Oh that’s helpful!! I didn’t think of a mantle - maybe like the wood of the beam....that’s a great idea! Thank you....I kind of can’t see it anymore - it’s helpful for another vision!!

Agree with above comments to get fireplace inspected and cleaned. I would clean brick and stain it white. Remove upper doors from unit to right of fireplace and add white console bringing out to face edge of fireplace with Tv. Paint stair railing black and add long wood mantel across brick wall. Something along this line.

I think this is a heat-a-lator fireplace. So you will need fireplace expert to come in and assess it and see what can be done. As a min paint black vents white if you paint the brick or stain it. Just depends how sting you want to go in the MCM direction.

I great chandelier from beam would be wonderful addition.

Having trouble with Houzz posting right. But I had a long wood mantel in the mock up not the one that posted. Hope you can visualize that.

The built-ins would look better if the doors were a MCM style in a natural or stained wood, and with the see-through opening hidden/gone. A simple wood mantel to match the new built-in doors would be a great improvement. The mantel can be full-width or partial, but it needs to be perhaps 8” tall and protrude about 8” on a brick wall that large. Hang a piece of vertical art over the mantel and get rid of the brass insert. If possible, I would paint the four vents to match the brick. A fireplace equipment and accessory shop may have people who can install the mantel properly.

Seeing both options of leaving the brick or staining/painting it white, which do you prefer? The teal blue wall and MCM console that houssaon offered looks very striking. Adding a mantle, cleaning the vent area and changing the brass to black will upgrade the look while keeping the current brick. If you hate the brick, Flo gave you a good look.

The problem you have with built-in is it appears to be set back in quite a bit further than the brick wall. First step is to get fireplace specialist to come in and inspect. When you have that much smoke residue you have a chimney that is not drawing properly. Don’t use it until you get a good knowledgeable person to look at it. Could be stuck damper/nest in chimney blocking air flow or the height of chimney isn’t right. Lots of ways you can update, but safety first. Chimney fires can be devastating. We don’t want that.

thank you all so so much!! I've called a fireplace inspector, now I just have to figure out how to wash that brick without making a giant mess of everything else! And these are all such great ideas. RedRyder - I love the look of washed brick fireplaces -- either white or even black -- but we have this brick throughout the house. So my husband is like noooooo....and i pretty much am too. Its lots of places. So I think we're committed to it.

That's understandable. All the more important to really think through a mantel. I think a long one is the trick, but I have to play with some designs. Mani/Pedi first! I do have my priorities! lol

Ha!!! yes priorities!!! I so appreciate the advice -- whenever it comes -- we do have a mantle downstairs -- so I'm wondering if emulating that one is best.....thanks again!

weird -- not letting me upload image - i'll try again in a bit!

this is mantle downstairs -- this floor has walnut now too....

I think I would stain with less yellow tones. More true walnut/ brown.

Flo, there are wood elements like that mantle nearby, which makes me think that’s why it was stained that color. It would still look better with a more brown (walnut-y) color as you suggested.
Ijes: I get why you have to keep the brick. But you can do different designs in each room. I did like the dark wall houssan suggested for the other room. Flo will give you ideas as well.

here are a few diff options you can utilize w/the brick fireplace. see if you like any of them

obviously you'd remove the built in and do the bench, leaving the back open. or you could wall off that area.

close off the other side, add two more beams, redo the fireplace completely

Oh my gosh you guys this is an absolute wealth of ideas!!!! Thank you so much!!!

Maybe your husband will see that you don’t HAVE TO keep both brick fireplaces the same .... why not do each of them in ways that complement the rooms they’re in?

Not one, but two gorgeous MCM fireplaces! I love that you and your husband respect the mid century aesthetic and aren’t planning on desecrating the brick. Congrats on a nifty house! I agree with removing the built ins and adding a MCM credenza, simple and sharp.

I just repainted my fireplace with Rustoleum high heat paint. Awesome to work with. I took most of it apart and did it outside. My husband did the ship lap!

My first 'like' was houssaon's, and I'll say why: no mantle created 2 simple, large geometrics. The black touches [3 I think] tied together. Wood console repeated wood in adjacent room.

Other fp could be covered with plaster or concrete, and still be great.

WOW! What a cool house! Please post pics of your progress...and please don't paint any of the brick.

Please don't paint that handsome brick.

I too painted a brass fireplace surround black with Rustoleum paint (the one for hot surfaces). Turned out gorgeous. Worth a try to tide you over until do a more substantial redesign.

The mock-up of the recessed area painted black or very dark looks nice and is what I’d go for. Agree with other, don’t paint the brick. Couple things I’d add though. With the dark recess I’d go with simple light colored cabinetry without a ton of grain like birch or maple, which I think would go with your overall aesthetic. I’d also remove and replace that brass fireplace surround and go with something more simple and dark. I just did this myself and ordered from Cascade Coil. Went with a simple satin black top bar with a mesh curtain. If you look at pics of MCM fireplaces you see this over and over.

Here's an updated look with the existing railings. Floating cabinet...

vs non-floating...

vs no cabinet...

beautiful space!! I agree a chandelier coming down from the beam would be lovely!

here are some great options

https://www.douniahome.com/collections/chandeliers

thank you all!!! and i'm loving those cascade coil curtains (just figuring out now if it can stand our upstate new york winters or if i need doors....) but they are gorgeous!!!

do you have pic of the whole room, the rest of the surrounding area? Wouldn't place the tv there either make built-in library shelf and take it the top or a bar area. Place the tv on fireplace and also I would shiplap both walls.

A pro could install veneer or other surface to fill in wall space above your built in. Clean and neat.

What depth is the white unit, and the fp?

Maybe get new flat doors for the built too.

Retro Revival · More Info

Or remove doors and draw attention to that area -

Retro Revival · More Info

Brick softer/lighter, so the wall would look all one color, but different textures.

Rural Mid-Century Modern · More Info

Rural Mid-Century Modern · More Info

Add another stain [with brown stain] maybe greyish like this photo -

Midcentury in Del Mar · More Info

Paint your beams white and add the herringbone pattern to the brick fireplace and offset wall and give it less of a dimension.