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Hi,
I think that any of your choices will be nice. Personally I like the two honed options better since they will stand back more which seems more like the "classic and timeless" look you want. I tend to like the herringbone best since it adds some more interest without overwhelming since it is honed. I also think that the scale of the linear marble tends to more modern than classic. While these are my thoughts any of the options you selected will be nice. It might help though if you could post some pictures of the room as a whole

definitely the herringbone

Herringbone is my favorite too. I don't want to put herringbone on the floor though. What would you recommend in terms of large pieces of marble - square tiles or larger subway?

Herringbone…the others are too dainty for the surrounding 12 x 12’s.

Also, what are you doing for the hearth? You can't retile the face and leave the hearth, but I'm not sure how well these small marble mosaics will perform where ash and dirt collect...

I like the second one.

I don't want to put herringbone on the floor (hearth). What would you recommend in terms of large pieces of marble for the hearth - square tiles or larger subway?

Question: When did the trend to put this type of tile on fireplaces begin? All my life, I've seen fireplaces with "art" tiles, a la the craftsmany Batchelder tiles, Mexican hand-painted tiles, etc. But I think that the first time I ever saw kitchen/floor tiles on the face of a fireplace was about seven years ago. Does that sound right? I do hate it. It looks so cold and lifeless.

That sounds about right. HGTV effect, although people have had marble fireplace surrounds forever too, so that part isn't any newer than brick.

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/leslie-hayes-interiors-traditional-living-room-philadelphia-phvw-vp~815209[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/leslie-hayes-interiors-traditional-living-room-philadelphia-phvw-vp~815209)

The mosaics may give an otherwise elegant, cool look a bit of a more casual contemporary feel.

If you want marble you should have a slab of marble cut to fit the fireplace and hearth. Small mosaic looks like backsplash or bathroom.

Just as a FYI, look at how narrow the "legs" are on the fireplace, will you like the herringbone with all the cuts? How do you plan to edge the cut pieces?

We would use matching pencil tile

do not use small herringbone unless you can control the space and layout. You have a defined space and you need choose a material that leaves appealing reveals on a fireplace showpiece. youll likely have the same issue with the lineal. Id keep looking for material rather than forcing your want list into it.

If not herringbone then what do you suggest?

I dont suggest the size herringbone for the pre determined space. If you read what I said again. Choose a tile that FITS the space, when you do layout and math you want to see attractive reveals at every corner, turn and along terminated edges. You do not want to see the wrong sized material forced into tiny small pieces which is what will happen with that small herringbone youll have to make sacrifices that will will not end well..

Thank you @thatsmuchbetter. I don't mean to sound dumb but are you saying the individual pieces of this herringbone are too large? So essentially if each piece were smaller, it would give more attractive reveals?

rarley is it dumb question here. Typically we see dumb responses.

Im saying exactly the opposite. When you try to install that SMALL herringbone you will end up with cuts resulting in tiny pieces somewhere in an installation, in this case a focal point installation that doesnt allow for it.

Most likely they will rear their ugly head near or around the 90 inside corners , along the bottom(upper) or inside edges of the opening, Adding a pencil may help depending on its size but you will still endup with a give and take of small cut pieces.

You will better understand my concerns when actually laying it out if you know what im speaking to or maybe you yourself wont see it at all, comes down to eye for finished details :)

Thank you so much for explaining! You're right that I'm having a very difficult time envisioning what would look best. I do know that I want to avoid a large marble piece and definitely want tile. What shape do you suggest to make it asthetically pleasing and approx size per tile so I can re begin my search? I must say I hate the current tile (not just because of the color but the size too). It's almost too big I think

I will let all the houzz designers ask you a bunch of questions, like lets see pics of the entire level of the home, what other details are we trying to blend with, is grey tone marble gonna work with that carpet? are you removing existing tile and prepared to remove some of the trim, hows it all gonna work with the fireplace screenframe etc. To me theres a dozen other questions first to answer yours properly.

All carpet is getting torn out in every room and replaced with medium brown wood. Stair rails are getting restained to match the floors. White balusters are getting changed to black iron. I want to do the tile fireplace surround before the the wood is installed. I'll attach pics.

All the walls are going to be repainted too (light greige).

One more

Why do you want to avoid a marble slab? You're absolutely right that the tile on there now looks odd, because it looks like floor tile. Do you have any inspiration photos?

You should find a slab remnant for the hearth, so you don't have to buy a full slab.

The herringbone is nice, but like someone else pointed out, the face of the fireplace is too small to get a full pattern to show. It's just going to be awkward pieces that don't really flow into any pattern at all. I would advise looking into a marble 1" hex for this project.

I like 1" hex too but it's ok on a fireplace?

I thought it was more bathroom tile?

I could be mistaken - maybe someone else knows more about this than me - but hex time seems trendy to me, not classic and timeless

Hexagonal tile is not trendy.
I work at a very large old teaching hospital and we have one of the old operating theaters and attached restrooms and it's all marble tile with hexagonal tile on the floor. Very 1900's.

#1Herringbone for sure