I think painting your brick fireplace will make a world of difference. You could do the brick and the wall the same color and I don't think that a dark gray will make the room feel dark as long as the other walls are a light color: and Painting them white will not look country: and Good luck!

Consider leaving the brick unpainted but work with the mantle and hearth. The mantle could be boxed in with a crown molding beneath. The hearth could be treated the same way only without the crown depending on how often you use it. Any number of stone styles could also be used on the hearth.

Would not hesitate to paint. Right now the fireplace is what catches your eye. You could paint it neutral: beige, greige or tan ( not sure I would go white with your decor but personal preferance) or pop of color. It takes up a pretty large space in your room. You could also paint it wall color.

Definitely paint the whole brick area. White would be fine or charcoal. Try moving your TV to the wall where the sofa is now and have the sofa facing the fireplace.

If you want clean lines and contemporary look you'll need to clear the top of the fireplace of all the snapshots and move them to a hall gallery or another location where they're not trying to be a decorating statement.

The very first thing: CLEAR OFF THE MANTEL. (Sorry for shouting, but it's so obvious.)

You also need to lower the art over the sofa and get a proper console for the TV, one that's about twice as long as that behemoth. I know you asked about the fireplace, but if you're aiming for modern, clean lines, those are the first things to do. And clearing the mantel and lowering the art are as affordable as it gets.

I wouldn't just paint that fireplace, I would probably give it a whole new facade. If you really want clean lines, those brick appear to be very textured and, though it may be the different colors, they also appear to be somewhat uneven. I am not a carpenter but I would check out what materials you could use (not sure whether drywall is an option) to build a complete surround. I would leave the area for the wood open but use your facade material to make it straight across. For the hearth, you will probably want to use some type of slab material, slate, granite, etc. Or even a stained concrete since you are wanting a more contemporary feel.

With your current furniture and wood floors, I would be careful in choosing grays. You will need to make sure that the gray is a warm one rather than on the cooler (blue) side. After all that is done, you may find that you can hang your pictures as a grouping over the mantle, but I agree that right now, they do detract from the clean lines you're trying to achieve.

Here is a before and after of how I updated mine. I used MDF to trim around the firebox. and tiled the hearth. I think painted brick looks very harsh so I bought cans of spray texture used to patch ceilings and sprayed the brick above the mantle to soften it before painting.

I have to be gone for awhile, ericajanda, but I will return later and paint your fireplace. I like that it covers the whole wall and that the mantel goes straight across, but it presents a bit of a problem with the small space above it for styling. Still, it's unusual and I think, with proper treatment, this wall could be a standout. Don't despair. It's gonna be good, maybe great by the time these houzzers are done!

I just noticed this but what is that odd shaped area on the right side of the fireplace? I thought at first it was a lamp shade but on closer inspection looks like it's part of the brick. Is that right?

Paint away! It's cheap and if you don't like it, then you can do something else without feeling like you've wasted money. My suggestion would be to go get a gallon primer and prime it white. Once you have it primed out, it will be easier for you to envision another color there. It's a pretty fireplace and could really stand out in a good way!

excellent first step. It may be more clear to you then what to do. Definitely paint it.
Think You will be glad you did

Being awkward about this. I wouldn't paint it. It's too much of an !!!!!! on its own. So I'd play that up. Paint the wall above a dark accent colour, and place something unexpected on the wall -- nothing at all on the mantle itself. I've put a made-up collection of clocks here, but it could be a fabulous long piece of driftwood, or a long faux or wooden fish (or shark), or you could even use those photographs to do a long collage (only one picture deep) in black frames, or a variety of frames -- anything that echoes the shape of the wall and is dramatic enough not to need anything else. I'd keep the brick itself free of ornament, too.

And yes, that TV needs to be moved and have a base long and solid enough to ground it.

smartin, great idea. The primer is the way to start. Erica, after you see that, you might decide if you want a color, or whether you want to cover over the brick entirely like arowiz did. (Great job, by the way!)

Here is a before and after using lightweight concrete wall panels. These panels are designed to be easily installed by any DIY'er and can be colored anything you want. You can purchase concrete stain and do as much or as little coloring as you want and the coloring can be changed at any time.

Stucco or plaster it ( sorry, English is not my native language). And then paint it. This brick is far too classic to obtain a modern look and it 's too different from the bricks shown in pictures above.

Wow, simply stone, that looks great! Wish you would post that in before and after and explain the process further.

I prefer the first, lighter color one Grover. Nice job.

I love the second one. It looks so much better than the original brick...much more polished! Great job, groveraxle!

Paint is relatively inexpensive - and quarts are available for mock-up sampling.

You could clean - prep - prime and start experiments with colors.

http://www.inhabitliving.com/modern-walls-floors/wall-flats-3d-decorative-wall-panels/drift-3d-wall-panels-wall-flats.html

Approximately $4/sq. ft.

Wow Grover - your recommendations are amazing!!

Beautiful, Grover. Even though I do fancy the brick as is, this would certainly be worth doing for the look Erica wants. I prefer the darker colour, but they're both Lovely.