Looks like a great house with lots of projects! Right now the fireplace is definitely a little bossy. I think after you add your furnishings, rugs, art on the walls, lamps and etc, that it will be a charming feature. And if it isn't you can always still paint it or cover it up.

sorry, but that river rock is hideous.

painting it will make it moreso.

Pretty sure that was something that was done by the homeowners, not the orig builder.

Is the hearth the same slate like the flagstone? or is it a green marble?

I'd remove that as well. (doesn't even go w/the river rock)

If it was mine, I'd remove the rock and do something that is more period appropriate to the house style.

redo it w/something more in line w/the 40's. this would work

so would this. much more house appropriate. remove the river rock and replace w/plain brick. you could paint them black and add a mantle surround.

a bit more rustic, a black slate ledger stone w/hearth, black mantle. do a wood bench off to the side or a built in book case.

Or, if you want to keep it, fir it out (which will maintain it) and do something over top of it

I like the idea of going all the way up to the ceiling

fir it out, cement board, and skim coat w/a plaster or cement overlay. you could have a similar look. I love the little nook bench on the side.

I don't mind the river rock, but the hearth tile has got to go. Put in brick or slate instead.

I’d keep it as is if the stone flooring in the other room is staying, too. I think it’s pretty cool, and like you, appreciate the craftsmanship of it.

At least wait to see about other changes first, how you’re going to decorate, etc before deciding, as dee said.

I think changing the hearth could look good, too, as Sabrina suggests. But I’d leave the rock on the fireplace.

It seems appropriate to the style of the home. I might wash it and then apply an enhancing sealer to the stones to bring up the colors.

I don't think painting the stone white is the correct direction for the room. I would consider replacing the green marble with soap stone

I am not a pro. I like the fireplace river rock quite a bit (and painting it would not be an improvement IMO), but think the hearth and mantle should be replaced- perhaps slate for the hearth, and a wood mantle. I don’t love the stone flooring in the next room; it looks uncomfortable and quite bossy. I’d replace it with hardwood flooring throughout.

Am I the only one who can't stand the yellow walls in the next room? Don't make any changes to the river rock fireplace until both rooms are painted a warm white or warm something else that harmonizes with your gold floors. You've got white, gold, yellow--and none of it works together.

Note wall paint below that works with floor and fireplace stone in similar palette to yours.

River Course Golf Course Home · More Info

Note how well wall color works with golden wood trim. Ditto the furnishings.

Rustic Family Room · More Info

Not recommending that you lighten the rock necessarily, but bring in furnishings, rug, art, then decide on wall paint to connect both rooms. Then decide on lightening the river rock.

Ideal palette for your fireplace is this, picking up gold of some of the stones, which echoes golden oak color. Furniture in creamy white and gold.

Palo Alto Green Home Tour 2009 · More Info

Forgot to mention that if anything needs changing it's the hearth stone. Something in a golden taupe/gray slate would connect with the rustic stone.

I think the fireplace is really cool. It is so much more interesting than the ones with fake stone cladding. I agree the green hearth reads wrong but once you get the place painted and decorated it may not be an issue. Maybe new mantle and new hearth but I wouldn't touch that gorgeous fireplace.

everyone showing beautiful examples of rock fireplaces.

This,

Will never look like this

It doesn't matter what the paint color is, the furnishings, or anything else. This rock fireplace looks better because it's not as Thick from the wall, AND the rock goes all the way to the ceiling. it's proportioned. OP's is not. OP's is short and heavy-looking.

the stone hearth inlay/mantle fights w/the rock design.

It's more rustic than what I would choose, but I recognize and want to protect the craftsmanship.

I also don't think it's an original to the home when it was built. I think someone, at some point, did it. Therefore, unless you really, really like the craftsmanship of someone's rock fireplace design, I'd remove it and start over w/something better looking.

I'm sure all of the walls will be repainted. she already said shes painting the trim. matching the tone of this river rock really isn't the main issue. It's the overall look of the squatty, but fat rock layout design.

My decorator found a paint color to match one of the rocks. The result was spectacular and not rustic.

Thank you to everyone who weighed in. I toured the house this evening after most of the comments were posted. They really helped me focus on elements I hadn’t before.

The update: the green hearth is worse in person, and the mantel is equally wrong. None of it resembles the floor in the sunroom. It just felt wrong in the context of the whole house so it’s going.

On the other hand, the trim and moldings are beautifully grained wood. It’s highly unlikely I’ll paint them, especially since they continue throughout the whole house.

Hi all, my father was a mason and I spent years working in construction myself. I’m partial to the river rock and love the woodwork throughout. But the mantle and hearth need to go. They seem like an afterthought and out of place. If I was to guess the sunroom used to be a porch that was enclosed and heated later. Probably the reason for the height difference between rooms. Sounds like you have a good handle on things. Good luck with your project.

I'm glad you're not painting the trim. I'd give the trim a good cleaning and then paint the walls a warm white.

That’s exactly the vibe I’m hoping to create. Thanks for adding the photos!

I would change the mantel shelf and the hearth to something plainer, solid slabs, since I think in this case they fight each other. Your fireplace isn't an examplar of the form maybe, but is seems comfortable in the house and can be modified to look better but still look like itself.

I don't think those 2000s stacked stone replacements would sit any better in this house that the original.

Your fireplace looks like it would be right at home in an Earl Young Mushroom house. I love the style of these houses.

https://www.google.com/search?q=earl+young+mushroom+houses+interiors&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjy3rr79Nv-AhXYFN4AHWpeCeYQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=earl+young+mushroom+houses+interiors&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJ1C_DlijHmDqH2gAcAB4AIABY4gBsAaSAQIxMJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=fMZTZPKwNNip-LYP6rylsA4&bih=888&biw=1920&client=firefox-b-1-lm

(I'd bet that the fireplace was original but also homemade -- no self-respecting mason would use all those tiny pebbles in an attempt to make up for the poor effort at matching the shapes of the larger stones. I'm glad you've decided to remove it -- looks like you have lots of interesting bones to work with elsewhere!)

over-grout it like the floor?