I can't read/visualize blueprints and the photos don't give me a sense of what everything else looks like, but I will say that generally I like the look of exposed brick in industrial chic settings. A lot of people will tell you to paint it, I'm sure, but I find the look of white brick to be rather blah. Good luck!

Thanks ilovecomputers! I should have mentioned that our overall look is striving for a transitional look. We are not traditional and we are not modern. I am attracted to the farmhouse style, or even a modern approach to French provincial. I like simple, with some subtle traditional bits of flair. Hubby's taste is quite traditional.
As mentioned, we do want to see in the next year or so. we live just outside of a fairly small town. So generally tastes tend to be traditional rather than industrial or ultra modern.

Some brick you might keep but that brick is ugly. Well, it is. Ugly brick doesn't need to dictate what colors you use for your kitchen either.

Therefore, I would paint it. From the drawing it looks like that was the outside wall before the room was added. Is your whole house that same brick on the outside?

Thanks Leelee! and yes you are completely right. unfortunately that is the outside brick. The addition was done in a soft yellowish vinyl siding. The house is a 1 and a half story bungalow/ranch thing. Pretty average really. but the addition is what sold us on it. Cathedral ceiling about 15 feet high with big windows facing the green space out back.
I feel the same as you, brick is ugly...but I do not have the budget to do anything with the outside....just this interior wall. I can't decide if it is strange for one wall to be super different from the outside when clearly they are th same thing.

I dont mind the brick, and I wouldnt paint it because painted brick looks flat and lifeless. If you feel you must do something with it, give it a paint wash.

I can't see how you'd regret painting that inside brick. It will give you so many more choices for how to move forward with your kitchen make-over. What color is the room now? Without pictures I'd be tempted to go with the same color on the brick and all other walls.

The wall is now inside so it doesn't need to match the outside. Someday you might decide to paint the outside brick, too.

@cat_ky, I hear ya on the flatness of straight painted brick. I think we are a little more interested in staining the brick so we keep some of the natural variances coming through....but still somehow change the colour. Either that or use my artist of a mom to paint a natural looking brick in nicer colours, lol

@leelee, today the wall colour is I guess what you could call a slightly pinked mushroom colour. I've never liked it...but it has been neutral enough to live with. Repainting it is next on the list after the kitchen is done. :)

we are finding it a little limiting for the whole house pallet.

There is absolutely no reason to live with it as is.

Paint it white. If you liked the color, then that'd be a different story. But you don't and I agree it's not a pretty color. And actually the texture of the brick, the pattern throughout will look better in one color.

So, be prepared. When you paint your brick all the details of the texture will be more noticeable. As it is now, the patchwork of unfortunate colors is all you can see. That will change.

Don't use regular paint. Use a mineral paint because it soaks into the brick so you don't lose the texture or character. Mineral paint doesn't look like a film sitting on the brick, it doesn't make the bricks look like they were shrink wrapped in plastic.

Instead it has a 'natural' look and feel. All the peeling and maintenance stories are hearsay - not based in fact, study or science. Rombio has a 20-year no peeling guarantee.

Drywall over it. Or better yet, remove it and drywall where it was.

And I like brick!

@Lori, thank you I appreciate the insight! I've actually spent a ton of time on your site and watching your videos! lol! kept hoping that maybe I could solve this problem with colour math!! but realistically I was having trouble falling in love with the warm hues for an analogous colour palette and really didn't like how it pops when going complementary!

@Fori, lol! thanks for sharing! I like brick too. I know there are people who love brick too, so I just didn't want to end up changing what someone else might love.

But I'm not feeling a lot of love (or any!) for this brick so im feeling a lot more confident about changing it.

Well, obviously, the walls were painted to match the pinky-yellow brick so forget that. Now you get to decide what color you would like the room to be. Consider the kitchen and counters that you have yet to choose.

Do you have existing furniture? You mentioned transitional style but any colors?

Best to wait until you have furniture before painting. Paint is easier to match to fabric than the other way around.