Hi there! My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home, yay! We should be able to start work in the next few weeks--a month before we will move in. We are prioritizing which projects we want to tackle first--flooring and paint before we move in. I am a huge fan of fireplaces and mantles as centerpieces and am looking for advice. The first photo is what is currently in the home.

Ideas on cost/effort to tear off outdated stone? I much prefer brick-can we add it on top? Cheaper to just whitewash paint the ugly stone? (Least favorite option but I'm assuming much cheaper).

We will be adding new luxury vinyl just to get an idea on the room, it won't be carpet. Thank you for your help and advice!!