The (limestone?) surround is gorgeous. And the mosaic tile work. What year is the home? Doing anything that is not period appropriate will go badly in the effort to chase an "update". Pick up a massive vintage mirror to hang over it, change the green-ish walls and you've got it.

I don't think that's an old house with a period fireplace, nuthinontv.

Hard to advise while knowing nothing about the rest of the space, as the suggestions will vary with your overall style, house type, and current furnishings... More photos or other guidance?

You most likely have a cast stone fireplace which is a manmade "stone" that looks like limestone. It is recommended to stain them but not paint them, if you do paint them a non-latex paint is better otherwise you are not getting that latex paint off.

I know this because this happened to our surround and our builder fudged it until I contacted the manufacturer who explained all this. Real limestone is gorgeous even untouched but builders these days go cheap.

This is the rest of the room. We are changing to hardwood floors and likely grey walls? I just find the fireplace imposing and ugly. Maybe just a change of wall color will do it.

I would remodel and repaint the built ins, but the marble floor and fireplace surround are priceless. Lots of people would kill to have a home with these two items. Maybe you should live there a while? Would you consider hiring some help with this room? What city is this?

Don't ruin it painting the walls grey. This is an expensive home don't devalue the home by removing the marble inlaid floor and custom fireplace surround.

Here's two pictures, might give you some ideas.
You can also check out my website
anemarble.com/gallery.html
And scroll down to fireplaces. Marble or granite really makes a fireplace stand out.

Have the surround carefully removed and sell or donate to Habitat. Someone would make good use of it if you don't care for the style.

I believe it's the wall color that's not working. But I agree with Beverly that both the fireplace and floors are very beautiful. I think her idea of hiring someone to help with the room is a very good one.

I agree with Beverly and Katin...

It's lovely - before seeing the beautiful floor, I had wondered about removing the mantel and using a tone of wood you like - making that wall flat instead.

Do you crave a tile treatment going up the entire bump-out wall?

Btw, isn't the visual impact of both cases about the same as the fireplace...?

Thanks all. I'll leave the fireplace and work around it with paint color. I'm surprised with the reaction on the floors; I find the tile in the living room very "cold" in feeling. I'd like to warm it up with wood floors.

The room is in houston, Texas.

please dont dumb down those beautiful unique floors to same old hum drum wood thats in every house these days...

Aren't rugs an option?

Some beautiful rugs will make all the difference. I'm in Houston too, you may appreciate the coolness come full summer...we've been lucky this year, it's been a beautiful prolonged spring.

oh my gosh beautiful! I do believe it's the bookcases making everything feel off, as they are sitting on the tile, so it feels a bit off. I would just change the paint color to BM Edgecombe Gray and get a huge rug. LOVE!

I think the built-in bookcases were added after the fact. The FP surround and floors look deliberate and elegats - quite European, but the white all around and the style of the cabinetry says "after market" and "off the shelf" to me. Proper to-the-ceiling cabinets stained a rich walnut or mahogany would be expected, but not the white big box specials. I'm not saying the photo below is like your space, but note the faux paint treatment and the filler up top that makes the cabinets feel like part of the room. I'm sure there are great faux painters in Houston that could bring your cabinetry into line with the elegant style of the floors and FP surround.

It's likely you're going to place area rugs on the marble floor, so that should warm up the appearance of the room.

It's a very neutral pattern and you'll be able to place a lovely rug on that floor

Yes, an area rug to warm up the floor is a great idea. What kind of flooring is in the rest of the house?