I think it is a lovely fireplace and certainly a step up from plain, rectangular builder's brick. If you wanted to change the color, you could look for limewash products from Rumabio: https://romabio.com/masonry/limewash/ageless-beauty/

I think the stone is nice as is.

Stone fireplaces are like a plain white shirt. The accessories are what give them a particular style. Right now your accessories, fireplace screen, and styling around the fireplace are very traditional. The accessories are the traditional items, not the fireplace.

Here are some rustic stone fireplace like yours in more modern spaces.

Can you post a picture without the fireplace screen and a picture of the room?

Here is the photo

The built ins are newly painted to match our trim molding

To update the fireplace to look more modern I think I’d take away most of the tchotchkes (sorry!) you have on the mantle and hearth. If you look at other pics of stone fireplaces that are more current, they just have a couple of decorative things, that is all. Jonathan Adler does a lot of modern fun accessories, and just one or two of them, plus removal of most of the ones there now, would make the fireplace look more modern.

Blending the cream and the brown colors across the wall space will help tie together the newly painted bookcases and the fireplace.

Do you use the fireplace often? If not I would stack some white birch logs in the firebox, it will help break up the darkness of the stone. Or get a large light basket for the hearth. Or a large, light vase for the mantle.

Then add some large chunky brown accessories, pottery, baskets or vases, to the bookcase shelves.

Do you have another spot where you can do a gallery of your children's art? Perhaps a hall wall or kitchen wall? They'll have more impact grouped together and you'll have room to put your grown-up decor in the shelves.

We just celebrated a birthday, it’s doesn’t usually look like that. And I yes I have another wall of all their art work in the sunroom

your stone is stunning. we just went through the same thing with a giant red brick fireplace and had it re-clad with stone veneer. Real face lift but it's a big, messy job and $7k.... and I'm underwhelmed... if you lighten up around it, more modern/clean accessories it may give you the same look.... I love your fireplace :)

I’m NOT a woodworking/carpenter expert, so this may not be feasible at all, but .... I wonder if something like this could be installed over the stone? It’d certainly lighten and brighten the area, but that could be taken down someday if someone wanted to change it back? If not, I wouldn’t even think about it, and would just tweak the area as suggested already. It’s very lovely stone.

I agree that a lighter mantle might be a nice update, too. This one is with a lime wash treatment:

@deegw Thank you for the suggestions! The mantel is new it’s suppose to look like an old barn beam. Would you think a white mantel would update it? Or do a gel stain? What is the gel stain, I don’t know much about it- thanks!

Oh gosh, if the mantle is new and you like it don't change it. It looks good, I was just trying to illustrate how mixing up the dark and the light would make the whole wall look up to date.

Gel stain is a brush on stain that is pretty forgiving. You could also accomplish adding dark to the shelves with large baskets, pottery or vases that echo the colors in the fireplace.

General Finishes stains are easy to use and popular. There is lots of info on the internet about how to use it.

https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-gel-stains

Bummer about the mantel. Because it is the "tie' that binds it together as Deegw posted with pictures above. And I do also agree that sometimes less is more with decor on a fireplace.

question, is the light supposed to be coming out of the top and bottom of the mantel?

If modernizing is the goal I would remove the arches from the bookshelves and update the fireplace doors/surround to something more substantial and modern to balance the fireplace and make it the focal point instead of the shelves. I am not a designer though.