Don't do anything to the brick! It looks like the best surface in your home currently. Paint your walls, and make your changes to the kitchen. Consider ending the countertop at your cabinets to give you a better flow. When everything else is white, the brick can be a nice contrast. Post more photos of your room so you can get help with furniture and tv placement.

I'd certainly lime wash the brick and find an awesome chunk of driftwood on the beach with one side of it mostly level and use that for the mantel. I don't like TV's above fireplaces at all, if you did the two above mentioned things a TV there would take away all the ambience.

I would leave it. You don't have much going on right now.

Is there another place for the TV? A lower console would be better.

Thanks for the input. The countertops are being replaced, and we did identify to remove the curve and make closer to the counter to open the pathway up.

I guess I can just keep a tv below like in the picture with a nicer cabinet, etc. It is an out of the way space that can't be used for much more. So will try that.

What about the fireplace doors? Would you leave the brass, or replace with maybe a free standing silver or black type?

The brick adds texture and interest to the living room area and also separates the space, so leave the bricks as they are. Paint the brass black with special paint designed for heated metal. Find a beautiful seascape for above the fireplace. Add a driftwood live edge mantel and a basket of logs for the hearth.

Leave it, but change or paint the fireplace grate. Find some metal paint and spray it black.

Not a Pro.

I would not paint the brick, I love the contrast with the white.

What I would do is add a big beautiful piece of Coast art with lots of white in the background on that brick fireplace.

Looks like the living area is quite small, too help free up the tv corner I would put the tv on a arm up higher than it is now and free up the sliding glass door.

Change out firebox last.

Looking forward to seeing how you design this space. Keep this thread updated :-)

Some inspiration:

CorLiving Black Metal Full-Motion H-frame Wall Mount for 32" - 70" TVs · More Info

Greenwich Village Renovation · More Info

Another option:

Osterville Legacy Style Custom Home · More Info

Would you paint the brass black or would it look better to do a free standing unit in black like these ?