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Emily Hurley Hi Jennlehr, I know I'm going to get it for this, but I would. I love painted brick. That said, it's a hugely controversial topic. Lots of people are against painting brick if it can be at all avoided.

jennlehr I know thats why i m asking first!!!

Dawn Hearn Interior Design I think painting it white would make the room look lighter and larger. You might even consider the ceiling beams too. If you can cut the angled desk(?) portion out of the bookcase and add more standard shelves that would be nice. Check these out: http://www.diynetwork.com/decorating/hot-fireplace-design-ideas/pictures/page-5.html
http://www.fromtherightbank.com/2010/10/will-i-go-straight-to-hell-if-i-paint-my-brick-fireplace/
Good luck!

judyg Would paint it white and change the line of the mantel. Remove all the shelving and install a long, narrow mirror. Or put your t v there. I would also get rid of the fan and get a fun, large chandelier. For the correct size, add the length of the room to the width of the room, into inches and that is the correct size ceiling light. so 12 x 14 = 26 feet so a 26 inch chandy will do it.

jennlehr oh yes the angled desk is def. going

C Wright Design Hi! We just had a client's red brick fireplace "painted" white so this is a timely question. We had it painted by a local faux finisher as we did not, in that particular case, want the brick to be painted, but rather glazed with a white wash. The results are clean, beautiful, light, and keep the feel of the original brick. An opaque paint on the brick is also beautiful, just different. Before deciding, I would consider your plan for the ceiling. I think this is important in making the decision on whether to paint the brick.

jennlehr thanks. but with budget constraints i think the beams have to stay as if for now.

Tristan Blakeman No question: paint it. Also, unless it's really important to you for display, I'd lose the mantle. If it has to stay, I'd suggest something less rustic and more clean. Good luck - looks like a nice big room to work with!

Deb Darby I have the same dilemna, and mine remains the natural brick. What you could do to get used to the change is to put a temporary white panel on top of the mantel. If you like it, paint it, then keep looking around at pics of white fireplaces until you decide you can't live without one!

jennlehr thats what im doing thanks!!

jennlehr but dont i need the dark contrast of the mantel?

Zanna Russell I second the "glaze the brick with a white wash." That will be much better than simply painting it. The same goes for the beams and the ceiling. Re-do that bookcase in a light-colored wood.

jennlehr what does glazed brick look like? do you have any pics?

Dixie Henrie I would paint it -and could you do the ceiling yourself? It would just be thirty bucks for a can of paint. I agree with the others that the ceiling really needs to be done too.

Patricia YES asap

O'Brien Designworks I would suggest adding wood panels and a wooden manel to "bury" most of the brick and tie-in the bookcase with the panelling. This is a traditional look and I would paint the woodwork white and leave the brick as-is for a nice contrast.

lislswai Yes! Paint it white. But replace the ceiling fan and brass on the fireplace with something more contemporary. It will look fantastic!

Lana Daniel I painted my fireplace with a grey that is almost white. Dry brushed it so a bit of the original brick color was there but laid a heavier coat on the mortar which was dark. When it was dry I went back with a darker gray and a dry brush and using a very light hand just gave it some highlight and more contrast, last step was lightly dry brushing with a charcoal grey. Worked great, lightened up the fireplace but allowed it to blend in with the wood that I couldn't get rid of. You might think about painting the cabinet in the light gray with highlights of the dark dry brushed over it to minimize the stark contrast. Perhaps take off the wedge piece and make it a bookcase or display case? That piece may be the only place for the TV however. Tone the paneling down with the light grey. This may not be everyone's taste but we like it and I have had many nice comments and compliments on the room.

Pat Griffith cover it with safe dry wall - kinda like this -

Karen Vanelli Go for it....paint the brick white...or I think a creamy color would be pretty, stick with the dark wood beams and mantel....paint the walls and book shelves and nice warm color, and a contrasting color on the back wall of the bookshelves. Take the fan/lighting down and add a newer more update fan or just a pretty light fixture!

DIRECTBUY OF FORT WORTH NO! don't paint that white...You should cover it with a beautiful faux stone veneer or slate. Like this pics attached. It will add more character and make that a focal point.

Karen Vanelli Go for it....paint the brick white...or I think a creamy color would be pretty, stick with the dark wood beams and mantel....paint the walls and book shelves and nice warm color, and a contrasting color on the back wall of the bookshelves. Take the fan/lighting down and add a newer more update fan or just a pretty light fixture!

broland how to white wash here (and pictures too): http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2012/08/how-to-white-wash-brick-bathroom-update/

inkwitch Makes you wonder what people were thinking when they built that thing. Definitely paint it something, and white is a good option. It would also look better (as anything would be an improvement) painted almost any color -- red, orange, chrome yellow, apple green -- depending on the purpose of this room (LR? Den? DR?) and your decor.

And paint the mantel the same color. It will provide a coherence that works better with this fireplace. If you had a different medium (granite, stucco or any modern construction), a contrasting mantel would be distinctive. Unless you replace this one, there's not much else you can do with it.

Is that white strip at the top part of the wall? Whatever color you paint the FP, paint that the same color. It's distracting. Why didn't they go all the way up with the brick? (Maybe they ran out.)

The ceiling would look good with white between the beams. That alone will lighten the room tremendously as light bounces off the ceiling.

Thanks judyg, for the rule-of-thumb for ceiling fixtures! Good to know!

Niamh Courtney What about painting the top half same as rest of walls and leaving bottom half as brick fireplace? Might give the illusion of wider room and replacing the mantel with something more contemporary. I am not a lover of brick/rustic look but in trying to disguise it you could end up with worse scenario?

Carol Martin Hi! I have painted brick on two different fireplaces. I have loved it both times!!! It really brightened up the room and is so classic looking!!! I would do it again! I painted mine yellow which was the same as the wall and the mantel is white. It is beautiful!

tj moncupa design consultancy i'd keep the bricks but freshen up the grout with white- and paint the long mantle white. yes, take out that angled desk. : )

Ardell Hogeterp Change the colors of your walls and bookshelf.

Ardell Hogeterp Change the colors of your walls and bookshelf.

Kathy Martz_Walsh Yes, this wall is too big for all of the darkness..... I would paint it white it just does not belong in the room with the white wall on the other side....

Ardell Hogeterp Change the colors of your walls and bookshelf.

Interiors II By Mary Veltri (3) issues....you're focal fp wall needs balance, too much color contrast between all elements including ceiling. Depending on your budget, painting is least expensive and can make a huge difference....mirrors are a wonderful tool, refacing brick with stone veneer or porcelain tiles would really change the outdated appearance. Bottom line, don't be afraid to paint if thats all u have in budget. Also, consider hiring a local reputable designer that can help u come up with a basic design attack plan and paint colors! Good luck!

march465 I would paint it white IF --- a) The floors were painted espresso b) The ceiling was changed and recessed mini-lights were added c) The corner shelf was updated w/a mirrored backing and different shelves (perhaps metal). I would prefer to add a different stone to the fireplace altogether...

knottsbuilders I would cover up the brick rather than paint it....we covered ours with wood and then painted, and it seems much more modern
http://www.crispinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-it-all-comes-together.html

tj moncupa design consultancy have you considered painting the ceiling white? that would make the red bricks pop out instead of having 2 "heavy" elements.

tj moncupa design consultancy have you considered painting the ceiling white? that would make the red bricks pop out instead of having 2 "heavy" elements.

pdqplz No, I would not paint it; it would be too hard to go back once this trend passes. You could however, shorten the mantle; and put a book case on the left. All the other looks might be nice; but for how long? Painting the top a color that would blend in with the brick would keep your eye from going up top if you didn't want the focus there...painting the walls a warm or neutral color would warm it up and you could replace the time stamping of the fan to update the room without going with something you couldn't reverse.

stylgrl Home decor trends come and go, people painted them in the 70's..then everyone was sandblasting the paint off 10/15 years later. Something to keep in mind if you are staying in that home awhile.

joyewils Our fireplace was brick like yours and our cathedral ceiling was wood. The brick went up to the ceiling, and I hated all of it. We took a risk and painted the ceiling white like the ceilings in the rest of the house and painted the brick a creamy color. We painted the mantel black but haven't painted the walls yet. You could paint the inside of the bookcase a pretty accent color and follow that color throught with pillows, etc. Hope this helped.

stylgrl The whitewash looks quite pretty to me.

jennlehr yeh i like it alot.

jaedite I would just paint the mantel and brick white. Leave the ceiling and floor as they are. I like the beamed ceiling. Definately a new ceiling fixture and can lights focusing on the fireplace would update the room as well. These would be in expensive to do.

jaedite I would just paint the mantel and brick white. Leave the ceiling and floor as they are. I like the beamed ceiling. Definately a new ceiling fixture and can lights focusing on the fireplace would update the room as well. These would be in expensive to do.

pdqplz I forgot to add; we have an almost identical room; literally. Yours is better with the wood floor and windows, though. I like the character of the times. You can still do simple fixes that create a great atmosphere.

joyewils Regarding the white strip on your fireplace....maybe it would look nice tiled with something very special.

pvarner1 Here we painted ours two tone, painted the mantel and tiled the bottom.

pvarner1 Here we painted ours two tone, painted the mantel and tiled the bottom.

joyewils Take away the angled "desk" on your bookcase and fill the opening of the entire area with shelves. Glass shelves would look very nice.

saraj11357 When we moved into our house many years ago we also had a dark brick fireplace, it was shared with a wall that had very dark paneling, I believe the paneling was in first, then the brick around the fire place box, because the mortar for the fireplace covered the edges of the paneling, like a grout, so we could not take the paneling down! This made this room extremely dark! And there was a ceiling fan but no light kit! I used kilz primer to paint the paneling then paint! For the fire place i used a cream color paint and used a sea sponge to apply the paint, almost like scrubbing it on! My sister in law and brother in law painted their fireplaces with a brush and it made it look like it was very thick and if it was nicked it would peal off, mine on the other hand made it look softer and you can still see the mortar in between the brick! I like the look and it really brightened up the space! For yours I love your mantle wood color and wouldn't change it, our mantle is the top of the brick and I don't like it! Your ceiling looks to be the same wood color as the floor, I think i would paint the ceiling but leave the beams the dark wood color! On the top of this page it says photos, click on this and then click on fireplaces, it might have some good ideas or try Better homes and gardens.com or HGTV rate my space, some times you can find really good ideas there! Good Luck!

Caroline McCann I would paint it. We have a similar wall of brick and painted it white. It immediately opened up the room. You won't regret it! Lose the mantel and buy a new surround. It will look incredible. I'd also at least take out that angled shelf. Can you buy a bookcase/lighted cabinet that fits that space and make it look like a built in?

Becky Drury I stained my fireplace and I really love it. I went with a very dark brown. It updated it and it still looks natural. I think if you want to paint it, paint it. White would probably make the shelves look better.

DIRECTBUY OF FORT WORTH painting that entire f/p white will make it just washout and not be the focal point it deserves to be. You can use darker colors with the wood floors you have. Change the wall paint to a warmer neutral color in the light beige tones. Update the ceiling fans and the room will look fantastic. White painted brick is dated and your just going from one dated look to another. So, for a more updated look use a faux stone or natural slate over that brick.

Nancy Here's a pic of a red brick fireplace painted....I'll try to find the blog in found it on with the instructions.
I think you'd like it...I'd paint the ceiling white inbetween the beams also...

Alice Harper I really don't want to get into the 'white' issue but I, too, have had the paint or not paint issue in a past house. If the brick is really ugly, no amount of trying to make do will save it. Now whether to paint or glaze, white or neutral.....I've had really good success with a faux finished fireplace surround.

jennlehr thanks evreryone. i think i like the whitewash. i may give it a try!!

Suzana Schafer NONONONO! You must be out of your mind if you paint that brick, it won't be easy to go back to this natural look once you paint it white. I suggest you try to make the brick work using the following steps... and if it doesn't work ... by all means paint away.
1. Acid wash and gloss the brick, and for the love of "All That is in Good Taste" get rid of that brass and iron mesh curtain. Replace it with a plain iron mesh curtain or leave it open and add a decorative stand alone screen that fits your design taste.
2. Strip the floor and natural finish. The floor is too dark for the dark red of the fireplace brick.
3. Paint the wall in a deep strong color like toffee or denim, moss or even a dark red brick color.

joyewils I have to add to my comment regarding painting our fireplace. Actually, we stained it with concrete stain that comes in many colors and can be easily found at Home Depot or Lowes. It is available in semi-transparent or solid coverage. We chose solid because we did not want any brick color to show through. It is applied like paint, and it penetrates the brick rather than to just lay on the surface as paint would. It's a nice and more natural look.

olldcan I'd paint the mantle a light creamy grey colour, maybe even white. Scrub the grout so it's nice and clean and maybe look into lightening the grout if need be. Remove the bookshelf and brass strip. Possibly replace the ceiling fan with an LED track light so some light can be directed at that end of the room. Look for a small mirror to reflect some light and other light coloured accessories for the mantel. Fill the wood storage with some birch (white bark). All this will help lighten it up, once you paint really there's no going back.

Tania Mitchell I personally do not like painted brick but having said that I would def do something to this wall. I would render it and make it smoother then you could keep it white with the rest of the room or feature colour it. The angled shelf throws the whole room off balance so a more conventional shelf/cupboard would work better there. I'd put a British India fan in and get rid of the hanging light too. Would love some post decision pics xx

hmccarth Love the California Home and Design, brightening up the floor would be a go also.....

cgbtoo I would whitewash it, this would allow you to still see the variations in the brick .

catsco2 Would hide most of the brick with updated paneling, paint white then clean the brick and leave it as is, or update it to stacked stone and a new mantel.

folkartist Hi Jenniehr, Check out this before and after. I saw this on the internet and it reminds me of your space and the possibilities. They painted the bottom ledge of the bricks and wood mantel white and the rest of the bricks and walls yellow.

Laurie Lile Designs My first inclination was to paint the brick, but after seeing the picture of the whitewashed brick posted by stylgrl I would defiantly choose the washed finish. It's really charming. I would agree that painting the ceiling is the way to go-even if you have to do it yourself. Can't wait to see the finished room.

Judy Whitewash would be right. The brick just looks old and dirty to me, and does not go with the rest of the room at all. If it were my place I would definitely whitewash the brick to go with the walls.

Judy Whitewash would be right. Too much contrast here. The brick just looks old and dirty to me, and does not go with the rest of the room at all. The only other way would be to darken the paneling to blend better with the brick if you want a dark cozy room. If it were my place I would definitely whitewash the brick to go with the walls.

bauhaus40 I say no. It's beautiful as is

vitel1 ...in a heartbeat. Everything else is dark enough. Would lighten & modernise in one paintstroke!

thunder1 I would plaster over most of the left side including the wood storage. Then you could leave the brick as it wouldn't be so overwhelming. Or you couls plaster over the whole thing and then add decorative tile or stone.

Robert Horwath Sudio, LLC I had a few similar situations. Here are before and after photos of how I handled it for one of my customers. I covered all of the brick with cabinetry and a paneled wall and added onyx around the hearth. This customer needed storage and didn't want to see the brick anymore.

troutdesigns I paint brick 3-4 shades lighter or darker than my wall color. A 3/4 nap smaller diameter roller will help fill in all the grooves of the brick. Some bricks have deep pits, which makes the job last longer than you thought it would! Glaze is simply painting a base color, then mixing a darker shade of that color 1:4 with glaze. You can apply with a brush and scrub it onto the brick. Other finishes are a waste of time on brick. It sounds like alot of people are using "glaze" in referring to a slightly watered down version of regular paint , which allows a hint of the original color to show through. I wouldn't show red brick through white paint, but it would work if you went with a gray, taupe or a color that complements red. Remember to tape off the fireplace insert to keep from slopping paint. It will show. Have fun experimenting!!

Abigail Angel Cheepest-good old scrub bucket of hot soapy water, make sure you rince well. Then if you still don't like it whitewash.That kinda leaves the whole wall bare so use light wood stair look and put few nice theme items on shelves. I really don't like the idea of painting brick, maybe cover with fake stone. I also made comments on facebook for the rest of room. Mine was black with soot and age but scrubbing really made it nice.

troutdesigns Almost forgot, If you go light on the brick, you'll probably want to paint the inside of the fireplace with a high heat black. You'll see! It's going to look really dirty with all the fresh paint. Oh, and love the beams. Once brick fades into the background,, your floor and ceiling will make sense.

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design If paint is your only option within budget, then I would paint it. I have white washed brick and you need to know it can come up pink. So, you may want to cut the red undertone first with another color. Otherwise, a straight white but keep the mantle wood as is. Hope fully it is rustic, if not I would add some of your own distressing so it looks old. Get a new fireplace screen and fill the wood box with cut white birch logs. Not sure why the brick does not reach the ceiling, it would be nice if it did. If it is a shelf, follow the line of the shelf in the book case and put in vertical white wood to create sections, then add objects of interest...sparsely. Not sure what the corner section of the book case is either but take it back to a shelf depth to match the others, and add a few more horizontal shelves above it.For more design tips, follow my blog: "Lauren's Style Library" http://blog.laurenjacobsendesign.com/

jennlehr thanks lauren you echo my thoughts. i decided to paint not white wash, i have removed the corner desk thing and am replacing with shelves. I am painting with a latex semi gloss. not sure what color> Navajo white??? in a semi gloss latex, i assume the funny area on the top will go away when its all the same color, and will leave the ledge as is to tie in the floor and beams. i also agree that the log holder needs cut birch logs. (where do i get that???) and i am going to ditch the fireplace curtain and possibly buy a free standing screen of some sorts. maybe a fireplace tool set, (I;m a southerner, not used to fireplaces)

jennlehr well if i want a really fresh clean look arent i better off with paint rather than the whitewash. i like the whitewash idea, just not sure if i like it in this setting. and i feel the mantel, beams and dark floor are enough for contrast. am i right?

Suzanne Olsen, Olsen Design ASID If you are looking for a contemporary look then painting it white is a way to go..very inexpensively! The corner self would add an asymmetrical look then upgrade the ceiling fan or eliminate altogether replace with recessed lights. If you need to keep it traditional with the brick then I would complete the look by finishing up the brick work to the right of the fireplace and also the beam should go with the rustic look. Have fun with the firplace and I would beef up the mantle and create more design around the firplace box and log bin. Antique iron screen and a rough hewn beam. The last project my design studio was in volved in was MIM this past May I hand painted the brick on the fireplace to appear to be aged with a limewash then the hearth was glazed with silver and bronze metalic glazes,,,The desired result was achieved: Shabby, Beach Cottage Chic! Tons of old world charm, antiques and crystal chadeliers!

norgen Show us the pictures of what you've done so far.

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design Navaho white paint is OK, Decide if you want your white to be warm or not. When I want warmth to my white I go with Benjamin Moore's Acadia White. It is not too yellow, still white and clean but a touch of warmth to it. As for the birch logs, just Google white cut birch logs. You usually get 15" long and up to 4" diameter. Also, make certain you are not painting over any oil base paint with latex water base. It will peel off in under one year. You painter should know what is currently on the bookcase.

Susan Mills Design folkartist that is an amazing transformation you showed. I love it!

lauranicoleindenver I was inspired by your room, so I sketched something really quick. Kind of inspired by the urban downtown lofts in San Fran or NYC with exposed brick. Depending on your decor the beams at the top and bottom can be natural wood, black or white. Then silver face around the fireplace and wood bin, and definitely some floor to ceiling linen curtains on the wall that has some windows to soften the room.

builper.com Consider that: http://builper.com/collections/floors-and-tile/products/cultured-stone-1002-builper

Michael Hahn NO - lighten the floor and ceiling. Keep the walls modern-white. Loose the cabinet/shelves and that lamp/fan + the wooden shelve over the fireplace has to go!! Bring in some scandinavian design furniture and some copper. Put up good lighting in the corners at the fireplace.

dianestyle Some great ideas for options, just remember this: How will this effect my resale value. Painted brick can be a bit ...difficult to keep up. Glaze might not be so bad. Do you really need a mantel the length of a football field. There are so many nice options to the ceiling fan; will you need it for circulation and ventilation if you use the fireplace to heat this area? The screen might not be up to date, but what will the function of the fireplace be? Last of all, what is your vision for your room?

Cottage Craft Tile Definitely wouldn't paint the brick. With those beautiful wood floors and expansive white walls I would probably face it with a tile or stone veneer. What is your design style...traditional, contemporary...are you trying to give the space the feel of a particular era? Personally not a huge fan of painting brick in an application where the fireplace is such a focal point. The attached photo may not be your style, but it may help you visualize and get the wheels turning.

sue3 We have the exact same brick and I hate it! I find it to be a weird color that is difficult to work with. We initially covered most of it with built-ins but I still don't like it. That being said, we won't paint ours because it won't look right with our more Transitional style of decorating but instead, we will cover it with faux stone. Something that cannot be done over painted brick without additional prep and materials so you may want to keep that in mind for future/resale. Tiling or stoning over brick can be a do-it-yourself project or at least not complicated such that it should not be expensive to hire. All that being said, sound likes you are leaning toward painting which will no doubt look lovely. I agree that ceiling beams weigh heavy in the room and should be painted same color as ceiling to make them "disappear".

jennlehr I would love to do a faux stone treatment my self, but am afraid that the finishes wont look professional enough... and what if i hate it!!??? thanks for the prep tip though, Didnt realize that!! Do you think painting will be bad for resale?

sue3 What style of decorating do you like or are you planning for the room?

jennlehr modern, contemporary, clean

pattydavis1 Yes, I would paint the fireplace white. It seems so dark now so white would brighten up the room.

jennlehr thanks everyone for the amazing ideas, I keep debating between painting and washing!!! i wlll keep you posted of the progress. if i do paint, BM paint suggestions please!! (soft white)

sue3 With your style preference I think you could go either way.. paint or stone. Search pics on the houzz site for ideas and inspiration. Which photos in this thread resonate with you and your style? Save them to your "Houzz" so you can look at them all in one place. This has helped me tremendously! As far as resale, it will depend on the buyer but if your entire house has a clean, unified style that causes the painted brick to make sense, it will probably be ok.

judyg Think of it as what it is, your fourth wall. Would you choose to paint that fourth wall the brick color? I think you have received some great advice. In the future, you can always have the wall paneled.

lindores I would most definitely go with folkartist's suggestion. That whole room just came to life!

lindores I would most definitely go with folkartist's suggestion. That whole room just came to life!

crazylife j- White wash first. Since you are trying to decide between paint or white wash on the fireplace, I would suggest you simply white wash first. You don't have to choose one or the other,and it is the most logical progression. If you love it you can stop there. If not, you continue with the next coats of paint.

JP White wash first and then if you don't like it you can paint over it. Once you paint you can't go back for the softer look of white wash.

jennlehr K so now i knwo the process I need a BM paint color!!! a soft white cuz the paneling is white and want this wall to be a bit different. not a stark white.

Claudia Grimaud No I would never paint the brick...I would decorated with rustic style furniture with lots of natural shades.

nomadkath I would get a color scheme first, and start by painting the walls, putting down a soft, warm rug to break that dark floor, and a spotlit painting on the mantle in your style and colors........see how changing the focus affects the room. I do think the whitewash is pretty......what if you did that technique with more of a beige or warm stone shade to offset that 'pink' effect? But I would start with washing or sanding to see how much of that darkness is just dirt.... Definitely lose the light fan and fireplace screen.

apple_pie_order Are the floors in good shape? If so, choose an off white that goes with the floor color. If not, refinish the floors and then pick an off white that goes with the new finish.

I suspect the odd shaped diagonal shelf was for a TV.

If you cannot replace the ceiling fan, you can make it sparkle. Remove the glass shades, clean them carefully and polish up the rest with a damp cloth.

Adding tiny halogen track lights to one of the ceiling beams in order to illuminate the fireplace wall would be a great way to show it off. Also it would help when painting or white washing.

sue3 The white you choose may depend on what else is going in the room. If you have large trees outside your windows like I do, they will turn light colors green in the summer Do you want a warm white or cooler.. more yellow or grey.. Once you have a general idea, narrow down the white then get actual paint samples. Buy Hobby large, white, heavy paper and paint them, 2 coats, then hang on all walls in the room to see how the color looks at all times of the day.

Don Koppin General Contractor We also had a similar fireplace, with a lovely ash mantle. Painted it bone & that was okay for a few years, but it didn't really provide any heat, so we eventually tore down the brick, replaced it with a stone surround, added an airtight woodstove insert, flanked it both sides with (retrofitted) book cases that we already had somewhere else in the house, and did the hearth floor & front in very inexpensive, organic slate tile. It's gone form a blah fireplace to an energy-efficient, beautiful focal point of our home that provides us with enough heat for our main level, and we can still enjoy the beauty of a wood fire. Saved enough on our oil bill the first year to pay for the insert!!

Painting this fireplace white would mean a too-white room, I think, but maybe a slate gray?? Depends on how much natural light you have in the room & whether that would ground it, or make it suck the light from the room. I would paint the ceiling white instead and keep the walls white as well if that's the look you want. Love the photos on this page with the all-white room, but it takes a certain lifestyle and a keen eye for decorating to pull it off. I'd make sure the top part above the fireplace was the same colour as the fp for sure. If an airtight insert (about $3,000. incl. a necessary new chimney liner ), isn't in the budget, definitely new black doors for the fireplace are in order and an updated ceiling fan.

Drue Hartwell I'm assuming a budget is what is keeping you from doing anything more than painting and getting rid of the built-ins on the right? That's what I read from your initial query. For a budget fix, yes, paint it white (PS.........I personally would not do white, but a ligth color of some kind) and if you can, lower the mantle. That will be a drastic change and take away the eye being drawn to what is basically an unattractive area. If you can afford to drywall over it, I would do that and cover the wood bin portion. But then you also run into other issues if the drywall would be proud of the fireplace. You can buy heat resistant spray paint and change the brass of the fireplace to a matte stainless. Paint is your cheapest way out. Don't change the floors. Dark floors a a great contrast to the furniture and the white walls.

jennlehr porblemt with shelves on rt side is that they are built in and there is nothing behind them. i would have to ideally put more brick there which is how it shouldve been finished in the first place. the fireplace screen is going in the garbage. not sure what to do with the ledge yet.

Drue Hartwell Another PS.........if you do drywall, get rid of the raised hearth. Very dated and it's only purpose is to put junk on.

Granite Transformations Hi Jen,

I personally prefer the natural look of the brick, but it's a matter of preference. If you are going to paint the brick, I'd say go with the white washed look rather than a complete cover. I'll attach a picture.

You should consider painting the wall too. Something in the grey or blue family would be nice. Benjamin Moore has a great selection. I wouldn't do anything too dark since your floors and mantle are already darker.

Thanks for sharing and good luck!

greenthumb2 If you will be using this fireplace, did you test it yet? If it does not leak soot, great. If it does leak soot, you'll be cleaning the brick constantly if it is painted a light color. Have you thought about doing a mock up of it before laying out any money on the project? If possible, see if you can have that angled shelf cut back so it is at least flush with the rest of the bookshelf/tv shelf. Then, paint that thing first in a color that makes it receed. Or bright and then sew or have sewn some bright colored rectangular pillows for the hearth. A few contrasting upright pillow. Then, find yourself a fabulous group of medium to large pieces of art/paintings. But before you do any of this; find a rug with the colors you like in it first. Build from the bottom up. Do some mockups. Will really help. Have fun doing it. Laugh a little.

James Hill Architect White is bright and can be cheery and would be an improvement! Dark can be cozy. You have a high contrast with white walls and dark ceiling and fireplace. I find this contrast jarring. Think about a solution that softens contrasts between wall and ceiling too.

kveljkovic paint it like used brick, putting on white and other shades in your house and the rubbing most of it off, it'll lighten p the room but still give it some character, pick a shade of your favorite color to paint the shelves.

Jacqueline Obrien Paint it white, I have done this with pva first to seal the brick and mortar to insure it does't bleed,and then white flat paint using a brush to get into every nook. I would also paint the mantle with chalk paint and clear wax( without distressing it) so that it looks less bitty.

jennlehr will it bleed if i have a good primer?

joyewils Another thought.....You could cover the brick with drywall, and if you wanted, you could leave a brick area exposed. The drywall once finished and painted would blend in with the other walls giving a more cohesive look. Also, if you were to drywall and you left a small area of brick, glass mosaic tiles covering the remaining brick would be beautiful.

Jacqueline Obrien No it wont bleed 123 bullseye primer is great then just behrs white flat premium paint about 25 dollars. i just prefer to use thinned out pva as it fills all of the tiny holes in the brick as well, but of course primer will have the same effect.

Jacqueline Obrien For the mantle you can use the same primer followed by the berhs flat white, then wax it with clear or liming briwax ( no need for the chalk paint) The ugly shelf will blend in and your floor will look amazing
If everything is white including the mantle which looks bitty.

eldridgedesign YES! paint it, and get rid of that shelf unit!

jennlehr I wish i could. but its built in and the wall behind is unfinisehd and its not the brick . its the weirdest thing. I cannot imagine waht they were thinking!!

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo Folkartist's, and stylegirl's pic was awesome..So was the white wash pic.Two good ideas Here is Sherman Williams craft-paper color with 2-toned glaze

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo craft-paper color from Sherman Williams

jennlehr is craft paper the wall color here?

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo Yes^ This technique has 2-different glazes over the craft paper color in circular or swirl motion technique

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo Here are only a few looks for stucco fireplaces

jennlehr thanks but that seems like major work.. I have budget constraints, wiould love this to be all smooth , but i think thats a project that will have to wait a bit!!

mariaglenda I would plaster it...finishing it in a rustic look.

jennlehr hmm never thought of that...

bamamom jennlehr...check out this discussion on HOUZZ...
Was the Brick on the wall Dry brush painted? Talks about white washing the brick and some pictures of those Houzzers that DIY'd the project themselves.
Also, have you considered having the left and right sides of the wall "furred out" to hang drywall and then have the actually fireplace portion centered on the wall? You could even drywall above the mantle. Then paint the drywall. You could remove the small portion of hearth on both sides so the drywall would go to the floor on each side (would also cover the shelf unit. That would give you additonal wall space to decorate.

We have opted NOT to paint or whitewash our brick at this time. Plan is to cover top with drywall and then tile the remaining 1979 brick below the mantle and hearth. Plan, $ permitting, is to do that next spring. That could be another option if you could actually dryall over part of the brick on each side.

Good luck!

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo Stucco is dry wall mix in a box about $5.00a box. big box would take about 3-boxes that is15.00,and is premixed

jennlehr and you just slap it on like icing a cake? (i happen to be a professional cake decorator!!)

Kimberly Hogan_Castillo Pretty much it's like that..

bamamom jennlehr...this may be the perfect thing for you then. A very large cake to ice. Could possibly put you onto a new career path too.

jennlehr ha!!

Aletha Dunston 1. I would recommend leaving the beams alone if you're keeping the dark floor. Keep it cozy!
2. Depending on your design aesthetic, don't rule out a bright color that will pop!
3. I often spray paint the brass details and old screens with black metal spray paint. It gives it a new life.

Jacqueline Obrien Just paint it white or cream, it seams a shame to plaster over it and it will look great just painted.

dcer Yes, paint it white or cream, and remove mantel. Either replace mantel or just do away with it.

doggieg I love the mantel and the corner desk; but I would paint the ceiling and the bricks cream, leaving the dark mantel and I would leave the ledge of the fireplace in the bricks. Love contrasts. Also, when you get that cute desk chair and lap up at the corner of the fireplace, you will love that you kept it.

toddhinla Definitely paint the brick!

Altruwood I love the exposed beams on the ceiling, and while I'm usually one for keeping exposed brick, painting it white would open up the room so much in this case.

Distinctive Mantle Designs, Inc just wait....we have the solution...it will be a world of difference. I've got to find the photo tomorrow in the office.

Arcanum Architecture LLC doing the following in the exact order listed below..
1. remove the ceiling fan and throw it away.
2. remove the false ceiling beams and add them to the trash with the fan.
3. remove the brick from the top of the mantel up ..salvage and patch in wood box...keep the wood and termites outside !
4. patch wall and paint or patch with painted paneling similar to long wall
5. maintain dark brick, dark mantel.
6. add artwork above mantel
7. install low voltage led light strip, full length of mantel to upwash the artwork

Ann Taylor I have a similar brick fireplace wall that I have hated for years. I painted it the same color as the rest of the walls and painted the top of the hearth gray. It's still not perfect but it looks so much better than it did. I say paint it....

sjspc Paint it Old White with Anne Silke Chalk Paint. Then pull off the front of the fireplace and paint it (brass included) with a high heat spray paint. You will love it. I'd do that first and the decide if you want to keep the mantel dark.

Arcanum Architecture LLC from above

greenthumb2 Like what Arcanum has going on but would still trim back the angled piece of wood encroaching on the white wall on right. Get some pretty wood and frame that space. Bring in colored rug and build from there. It already looks better in this picture.

steffanieadams Don't paint !!

catsco2 I agree with greenthumb2

catsco2 I agree with greenthumb2

jennlehr well here are the results.

jennlehr i realize furniture needs to be reaarranged, log box still needs painting and we need a new firescreen. its just day one!!

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design Good for you sweetie, you are on your way.

jennlehr Alot of you asked for pics of the other side of the room. well here it is..

stylgrl There really should be no rules to home decor.. With one exception, that the home owners love there surroundings. Sounds like you are! :-) blessings on your new home.

stylgrl Oops.."their" surroundings . :-)

Sheila Rich Interiors, LLC I think you shoud paint the entire room, including the fireplace a soft white and stain the mantel to match the floor. I would remove the half wall wall between the kitchen and family room and create a more open floor plan to update the house.

bamamom WOW!!!! Looks great! Similar to what Sheila said, at least remove the spindles on the top of the half wall.
Congrats on your new home!

saraj11357 I think this looks so much better, and it makes the room look so much brighter!

nikopagni Yes, I would paint it an off white, not stark white, leave the mantle the same, or darker,perhaps change the bookshelves to black, if you need them otherwise take them out, and perhaps one wall black, daring but gorgeous! In the other room take the wall out! Ceiling fan out too. take the FP screen out, and it will be lovely

Home-Remodeling-Decorating.com Please don't paint the bricks white! Covering up a poor design doesn't make it go away.

If it were my house, I would cover that entire brick wall in a light colored Venetian plaster, but first I would fill in that gap along the top of the brick with drywall and remove that wood mantel to use afterwards.

Next, I would also sheet rock over that shelf space and cover that whole area too. That way you have one continuous wall that stands out as a beautiful focal point. Keep the opening where the logs go for balance (and it's quite practical) but line the bottom of it with something sturdy like wood or stone. The plaster will get banged up by the logs. Make sure to seal your Venetian plaster too.

For contrast, I would a darker colored plaster on the hearth portion (horizontal surface to floor) and use lighter color on the vertical part of the wall from the hearth up to ceiling.

Then install your original wood mantel except this time center it on the wall from left to right, and maybe not so high.Lean a large mirror or painting on your mantel. Visually that would give you a pyramid effect and really capture that area as a focal point.

Venetian plaster can look sleek and modern, old and weathered, or it can mimic marble, stone, metal, etc. The cost if you do it yourself? Maybe a couple hundred bucks, TOPS!

Make sure you buy a couple big boxes of drywall mud ($8. each) and fill in all the groves between bricks in stages, then coat entire area with the cheap mud before you start using the Venetian plaster. http://www.home-remodeling-decorating.com/remodel-fireplace.html#axzz2DRdVXv00

This page has a video I made while doing my own fireplace:
http://www.home-remodeling-decorating.com/remodel-ideas-for-fireplaces.html#axzz2DRdVXv00

Buy a corner TV cabinet to go where that shelf was and put a mirror on the white wall opposite the windows, iif you didn't already put one above the mantle, and you want more light reflected back into the room.

Here's an example of what it could look like:
http://www.sunset.com/home/decorating/chic-fireplace-update-00400000012176/

decoenthusiaste Down with the half wall and you'll be almost done! What do you plan as a ceiling fixture instead of the fan/light? Take a look at drum chandeliers here on Houzz under products.

jennlehr i was thinking it should be low profile and not call attention to the ceiling

joyewils I think that the bookcase on the right makes the fireplace wall look unbalanced. If you could resize it and put a matching unit on the left side it would look better. If you could do away with the bookcase and drywall both sides to match, I think that would be best.

rebecca105 One of the easiest home projects we did was removing the bricks and putting in stack rock. Once you get the top row or any row of bricks off (hard), it comes off in sheets. Very, very heavy. Had to break the sheets apart to get them out of house. But well worth it. This was a much smaller area, but done in a weekend.

midmarsh I had the same dilemma several years ago. I hired a faux painted who performed a miracle. See the attached images

caralyno I dry walled my big brick fireplace and painted it the same color as the walls. it looks great!

terrybarbato I had a brick fireplace. I used joint compound (to resemble "old-world" plaster) and then painted it. It takes many coats but the results are stunning!!

ruthyo I covered mine with sheetrock

clatterbuck Your fireplace looks almost exactly like our old fireplace. What we did will probably horrify some people, but it works for us. We put our T.V. in front of the fireplace opening on the raised hearth. My husband, using white bottom kitchen cabinets from home depot, made built in bookcase/storage units on each side of the TV. We removed the hideous fake wood mantle which my husband replaced with a pretty white mantle that he built using and large plank of wood with crown molding. The new mantle is just above the TV so everything looks very built in. I have a nice painting above the mantle. We never used the fireplace, so it works for us.

kmthalken Why try to hide an elephant in the room? Yes, paint it! You could do a whitewash pickling stain effect. Or, you could go with a 'rustic' painted look, like this example, http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/dry-brushing-the-fireplace/index.html. I have a similar smaller brick fireplace issue, and I am going to go with the 'rustic' look. If you want to go bold, you could consider painting the bookshelf red. I did that in another house and it looked awesome (walls were painted Sherwin William SW 6251 Outerspace, ceiling the same color, but only 10-20% of the wall color) and a dark wood floor. The room looked great!

cohoek No Paint!, Have it plastered white, and leave the bottom part brick, it'll be dirty and dusty all the time....Keep the beams!!!

Karen Vanelli great idea.....love it ~

Transforming Rooms To see a BEFORE & AFTER of fireplace transformations & interior designer tips, check out these two sites

http://www.transformingrooms.blogspot.com

http://www.transformingrooms.com

just type in whatever your interests are in the SEARCH BOX such as

fireplace paint
front door paint
bedroom layout
where to hang flat screen
window treatment ideas
adding color to a room
narrow living room
what shape dining table
etc etc

Fleurishes I for sure would paint the ceiling, leaving the beams dark or paint the beams and leave the ceiling a color. We have a soft white on our LR walls, ceiling beams (high ceiling) and woodwork. The ceiling is painted a beautiful green (similar to the carpet)...the room is bright, restful and beautiful. Just a suggestion

jeeves52 yes white but if you are thinking that it will deface the bricks then consider covering it with something you can paint over with any colour but which could be removed by others if you sell the house!

inkwitch It looks like everyone has commented on this FP! I can't imagine my having a new idea you haven't heard already. Agree: paint -- something. It doesn't have to be white. Can't tell what the ceiling is, but painting it white would help a lot, but you could paint the FP a color - not anything dark, but maybe something bright. If this is a play room, a place you don't plan to be formal, there's a lot of fun colors that would make it an outstanding room. Turquoise? LIme? Chrome yellow? Not red unless it's tomato red. You're only going to do it once because it's a huge amount of work, so don't decide on white in a rush.

And consider spraying the paint on. Much faster. Just requires a little work to protect floors and other walls. There are small sprayers that don't create the kind of mess you'd think.

I would remove the mantel and give yourself the option of mounting a TV on that brick if tv-viewing is a plan.

bdennison I like it white and so glad you kept the mantle. If you can't take down that half wall, maybe remove the spindels for a more open feel.

soberg The OP painted the fireplace 3 months ago.

abgoodich Do not paint it white. Instead, lime wash it. It will lighten it but also leave you with a natural stone. Lime washing can be done lightly or it can be done to give an almost white outcome. If you like the look of natural stone, lime wash is the way to go!

Should I Go Or Should I Stay What's your style; contemporary, retro, traditional, transitional, eclectic - can you post a few pictures of rooms that you like.

Pat Lehman-Papazoglou This fireplace is brick covered with a thin pieces of wood and painted. The mantle is completely boxed and removable.

reddress5 the fire place should be white its to dark that way

Jacqueline Obrien Looks so much better jenniehr.. .good luck

merlegirl I'd paint it in a heartbeat! Of course, it's been two years and I still haven't the courage to paint my own :(