Your fireplace looks ok. The room needs some more decorative touches and maybe getting rid of this oak extravaganza by painting it or maybe replacing the oak mantel with something more interesting. Add more colorful art and decorative objects and maybe more interresting area rug.

I would get a skylight or sky tube,or put in window(s). Walls would be nice the right grey, use sample pots.

Painting the brick or tiling it would probably be a big plus. Also would replace the shelf with a stone shelf and install a large framen mirror above shelf.
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I would go for more contrasting colors for your walls. A couple of shades darker on the bottom.

I think it's a beautiful room and I wouldn't touch the fireplace...it's beautiful. I would look for a different area rug and large art above the fireplace.( Just sitting on the mantel)Also paint the fireplace a matte black. Now that you moved the couch to face the fireplace you could place a bookshelf on that large wall. I think if possible I would remove that chair rail at some point. Now I want to go back and look at your room again but don't know how to do it without losing my comments. I will look again after I post this. I think it's a beautiful room though and you would not have to spend too much money to get it the way you want.

I think painting it off white would brighten up the room

Also- We had a similar hearth when my children were little and we put a bumper on it for a while, you might want to consider this when your baby starts to crawl.

I would paint all the bland walls a deep green or blue. The room would look cozier and the fireplace would pop. The red brick is nice, just doesn't look like a focal point with the current wall color. Also paint the golden oak trim white and that would freshen up the space as well. The walls need more art work too.

What's you're budget? I think the biggest immediate bang for your FP buck is to paint the FP brass with heat proof black paint and paint the mantel white. For a bigger investment, consider additional can lights under the balcony and the biggie: real skylights mounted between each set of beams (really can't see how many there are.) Then you can paint any color you love and still be assured of great light in the space.

Definitely lose the brick by white washing it: the brick is just not that nice. I'd also paint the mantle.
The brass fire surround strikes me as dated -if budget permits, get a new fire surround. I just did that in my apartment and losing the brass toned done the fireplace and made it much more timeless and a little more sophisticated.
I'd ignore the people telling you to add more art and decor because it is essentially more clutter.
A simple statement mirror above a white mantle could look great 'though.
Hope you have successfully updated your room by now and this advice is already irrelevant.
Good luck with it all.

@majorb I just posted a picture :). This was a couple of months ago. I have hung two old windows from my previous 1920s house on either side of the FP and moved a few things around since this was taken, but it's so much better. I just went with my gut!

You have great instincts! You changed the whole feng shui of the space with the whitewashing and the changes to the room furniture placement. You have done a wonderful job and I can tell you really put your heart into it! The room is inviting, uplifting and also cozy and with modern style. Excellent, excellent job!
I am a feng shui consultant and am so delighted to see how you have brightened up your living space. It makes such a difference. :)

I would leave the fireplace but paint the wood trim and wood railings. This would add volume, lighten up the room and make the brick the centre element

The changes you've made look amazing! Great job!

Well, I'm glad we revived this thread from last fall and you showed us the results! Really nice to learn what happened with the post. So rare to see the finished outcome, which is the gratifying part for those of us who Houzz on a regular basis.

The whitewashing turned out great! I'd also recommend possibly a medium sized plant in the right corner to add some more light and life. I recently added a dwarf avocado tree to my living room and it's a great touch! Only thing is I needed to add a grow light due to the lack of sunlight where I wanted to put the tree. I recommend the Aspect because it's pretty much a gallery light that grows plants. I think an exotic or interesting plant with the grow light in the corner could really brighten up the place. You can get most plants from your local nursery, Lowes or Home Depot and you can find the Aspect here at www.soltechsolutionsllc.com/aspect. Cheers!

Your fireplace looks fantastic! What brand/name and sheen of paint did you whitewash with?

The baby you were about to have at the time of your initial post must be four years old now! Everything changes over time.

@dwirta it’s been so long (flopsycat1 is right. He’s about to turn 4!) that I don’t remember what I used. It was just a white paint I had so probably a semi-gloss watered down to a 50/50 blend of water to paint. We still live in the house and I haven’t regretted doing this at all! Super easy (tiny bit messy) and it makes such a dramatic difference.

I am looking at these comments 4-8 yrs later, and I laughed at how critical ppl can be. Now a days everyone pushes people to white wash the fireplace, you bcarrie, did it before the big big craze, and against a lot of comments against it, and it looks fab. I would love to see what else you have done, not that it needs anything, but in that time, we do a lot of different things. I'm sure your son keeps you busy, but heck you could have 2 more by now, if not more....

What is whitewash and how do you do it? This brick came out beautiful!

Kathleen, don't comment on a post that's 10 years old. Not enough people will bother to look at your question. Start your own new post with a picture.