Get a new insert, LOSE the raised hearth, and if on a budget? Fur it out and drywall will be your friend. Resurface however you like.

There are no less than a billion images of fire on the internet. Find one that inspires you. : )

What we know is painting did not help, as it soo rarely does.

Another vote to remove the raised hearth since you’re doing new flooring

Well somone already painted it to make it worse It looks like an electric FP so IMO remove that whole rock wall now before doing the floors and honestly hickory would be my last choice for floor there is nothing neutral about hickory .

Are you willing to remove the surround? We took out a larger rock one than that in a previous house in an afternoon. Then you would have a blank slate to put in what you want.

In our current house we replaced the surround with cast stone, had a new insert installed, and lowered the hearth to the floor.

And Patricia our engineered hickory floors are a neutral brown with minimal contrast.

Am wondering if you could apply a parge coat of cement that would eventually form a smooth surface.

Get rid of it : ) Don't add cement and make a bigger mess.

Now is the time to get what you want. But if budget doesn't permit removal just yet, buy a couple extra boxes of flooring to have ready when you can remove the fireplace structure.

If the hearth wasn't raised you could consider smoothing out the face of the rock. That step spoils everything.

If you keep the fake rock, then the opening for the FP has to change to something more simple.