Did you put the stones in the fireplace, or it came that way?

Honestly, I would redo the fireplace. Get rid of the stones and make the fireplace heat efficient. With the fireplace the way that it is, unless you put glass over the front of it, it will suck out all the heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.

Are you refinishing or restaining the wood floor?

Have you looked at different pictures of modern fireplaces regarding the type of application used?

Go earthy brown... most decoratorss will tell you this. This is a good wall for accenting. Good luck!

I agree, wish it wasn't already painted because it just makes it look strange.

I agree with current resident. Paint the fireplace masonry a dark color that will blend in with the stones. It's hard to outline each stone but hopefully this helps.

I love the fireplace is it was originally. Do you have an update on how it looks now? Curious to know what kind of fireplace screen you ended up with as well.

Poor fireplace. Why do people take desireable architectural features (in this case early 1900s Arts&Crafts) and proceed to make a mess of them. I revoke my previous comment. I would remove the paint from the masonry (stucco portion) AND do a deep cleaning of the entire fire place (using appropriate products) which will brighten/freshen the look. Its not that large an area, shouldnt be much more work than prepping it for painting. If paint has gotten too deeply embedded into the stucco then there are mineral paints and coatings that would replicate a more "mineral" look (vs. plastic paint film that sits on the surface).,

Post is almost 2 years old.

Well, 2 years later the fireplace still looks sad.

Can you post a new picture showing how the fireplace looks now in the room with the decor? Also, send a picture to our Free Fireplace Design Service if you want further help dressing it up.

Original poster here. I agree that its a shame what the previous owners had done to the fireplace, but this is a rental so didn't make sense to pour a ton of money into refinishing it. We ended up painting it the same color as the walls but, even after several coats, it still looked lighter then everything else. Its a non-functioning fireplace but we did block the inside to avoid losing too much heat through it. The current tenants have faux lit candles in there and it looks cute.