love your decor! I would absolutely paint the brick and the mantle certainly does need to be addressed as it is a bit overbearing.

The house is really not a craftsman which I think is why it is so overbearing. We live in coastal Charleston. It’s my boyfriend’s house. I’m trying to give him some ideas.

Thank you for the inspiration pics. He likes the middle one.

Would NOT paint brick or mantel/surround.

Since this is a wood burning fireplace, there are safety requirements for how low/high a mantel should/must be.

De-clutter and then invest in a fireplace screen and tools you like -- perhaps brass to lighten the space or silver colored metal (rather than black).

Two things jumped out at me instantly, the track lighting and the white walls. The walls appear to be very white while the mantel and bricks appear to be warmer. I would never paint the mantel and bricks, but if the white walls stay that might be the best option. Personally, I would change the wall color to something warmer.

Painting brick, wood, etc. is a pretty simple decision and in many cases it is a decision that eliminates the charm of the space. And in some cases also decreases value.

So if you just want the generic white fireplace - and there is nothing wrong with wanting that - consider having a facade built around the brick, etc and paint that white. That way you maintain the architectural feature.