What a fun project, Kathy! By any chance, do you have a photo of your room and fireplace you can attach here? That is bound to spark some great ideas from the community!

I will post one this evening, thanks!

Cool! We'll watch for it. :)

oops, sorry there are 2! This is a very old farmhouse, way out in the country. So very casual, country chic is what I am trying to achieve.

Perhaps you could paint the shelves and mantle white. The back of the shelves could be painted the same colour as the blue wall. Remove the pictures, paintings etc. and group on blue wall. Place round mirror. Remove half of the books and place the remaining ones on side and flat. Place small ornament the same colour as the wall and chair on left in between and on top of books. Group some glass vases on either side of the mirror.

I like!

thank you designher!

Oooh, beautiful, anni! For kathy fry valentine I might take anni's plan and add some interesting scrollwork on the surrounding woodwork, at least on top to make it a little more "country".

I would add a raised mantle by making a 'box' that can sit atop the existing top of the fireplance made from some rough hewn pine or other local wood that extends beyond the front of the bookcases...maybe with the facing edge still showing the bark. This fireplace also needs to stand above the top shelf of the bookcases so the eye moves up. Then I would cover the old brick with some large, faux river rocks to bring more of the country feel in.

Of course, I agree that the art needs to be assigned a new wall with a cohesive arrangement. Then the books and other personal knock-knacks can be arranged on the shelves so that the bookcases become more of a story than just storage units. The top shelves of the bookcases can then sport some interesting candle holders....how about something as simple as grouping a few colorful empty wine bottles with candles? The glow is soft and yet very down to earth. A good big basket with some kindling on the floor adds some interest and texture while a cool vintage painting or a fun mirror or antique clock in an appropriate scale above the fireplace would complete the look.

...looking at your photo of your space closely, I would put all your personal photos perhaps in the hallway/bedroom and should you have quite a few, make a gallery wall of photos. It would add interest and have the photos all in one place.

I am one that does not like to decorate with personal photos.....lol

you did a great job by minimizing the brick, otherwise I would have said tear out the brick and start fresh. I researched fireplaces/mantels till I was seeing double for a month, there's an unlimited amount of design ideas out there. UnLimited...

....livelovenow....constructing a surround & new mantel helps to soften the brick fireplace, mantel and hearth....relative cheaper than removing the brick and my clients still wanted to see some of the brick....it worked!

Its a great way of renewing a space with minimal amount of work and $$$....just a good handyman with minimal of materials.

Make sure your within fire code in your area so if there is a flare up in your fire box, your safe from any fires.

Also....you seem to love the color of the wall(s) so by simply painting the brick a neutral color you will soften the peacock blue and the red brick won't be competing with them. You have tons of options...and that makes this project simple to redefine.

When you say 'country', do you want to lean towards a rustic note (my interpretation, thus the suggestion of using a river rock facade on the fireplace and raising the mantel portion of the fireplace by adding a new surround w/exposed bark slab), or do you prefer a look more like cottage country?

My thought is that strengthening the focus on the fireplace will be sufficient...so maybe adding more detail as you suggested with the trim to the bookcases....may add too much attention to the wonderfully simple bookcases that w/b showcased with your books and a few well chosen art pieces. Simply beefing up the surround and re-thinking how you dress the walls and bookcases will be just the fix you need. Good luck....should be a wonderful project! :)

Wow, you have received lots of great design advice...you are now good to go! Good luck and now you owe us some photos of the finished project.

Enjoy the process..........anni

I would add some beautiful color and pattern with a great wallpaper even if it's just a small amount at the back of the bookcase to carry the blue color and interest and more focus. Me personally would wallpaper the wall above the fireplace.

...personally, I do not think I would wallpaper over the fireplace (wood)...some prep work required....the wall behind the bookcases, yes. Also, if you can acquire a faux deer head w antlers would give it a very rustic touch.....could be anything from paper mache to ceramic but it would certainly add whimsy......good luck!

I don't think it would be as much work as your mantel redo suggestion. It would be less. Your idea is beautiful though.

What about stucco on the bricks to make them disappear? You could also tile over the bricks if you want a more dramatic change.

...google 'refacing a brick fireplace' and see what you get....a visual will certainly persuade you one way or the other....if it jumps out at you and you love it...you will know! Have fun and good luck!

Never paint brick. What looks "in" right now, will be dated in a few years and stripping brick is a nasty, often impossible job.
Maybe, paint the wood edging the fireplace (although painted wood also has dating issues), & lean a row of interesting tiles against the back of the mantle to add interest & draw the eye.

I would do a mortar rub on the fireplace and paint the shelves and trim white. Look for a piece to place above the fireplace that makes use of the verticality of the space. Remove some of the books from the shelves and add a few accents (vase, small picture propped up) that add more of your blue color. I myself would whitewash the wood on the wall and ceiling.

Hello,
For the country chic look you are after, here are some suggestions:
I would definitely beef up the mantle and add additional trim around it. I would paint all of this white. You can add doors to the bookshelves to keep them looking neat, and adding interest. They can be either simple glass, or wood
fronts.
I would also suggest painting the paneling, including the ceiling, white. I think it would add an updated country look. If you do not want to do this, then work with the paneling by adding warm tones. The peacock blue wall color looks pretty intense in the photo. I would soften the intensity, or perhaps choose another color scheme.
Minimizing the accessories, to achieve a clean, updated look would be nice. I would remove half of the books, and add accessories to the bookshelves, arranged in a pleasing vignette. The wall above the mantle should have a focal accessory, such as a larger painting, wall clock, etc.. Then, layer with smaller accessories. You can get ideas by browsing on HGTV website, or looking at magazines. Can't see the rest of your room to comment further.

I just dealt with a similar design dilemma with paint and I think it totally transformed my family room, for the cost of a can of paint. I used the Behr Ultra with the primer and paint in one and it covered the brick very easily.
Check out the before and after photos....
Good luck!

Wow hennef7 great job! What a great transformation and breath of fresh air!

Thanks, Jayeheil....I just finished this a couple weeks ago and look enjoy being in the room so much more than before. That red brick fireplace just sucked the life out of the room.

Yes...nice job. The crisp white with the vibrant red is refreshing!

Painting out-dated, stock red brick is a great and inexpensive way to change the fireplace. It's fresh and gives the fireplace a real lift making your focal point all the more interesting.

I disagree that painting brick will be a mistake, thus becoming outdated. My experience proves quite the opposite...that tired and boring red brick drags everything down but a well-executed paint job in a neutral color (or a well-done white wash) not only enhances the structure but brings it current and offers so many more options for the entire facelift.

Editing is also a very important aspect of updating a space, as is keeping things simple. Well chosen pieces along with books in the bookcase will not only keep the eye moving but will tell the story of who lives in this space, all part of making a room cohesive and interesting.

Jayeheil: do you have doors for the tv cabinet? That would be a plus...and I would move the cd tower to another location. It seems to clutter the space and detract from your great fireplace. Just a small tweak....but otherwise, nice job!

rdonal,

The TV cabinet was built for my by my late father and originally did have doors on it, but they had to be removed to accomadate the flat screen TV. I found it tedious to open and close them anyway. I can't really move the CD tower because there is no molding on the bottom of the TV cabinet. I agree it is distracting though. Thanks so much for your feedback. Do you think I have the right amount of clutter on the mantle?

The original fireplace was drab tan brick with a very contemporary brick mantel. This is how it looks now after I built a new surround and painted the brick white. The room was still in process but....you can see the difference!

Sorry....(addressed you by the wrong name)

Hennef7; How lovely to have a piece made for you by your father. Those are treasures!

If you would consider this....possibly adding some shuttered panels for some texture, they could be hinged in the middle and on the left side so that opening and closing the door would be simple and would fold onto one side, thus taking up very little space. Just an idea. If shutters are too country, the person who finishes the bottom molding can probably make two simple panels with a beveled edge. One knob on the far right would work well. A simple black metal would compliment your fireplace tools.

To address your question...I would worry less about the lack of bottom molding...that is a very simple fix.....and by moving the cd tower, you will do justice to your new look. Where it stands, there is too much competition between the doorless cabinet and the lovely fireplace. The eye has to concentrate to see where the fireplace structure stands apart from the other pieces. Try finding someone who can add a simple molding to finish the tv cabinet and a new spot for the tower. I think you will be pleased with the flow.

Editing and arrangement is what brings a room together. Always think "less can be more" when adding things to shelves and mantles. I think you are on the right path but you also have to think in scale. I would take the things off of the top of your tv cabinet completely at least for starters. Move the tall blue vase to the left side of your mantle and group it with 2 other pieces in varying height but not more than two. How about the white pitcher and another blue piece?

On the right side, it could be interesting if you had something in a bright color (red?) or an interesting box or flat basket (cigar box?) to lie flat that would elevate one of the plants and the other plant could simply sit next to it. The elevated plant would be on the outside of the mantle, thus the height would be at the visual end of t

Cont'd....
this would be the visual end of the horizontal line.

Finally.....remove the plants, etc. from the hearth. The fireplace tools are perfect and should stay. The other things interrupt the crispness of the fresh "new" fireplace as well as begin to clutter.

Have fun with the process!

Rdonal,
Thanks again for your ideas. I am constantly tweeking the mantle. I do have a tendency to clutter. If you noticed in my 'before' photos, I used to have a collection of birdhouses on it. I'm fighting the urge to bring them back into the room.
I see by your profile that you are a homeowner. Do you have a design background, or do you just dabble in it like me?

Face it with a veneer stone such as Eldorado. While it comes in many styles, a fieldstone would authentically match the age and location of the house.

All these ideas are incredible, thank you SO much! I have already done some much needed editing and will paint the bricks a warm taupe to match my PB curtains. (there is a picture window to the left) And the blue isn't quite as shocking as my photo suggests! Love the resurfacing idea, too. I have a giant, old wagon wheel that I might fill the blue space with.
I will share another photo after a little more taking away and redoing.
Hennef7~ oh my! lovely reinvention.

Kathy, Be sure to try that Behr Ultra paint with the primer in it. It will make the job soooo much easier than using regular paint as brick is very porous and will soak it up like a sponge.

Looking forward to the 'after' photos!

hennef7, I am a homeowner. I've completely remodeled my own home and I've done freelance work for many people. I'm a very good carpenter, tiled my own floors, do basic electric and plumbing....a little bit of everything. I also did some general contracting along with my designing. My specialty is small spaces. I hope to launch my same day design business in the near future!

I hope my suggestions were helpful....have fun and remember, your home should be a reflection of who lives there. It tells your family story!

P.S....you might try separating the bird houses mixing them in with some other things and in different parts of the house maybe among your plants.
The red one with the horizontal stripes might be nice on the fireplace IF there is room next to the elevated plant. I think they are sweet!

Here are two photos showing veneer stone reface. Old fireplace had red brick much like yours.

Very nice!

The home is an old farmhouse in the country right? Not a beach cottage so i would keep the rustic brick and add a big chunky beam for a mantel. Don't paint the wainscoting white, that is more of a beach look. Do Put doors on the bookcases and paint the bookcases bright green or yellow to match the intensity of the blue wall. You can even distress them to give them some age. Then add a huge over scaled piece of art over the mantel. something rustic like a big rusty wheel, sign,or weather vane- something rustic . Make your own if you have to with a piece of rough plywood. Stencil a sign or saying with paint on it. It will come out looking old because of the roughness of the wood and you will get to coordinate with the colors in the room. Contact me for more ideas at http://www.interior-decorating-diva.com. Good Luck!

I agree with the large beam mantle but be careful it does not overwhelm the smaller size and dimentions of the bookcases. It would look like it was crushing them.
A different approach might be to paint the bookshelves themsleves color, even white, to make them pop out and the fireplace and new mantle would also pop.
Consider finding a rustic tile an tiling the floor in front of the fireplace if it is not already there and covering, with the tile, a line around the fireplace openeing itself to tie tie it all together. Keep in mind you like color and choice of color can be changed but a oversized mantle and the final choice of tile you have to live with.

Judy A. Interior Designer, Owner of Facets of Design