SFGate

lcgrcondo I would not tile the walls or add wood. Is there any way that you can remove the tiers on top so that it is one flat surface on top?
I feel that the different levels with pictures on each level looks cluttered and takes away from your goal off a focal point.

sealedesign I would remove the pictures and put curvy glass colored vases and some natural plant elements. Break up the boxiness. Nothing added that has any square edges. I would not change it otherwise because it has a personality I think should be worked with.

Edmonton Homecrafters I have a simmilar fireplace in my house. I am going to cover it with stone vaneer.

Ironwood Builders To make the fireplace a focal pint, consider adding to the top..all the way to the ceiling and then paint the resultant box an accent color. Try to avoid "hanging" anything on the existing box, like a tripper of a hearth. Keep it simple and clean. Just saw a few ideas on houzz that dealt with this type of fireplace exactly. Search discussions and take a look.

Marsha Broquedis I designed a fireplace like this a few years ago. What style of architecture is your house? How far is the nearest wall from the 'end' of the fireplace? What rooms are surrounding it on the three sides? Does the fireplace go under the angled support at the ceiling above it? Those aspects within the space would help to determine how to respond to the question.

Matteo Dezigns Im not sure i would mix the tile and wood, but im not opposed to all tile or all wood. My first instinct is wood. A nice laminate/engineered wood material in a very stylish color. This might open pandoras box and make you want to change wall colors, but hard to see the entire look of the room. Look into other 'industrial' type flooring to truly make it a centerpiece!
Good Luck!!
www.matteodezigns.com

Jason Perkins Thanks for the all the comments/suggestions. I really appreciate it.
To answer mbme's questions - our home is prairie style but decor is more simple modern. We like to mix it up a bit. There is no wall that is close to where it jets out. It jets out into our open living/dining/kitchen area. No, the fireplace does not sit under the angled support. That angle is part of an archway that leads into the kitchen/dining area.
Ok, I've decided not to do any tile/wood combo. I think my choices are either paint it an accent color or do a stone veneer. I hadn't thought of that one but will look at my options. I also like the idea of breaking up the squareness of the design with curvy elements on top. I wish now we hadn't done the stepped/tiered design on top. It's made this tough to look nice.
Any other suggestions or comments appreciated. Thanks!

Interiors International, Inc. I am putting a 3 sided one in my cabin and I liked this idea. I think it could work for you. It is only 2 sided but I think it will look good with 3.

JWinteriors Simply change your accessories to larger and organic..ie 3 dark wicker baskets...large vase, greenery, 2 items -1 taller than the other..etc. if you close it up, you close up the continuity between the 2 rooms. Keeping it white while the other rooms have color , accentuates it nicely.

Barb Drenth I agree with JWInteriors...although if your style is modern, I would probably do large vases or modern sculptures rather than baskets. If it were mine, I would paint the horizontal pieces of the stair steps with a different color - maybe a deeper color or match the color of the surrounding living room walls.