Following— have the same question about my own fireplace

I don’t care for the solid opaque look of painted brick. Seems so cheap looking to me.

Have you looked into special brick paint like Romabio? It doesn’t have that same opaque appearance of regular paint.

Don't touch it. It's lovely, warm and classic. The mantle is a nice size and well balanced. Don't chase trends and go all-white.

Instead, "dress it". It's a large space, so you need a good bit to "fill it up". Look at mantle styling on Pinterest and see what appeals to you ... mirror? candles? greenery? seasonal decorations? Put something on the hearth too ... some pillows? tall candle stands? a basket for kindling or blankets?

The only thing I'd insist upon is that since this is a lot of dark, you ought to use either a mirror or light-toned decorations ... but don't go too extreme in that direction.

My first thought is no, don’t paint it. I think it’s interesting brick and could work with many different looks — as it has for 40+ years.

But we have no idea what the rest of the room looks like, the rest of the house, what decor styles you like, etc. ”Modern country style” is too vague.

I do know that in looking at RE in my town, I will pass up any masonry I see that is painted, except in very rare circumstances. I almost always prefer natural brick and stone as a fixed element, not as wall(s) to be painted on a whim. But that’s just me and I know not the popular opinion.

Spend your money on skimming the ceiling for a smooth texture to give an updated look. Cleaning the brick will help too.

Thank you everone for your comments. sorry about my late reply. Im brand new to houzz and was a little lost. I think I will take everone’s advice and hold off on painting it. I already cleaned it and will try light colored decorations and a mirror to help lighten things up as @Jilly suggested.

Would you all suggest painting the brown stained mantle or even replacing it to help brighten things up? I would post more pics of my house only we are about to repaint the walls and put in a new floor so it wouldnt make sense at this time. Maybe I will do so when everthing is complete. thanks again!