keep the mantle. Paint it white. Live with it for a while and put your money into getting rid of the carpet immediately.

Do you know if the marble behind is even and square around the fireplace? if it is, consider going something really simple like just a chunky piece of wood that goes right across.

I would take everything off of and remove everything around the mantle (including the picture) and just look at it for a few days or a week. Its hard to come up with new ideas with so many things around it.

I LOVE YOUR FIREPLACE....PAINT IT A SOFTER GRAY OR MATCH THE WHITE IN THE MARBLE....BRIGHT TURQUOISE, NEON GREEN, OR HOT PINK WITH ACCENTS WITH THE BRIGHT COLOR YOU CHOOSE WOULD BE GREAT...THAT WOULD BE FUNKY AND FRESH. AND MORE MODERN AND ECLECTIC.IT ALSO WOULD LOOK GOOD BLACK....

Got a hammer and a chisel?? Other than that I would do a faux wood paint job on it. That would be the cheapest and easiest. Personally, I would paint it to match the marble and then paint my wall a darker gray.

yes and i wanted to add faux finish....maybe one to resemble concrete would work with black fplace tools......

I would paint the fireplace black and then do large black planters on each side and black frames to accent above area. On top of mantle do 3/5 white planters or a collection of items

@slashby - mid-century fireplaces have some very strong elements that make them truly md-century. Horizontal oriented brick or tile, height (very commonly they go to the ceiling) and assymetry is also a common element. From the photo, I see a natural bump out in the wall. This might provide you a nice way to give the entire fireplace some additional depth and weight (so it doesn't just feel like it was just glued to the wall). Maybe some horizontal wood boards or a coordinating tile to go with the marble. A nice chunky wood mantle could top it all off. Whatever you do, I'm sure it will turn out great. This might be a good inspiration picture.

I think this could look nice with mid-century decor! I would paint the walls and the fireplace the same color -- a light gray/gray white color to blend in with the marble. Then get a fireplace screen with very straight lines (even some sort of glass block piece) or this piece is an interesting contrast http://metrointeriors.1stdibs.com/store/furniture_item_detail.php?id=355417. And add one great mid century piece of sculpture or painting on the mantel, off centered. (A Curtis Jere piece, or piece of blown glass in a bold color.) Could be a fun juxtaposition.

I'd love to see the rest of the house -- looks like a great place!

I would also keep the fireplace! It is beautiful, like the above posts just paint it to match...

If you are dead set on removing it (although I agree with others that I would keep it and paint it a concrete grey), slice through the caulking on the sides to release it from the wall(should there be any) and remove screws(you should see a few on the underside of mantle) It will most likely come away from the wall intact. Measure the marble to confirm the opening of the new surround and purchase one accordingly. I would seriously consider beefing up the other wall mouldings in the room instead of changing the fireplace. They are far too thin for the mid century modern look you are seeking and should be a minimum 5-6 inches wide. Once you have done this, you may find that the mantle and surround are worth keeping.

and if you do remove the mantel intact, send it my way...its gorgeous

I love the mantle but if you're removing it I think a simple, chunky waterfall style mantle in natural cherry would be a stunner. Less "mid century" more modern. Enough with recreating the past people...live in the now!

Something like the outside border of this photo:


Sorry, couldn't figure out how to get that photo here

I totally agree w/ @jasonballininteriors on the "whole wall" approach, but the simplicity of @otiuminterior's ideas work very well.

If you kept your white marble surround and had a simple mantel built to match the rest of the woodwork in the house, it might come out something like this:

thanks - this is very helpful and looks great!

Your instinct is right - that mantle needs to go!

I'd just remove it and see what's behind there - you won't know what needs to be done or what the difficulty will be until you start pulling the thing apart!