This size room can definitely be a challenge! Do you have room measurements you can share?

Painting the fireplace is an option, however, this is a nice wood frame versus a weird, outdated stone. depending on the rest of the home and how the rest of the room is styled, the wood trim that matches your base boards can be pretty timeless. I like the idea of framing it with storage, but the way the trim angles it won't look like a flush built-in but could still provide a balanced feel.

Would you be able to post measurements and maybe a photo of the kitchen area or other nearby spaces so I can get a better idea of how you use the space? I could play around a little with the layout and what additional options could fit in the space.

Hi Melissa, thanks for the feedback! The room measures about 13ft x 12 ft wide, definitely a tight space. I’m attaching a few pics of the nearby dining and kitchen area if that helps any! Thanks so much!

Thanks Sue! I'll try and couple ideas for layout/fireplace color so you can see what it would look like. Were you planning any other updates for the room aside from fireplace, like furniture or anything I should keep in mind?

At the moment we don’t have any other ideas but totally open to any other suggestions! Thanks so much!

Ok great! I'm going to post a couple examples of some changes I think would make all the difference. Layout is hard because the size, shape, etc of the room doesn't allow many options for a sofa, and since your fireplace is tall there aren't many options for the TV either.

For starters, even though I kept the TV on the window wall, I did thicker, more opaque drapery and only hung them to the outside of each window so they frame the windows and TV area as a whole. This at least makes the area feel more intentional. In this example I'm showing our 88" long Monterey sofa in a very light taupe to fit the softness of the room. I paired that with a leather recliner to bring in some warmth and contrast (linked below).

I think the main thing the room is lacking is just layering of artwork and accessories! This adds that depth and interest. I also chose a slightly larger coffee table with some decor to add personality.

I will post an example of the fireplace in both the wood tone and white!

https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-recliners/rawlins-leather-recliner/737914.html

https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-media-cabinets/villa-media-cabinet/139426.html#lang=en_US&q=villa&start=1

https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-media-cabinets/villa-media-cabinet/139426.html#lang=en_US&q=villa&start=1

https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-coffee-tables/deacon-square-coffee-table/138381+++217.html#lang=en_US&q=deacon&start=1

I have a 3D tour I can share and can walk you through any questions if you want to shoot me a message!

Wow these look great, thank you so much!! I like the idea of the curtains, never thought to do that. I may be painting that fireplace now that I see this :)

I'm so glad I could help you out! Feel free to reach out if you run into any other questions I can help with!