do you have a picture of the room?

ill post a few more pics....thanks

Additional photos

A few additional pics

Close up of the river rock

I didn't think about the rocks looking like eggs - Good Point - thanks

I think it's cool looking. I've recently spent time hiking canyons around the Rio Grande, and the dry beds really do look like that. If those are faux rocks, they're pretty well done.

Yea they are faux. Appreciate your input. Thanks again

Laurie, look at Em Henderson and what she did. it's called a mortar wash or German Schmear.

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/stone-fireplace-makeover-mountain-house

(or, just get a pneumatic hammer and rip them all off and start over!) If you rip off those stones, I bet you'll find original brick under there.

then you could fir it out like this, and do whatever you like.

Thank you. I’ll look into the mortar wash and German Schmear.

i posted a link up there for you

Did you come up with a solution to the rocks? We recently installed faux panels but I’m not loving them. They look yellowish to me. The samples looked more gray based. I wasn’t sure how the faux panels would react to a German schmear technique.

I didn’t end up doing anything. I’m going to remove the river rock and start all over.

It’s your fireplace but I would reconsider removing the river rock, you've been given great advice about adding more mortar. The rocks as they are look to be standing too sparsely. I especially like the samples from Beth H.