I am stuck with the custom valances-

They were an expensive miss :(

So sorry your decor choices were a Houzz "fail." Always come here first; even if just to browse around. You could have easily realized the issue with your two purchases by simply searching for the terms. When you fall out of love with the clock, you can sell it on Craig's List, but the valances are custom, so unless someone sews and wanted to re-make them you are probably stuck for a few years. So the best thing is to play up those colors in other accessories. I think most of us like the FP, just not the clock, so you have an answer for that part of your dilemma.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/panels-or-valences-dsvw-vd~4959668?n=3

On my screen I’m getting a red and green color scheme from your room that looks very 90’s to me. A suggestion for an update: paint the walls an off-white. Can you have the valances redone to look like faux Roman shades and mounted inside the window frames?

You must feel rather defeated, but your room can come together with a few tweaks. Remove all from the mantel except the clock, place the sculpture on the hearth, hang the pictures on the wall and, as suggested, paint the mantel white. A beefier mantel would look great. Pull the chairs closer together flanking the firebox. Drape red, textured throws over the backs of the chairs. We don't all have the luxury of starting over completely so we make what we have the best it can be!

If your drapery people could cut them into Roman blinds and add a complementary trim you could go for a more updated look like this:

Just because something was expensive doesn’t mean it has to stay—it will cost you nothing to remove those balances! Doesn’t look like you need privacy with those lovely views. Then declutter the fireplace mantel. I agree with getting a larger one to match the scale of the wall.

*valances. Autocorrect!

Most important, if you really like the valances, ignore everything said here and just enjoy them!

I think your fireplace would look fabulous with a white wash.

My goodness you have plenty of light in the room. The brick isn't the issue, it's every else. You have 90 degree corners for both the the architecture and all your furnishings. See the image below. Al these corners are visually fighting one another.

Looks like you have a really great room, but all the furnishings should soften the appearance.

We could advise you better if we saw how this room interacts with the rest of the first floor. Where is the kitchen and where do you watch TV

The room could benefit by using furnishings with a rounded edge. Also that rug is not working for that area seeing that it is focused on the eating area. A standard height table and chairs would work better in the space to not impeded your lovely view.

Begin by removing the valances, and find a new location for the clock. That lovely fireplace deserves something more creative that simply the clock.

Since the valances are new, obviously you like them. That’s all that matters - it’s your house - keep them. I think the clock overpowers the fireplace.

So... paint or whitewash . :)

Is there anyone out there who is able to photoshop the fireplace painted?

Thank you to everyone.

I think you are getting some good advice and suggestions. I think the fireplace looks good, but would be fine whitewashed, too. I do fear that you are trying to accomplish something in this room that you think changing the fireplace will do, but more likely won't. Think about some of the other suggestions and perhaps try those changes before committing to a permanent "fix" on the fireplace.

Like most others, I'd say remove the clock (which is simply too large and dominant in your beautiful room) and the valances. Since the valances are new and expensive, but don't seem the best choice for your room, perhaps they could be reworked to look a little more current by turning them into a faux roman shade?

No. Don't paint or whitewash the fireplace.

As far as your "any ideas?" question, what are you looking for with that? In other words, ideas for what?

It took me a while to find this old thread, but I remembered a fireplace that reminded me a bit of yours and thought maybe it would help in your decision making.

Fireplace before:

after:
She also added a new mantel, but it wasn't ever posted.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5324299/should-i-take-the-chance-to-whitewash-fireplace-pics-included#n=146

Can you post a pic of your kitchen since it flows into the fireplace room? What kind of vibe are you going for?

I think your fireplace would look wonderful either whitewashed or fully painted. The suggestion to try a whitewash first to see if you like it is a good idea. After it's painted, I would remove everything from the mantel except your clock and perhaps the floral arrangement, which would be a much fresher look against the whiter bricks. And by the way, your valances are fine. It seems kind of silly to me that although they don't look much different from faux roman shades, the fake shades are supposedly more "in" because of a few added pleats.

Thank you all so much for your advice, Houzz is a wonderful place to come. I appreciate honest feedback. I feel a bit defeated and will most likely take the clock down if you all feel it doesn't work. That's a little deal. The valence will need to stay for now. I will post some pic of the flow when I get home

Having read all the discussions and your answers to them, I have to give my thoughts. I would hang the clock over your fireplace and take everything else off the mantle. I would pull the two chairs closer together sort of flanking the fireplace. With all the light your have, I would put some plants around...maybe one on the hearth. I would not paint or do anything to the fireplace and I like your clock and will like it even more when it is hung. As for the valances, you didn't ask, but if you like them, that is all that matters. Maybe you could take one of the colors for them and use as a throw pillow in your chairs. I know you only asked about your fireplace but have to mention that I love the light you have in your room. I am envious.

Hanging the clock higher made a big difference! I would NOT paint or whitewash the fireplace.

Hi again, someone had asked above about the flow . I am standing in the kitchen looking out,,,

The cabinets are cherry and the hutch in the eating area is black..

Standing by the counter to our left is the family room , where we gather and watch TV. This room ALSO has a brick fire place..(another time :)) and the other side of the kitchen is the dinning room..

carly, what purpose do you consider the room you first posted? I see a table and upholstered pieces, but you say you also have a family room...

ETA I totally get how it feels to post a question only to feel kinda crappy when the opinions roll in. So...to repeat my question earlier, what do you want help with when you say "other ideas"?

The room I posted is where we eat daily meals. We typically do not eat in the dinning room . The sliding glass doors led out to a deck. The fire place is a nice place to read by in the evening. That is why we have the chairs. It is a very big house and lots of projects. :/

I honestly went on to get some idea about painting the fireplace. I had no idea at all that the ugliness of the clock would take over. yikes. None the less.. I love houzz . It's always super hard to get the actual feel from a picture.

Carly, moving the clock up definitely helps a lot.

Seeing accurate colors on a computer/device screen is nearly impossible. In that last photo you uploaded, the valences (well, that little edge that peeks in) works better than in the initial photos. I'm now noting that here I do like it/them.

I still like raw brick color more than painted, but if you do decide to attempt it, I'd whitewash it so original colors come through, before doing a solid color.

RE pennydesign:
ETA I totally get how it feels to post a question only to feel kinda crappy when the opinions roll in. So...to repeat my question earlier, what do you want help with when you say "other ideas"?

Actually, true. I came here to design my kitchen (I didn't know about this place until that stage in the build process). The thing is, sort out the chaff from the grain and ask questions and go forward. I would NOT (using the kitchen as my model here) have known about undercabinet drawers, the pros of a prep sink in my particular design, have heard of the Blanco Silgranite sink, and so forth. And something as simple that had been overlooked as moving a doorway a half foot... I disregarded some suggestions because obviously not everyone knows how everyone else lives - for me, a peninsula rather than an island is something I'm still glad I went with. And yes, my microwave remains on my counter, and is at $70 happy there. (I'm rural. NO one has MW drawers, or enclosed bays for appliances here. And at my height, bending down into a MW drawer is not my idea of fun.)

So... take the good suggestions, weigh the rest, and decide from that. People do mean the best here.

Your barstool are so great with the room. You should have considered the same style for chairs around a round table.

So the valance and chairs are staying. I might have considered an oval rug under the seating and selected the matching chairs and a round table for eating. Can you or do you need a chandelier over the table? Don't paint the fireplace.

Thank you for taking the time to Photoshop that table in

Definitely need a new table at some point this table is pretty old. But I like the high table because you can Look outside and see the beautiful view

Your custom box pleated valances are beautiful. Traditional, not trendy. Your fireplace is the last thing I would change. Art would be way better, but I don't mind the giant clock, but it's too dark. I'd pain the walls much lighter. Looks like you may need better lighting at night also.

Many of the decor snobs have very vocal thoughts on how things should be and not everyone's tastes align. Unless they are living in your house, take their input with a grain of salt.

I do think that the contrast on the clock could be toned down some with a light coat of stain.

carley, I didn't care for the clock either, but have to say that it looks 100% better hung up. Having seen the whole room in a better light is very helpful, and you have a very nice space, where the valances aren't all that prominent in the overall scheme, and I wouldn't worry about them at all. If I may, I'd like to suggest a colorful Oriental rug in place of the rather dark one you have, one that has terra cotta red as its main color, which will help to tie in the valance and the fireplace into a more cohesive whole. It would also look great with the greenish wall color you have. That one change might be what's needed to make everything work very nicely. I really like how you've restyled your fireplace and mantel. Sometimes small, subtle changes can make quite a difference. You've been so polite and civil in spite of feeling hurt by the well-meant but perhaps not most tactful comments, and please believe that everyone here wants only for you to have the most wonderful space possible.

I love the round table you suggested . thank you

I suggest that you add floor/table lamps and plants to your room. While your wonderful windows give you great light in the daytime, you really need lamp light after dark. I like your wall color and the valences. I would not paint the brick. I agree that the clock looks much better hung on the wall.

great idea, thanks

your ideas are all helpful

Very professional of Bev to remove her comment...I appreciate that.

Carly, from what I see of your house, it's just beautiful. For me, there's a bit of a disconnect, (from an outsider's eyes). The room and fan are contemporary. The valances are traditional, and the clock is country. So what style do you like the most? Maybe moving forward with your decorating, your answer might guide you a bit.

Difficult to go wrong in such a setting :) but your lovely room is on the way to becoming absolutely stunning...

penny, you are right! I guess I am a bit eclectic?!! lol

We had a very dark fireplace that really drew your eyes towards it when you looked to our rec room. Whitewashing it made a huge difference! We added a chunky rustic thick mantle, and although we replaced the upper portion with a darker wood (not shown), it still brightened the room up a lot.

very cool fireplace

Carly, your room reminds me of my own family room. I have a fireplace the same color brick as yours and a vaulted ceiling so the fireplace brick is pretty tall. Right now my walls are painted SW Clary Sage, which looks very similar to your paint color.

I'm not a huge valance fan, but since you said yours were custom made and expensive, I'd keep them for now. They're not horrible and bring some warmth to the space.

I would get a new rug as I don't think it's helping the space. Actually, I'd probably do without a rug altogether but because I generally don't like rugs under the table. What about putting a smaller one by the chairs?

I'd also get different pillows. Pick one of the colors in the valance; I'd probably go with solid red.

I think the clock looks a lot better hung as well. I feel like the hearth could use something else. What about a candle arrangement?

Thank you so much. My wall color is BM Herbal Escape

Here’s the finished pic of our fireplace, with a few notes:
I forgot this one had a stone ledge - we redid another one with a beam mantle at the same time. I did a mortar wash, and while I used a mortar that was recommended on a blog post, it was not the right thing to use. A couple months after I applied it, during our remodel, our contractor thought he was being helpful and scrubbed and washed drywall dust off and my “treatment” came off, too! You can see the difference between the part near the floor being much whiter. I should even it all out, but it’s not at the top of my list right now.

I lived with mine being dark for 10 years and never grew to love it, so I say go for it. And I like your clock a lot - it’s very fun and mixes things up a bit!

Thank you for sharing this

This is not really white washing but it's the best I can do with my program.

I'd definitely do the above, it's stunning and still looks like brick.

thank you zeld. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.

Don't mind this picture, I am just trying to see the two side by side.

Hi there. You have a very nice home and obviously love to decorate it as well. I perused your previous posts where you have asked for advice. Your home is large with many features. I would enlist the help of a designer at this point. You may pay a few dollars for the expert advice, but will win in the long run. You have been disappointed in some of your decorating outcomes. A designer can assist in pulling all your rooms together, and possibly rearranging some of your furniture. The choices that you have made may not be the current trend, but if you love them it doesn’t matter. At this juncture, you need some cohesion between your rooms. Best wishes!