I think to advise in vacuum is never a good idea. Waht is the rest of the sapce like we need oics of the whole room please . Post here in comments DO NOT start another post .Do you plan to try to have a TV over the fire box?

And do you intend to keep a wood-burning fireplace or change it to something else?

Yes, we plan to hang a TV above the mantle. We plan on keeping the fireplace as is for now (likely would not remodel again for 5+ years) but do not plan to use it.

The current room does not have furniture yet because we are finishing our remodels until moving in, but plan to paint the room SW alabaster (and trim and chimney) along with getting a cream or light grey colored sectional. Room looks really big in this picture but is smaller in person. This is the family room that opens from the kitchen.

Thank you!

Other thoughts were to do something like this below. We will be removing the ceiling fan and adding recessed lights as well.

I think that painting the brick and adding a mantel would be great. You might as well get a mason to come and tell you whether it's feasible to remove the surface material of a working chimney (and for how much $$) -- if not worth it, then paint the whole thing and see what you think. If you really don't like the upper half (which will be mostly hidden by your TV), you can always skim coat it as a second step.

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I would rethink your plan to put the TV above the fireplace. You have the room to the right for one at the optimum viewing height. If it’s a small room, you may not be able to place the furniture far enough away from the fireplace without neck strain. If your TV is larger than the firebox it may look top heavy. Try a mock-up by taping a piece of cardboard where you expect to hang the TV, and place a chair where you expect to place your couch. See if it looks good and feels good.

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If you find that the mock-up works for you, a Frame TV that looks like art will look much better than a large black box above a smaller black box.

I see great places for TV much better than above the FP. I don't have a big issue with painting interior brick but I would wait un til all the rest of the room is done then see , maybe that bit of rustic is just what the space needs.

I suggest that you tile over it. Black basalt looks great.