Congratulations on your new home! I think it would be wonderful if you could remove that white paint. What a shame that someone tried to " update" it.

Once that is done it will be easier to give further advice. Personally, I would get rid if the gray paint, and would remove the lights from the fan.

Please keep us updated!

Sorry some idiot painted the brick. It will be hard work to get that paint off and sorry to say it will never all come off. But you could try and it will give you a look of old brick or you could faux paint the brick.

Congrats on the new home. I love the painted brick, and it looks very nice with your floors. The red brick and the yellow/orange tones in the floor would be very difficult to work with. Leave the fireplace color alone. I don't think you can put shiplap on the hearth as you can't have wood near a fire. You could shiplap above the mantle since it would be far enough away from the flame. What bothers me a bit is what's on the right side of the fireplace (cabinet or something), and what looks to be where someone boxed out wires or something on the top of the mantle. Perhaps they did that to hang a TV, but it really should be removed. If you shiplapped above the mantle, you could hide electric wires etc behind that. Good luck.

Congrats on the house but I think your in the wrong place. Here people slap paint on EVERYTHING. I wouldn't be surprised whoever painted the brick got the "bright" idea here LMAO.

@LL good job! Much more homey feel. Looks like a great place to sit, relax and enjoy some wine.

The first thing I’d do is get rid of the gray paint and use a warmer color. id get my furniture in the room before I decided to undertake stripping the fireplace. With furniture and decor, you may decide the fireplace works in your room as It is.

LL yours fireplace looks 1000% better. You did a good job on stripping it. Now it has its character and richness back instead of looking like a lumpy painted wall. Oh, and the woodwork is lovely. I swear some people would slap paint on the Grand Canyon if they could.

these floors photograph so much better than they are lol, that never happens. but these are horrid manufactured something that's super thin and peeling up so the whole main level will be getting a rich vintage tobacco oak vinyl flooring by pergo outlast. it was the most affordable option for us, plus the durability rating is great. we have 3 large dogs so we need something resilient. I think with the darker flooring, we're going to do a light color scheme on the walls and that's what I thought the red brick peeking through the white paint may be a good focal point.

make sure you test that paint before you begin. Depending on when it was done, it might contain lead.

If you really want to remove the paint...now don’t faint....consider hiring someone to come in while the house is empty, seal off the area and sand blast the paint off. Some brick is easier to strip then others. Hire a professional, who has good references.

Sandblasting damages brick. Brick isn't as hard as stone.

Once painted it is virtually impossible to strip paint from brick. You might be able to use a chemical stripper to get some of it off but doubt you will ever be able to get rid of all of it especially in the grout. Brick can be easily damaged. I like it painted and would advise you keep it that way. Whatever you decide, good luck!

is not impossible. Use peel away. It's expensive but it's amazing and you can use indoor

Great floor. I hope you have a great rug. I like your idea about comfy pillows. My advice with the fireplace- live in the house for a while, don't rush it. the right answer will come.

( See, I didn't even try to sell you tile.)

I always say strip it off. Always go natural if you can.