walls, plus an opening into the dining room. No matter what I do it looks dark and dingy. I have a large wood mantle almost ready to be mounted, and plan on moving the TV over the mantle to make a single point of interest in the room.

I think the shelves are not helping. Maybe built ins? Style with books as a primary and objects secondary. Also a mantel. Your artwork is sort of lost there.

I believe what you have is quartzite. What's making it look drab is everything around it. that small table next to the chair w/the cream looking shade, is not helping. Nor are those shelves on either side. That picture over the fireplace is completely out of whack there. All of these little things make your FP 'drab'.

I don't mean to be harsh, but you asked for advice. This stone, although cut in a different size, is almost the same. Drab?? nope.

consider doing a solid black hearth like they did here, instead of that gray/green slate you currently have.

A wood mantel like this, or something similar, instead of that picture

Paint your ceiling bright white. What color is the surrounding area? can you post a pic further back?

you could also try mounting some warm wood (try walnut) shelves across the sides. two on each side would be good.

Yes, the mantle will help. The picture is just something I had around and used it to cover a large dark spot on the bricks. There is no variation of color in my bricks. I'm working on a shoe string. I just moved to the east coast from Hawaii with nothing but my suitcase. All my furniture is second hand until I can afford what I want. Updating this 1972 ranch is my first priority now. Everything from windows, electric, and plumbing, needs to be upgraded. (My kitchen was Avocado green with dark cabinets and a drop ceiling when I moved in. My bathroom has an avocado sink, blue toilet, and grey tub...That's my next major project.) I like the floating wood shelves, but drilling anchors into the 3" thick brick isn't easy. I like the sponged effect on the walls of that picture, to pull the taupe/white/gray together.

I would not put anything white (nick-knacks on the shelves) against or near the stone. It is neither complimentary or contrasting, so it is detracting. The television should be about the same width as the firescreen. I love the stone, it just needs to be played up. The shelving on both sides doesn't work because it looks busy against the stone--The lines of the shelving don't play well with the lines in the stonework. They are also too delicate against the bold stone.