We are remodeling our mountain home. We'd like to add more rustic character to the house (and using this house as an inspiration: https://www.houzz.com/photos/gull-lake-home-rustic-living-room-minneapolis-phvw-vp~169675292.

Here is the room right now:

In addition to changing the furniture (that came with the house), some of the things we are doing: painting trim white, ripping out carpet and replacing with wood, adding reclaimed wood and metal railing where the pony wall is in upper loft extending that down the stairwell, adding reclaimed beam between living room and dining room (underneath where railing will be). We are also redoing our fireplace. I originally wanted to extend a stone up to the ceiling, but now I'm wondering if I should do something like wood paneling and plaster.

I saw this picture and really loved it, but i'm not sure how that upper painted portion would look on such a large wall/ceiling and I think that's the part I love the most about this picture. We do plan to do white walls.

And here is an example of a fireplace that our contractor recently did on another house:

I do like the reclaimed wood mantel and sides.

So my question is, should I do something other than stone for the fireplace in this room? If I do stone, what should I do? (Perhaps something like this: https://www.msisurfaces.com/stacked-stone/silver-travertine/) . (Adding, we don't have the budget for real stone so it would have to be a veneer of some sort.) . Thanks in advance!