I’ve never painted brick, so I’d paint the walls a soft white and then see how it looks.

I might first, before you paint the fireplace, lighten up the room by first painting the walls and then getting brighter art for the fireplace. I like the fireplace brick and would try the other options first. also. would remove the pine panelling as it looks cabiny and not mid century modern. room seems like it wants to be MCM.

Really like your fireplace and, without those two dark verticals on each side of it, it could be a great look as a background for "built in" shelves.

Definitely would NOT want to paint any of the brick at all.

If, however, you really want a change from all that brick, in lieu of painting the brick, add dry wall or paneling atop the brick on both sides of the fireplace, leaving only the brick of the fireplace and above it showing. Then add a larger mantel with more overhang and add a board flat against the brick under that larger mantel

Adding art above the mantel should then go a long way toward minimizing the look of the brick -- while maintaining the value of your home since removing paneling will be a lot more practical than stripping old paint off brick.

Paint the drywall/paneling the same color you paint the rest of the walls in the room, including any wainscoting and/or half paneling and/or chair rail. Let the brick be the only accent wall so the room doesn't get to "busy" looking.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/28006828909547812/

Some visual with gray painted FP

I actually didn't paint my bricks but white wash them. I need to look up the product. But it changed the whole dynamic of the room. Everybody who saw it loved it. I look for some pictures too. Sorry to post without the photos but I just saw this and wanted you to consider the possibility!

with white

I did mine white washed with white but it wasn't all white. So some of the red showed through. We saw the house two years ago so I'm still looking for pictures. But try out some renditions with a white wash rather than solid white?

Here is a picture. Not a good one but Im trying to show you it doesn't have to be a solid color.

I don't hesitate to paint brick, but yours is a great color and texture and I would simply paint the walls and maybe eliminate the wainscot paneling.

I would add a rug with the two colors in the brick and some wall decor.

Very interesting! This pic has definitely made me double think painting the wainscoting and now perhaps removing it completely. Ty

I'm curious where else the wainscoting is. It doesn't seem 'needed' in same view with LR and fp. Metal stair rail, and hallway on down?

It doesn’t go down the hallway but does go around the room. Definitely needs to either be painted or removed.

removing the panelling will help heighten the feel of the room.

That’s actually very nice brick, I would not paint that at all.