Need advice please...

Hi! I am new to this forum, and I am hoping I can get some advice on some remodeling. We just recently bought this house, and will be moving in sometime next week. It's a house probably from the 80's, and the colors, walls, almost everything is horrible in it. Planning on repainting the living room first, and somehow remodeling the fireplace.

Any advice on what I can do to this?

I would change the brick out for something slate. Something that gives it an updated look but still retains heat. If you can afford granite I would use that instead. I actually dont mind the wood surround.

Thank you for your response. The living room has brick floors, which I love. Do you think that would still look good against the brick floors? I am also thinking of taking those large panels down above the mantel.

If you love the brick floors I would play off of them. Maybe something as simple as installing white trim board about half way up the wall to give it that era look.

Here is an example.

Personally, I would just remove those ghastly things growing on the mantle (whatever they are) and repaint the powder blue panels over the fireplace with a colour that matches/"goes with" the rest of the wall.

I like the panels over the mantle. They're an excellent place to hang pictures (family portraits), for example. The brick floor is practical. I wish I had a nickle for every time I've seen carpeting in front of a fireplace. Real wood isn't always completely dry when burned, and the moisture in it can create enough steam pressure to blow embers far from the fireplace and onto a carpet. That's not gonna be a problem with a brick floor.

I'm not sure I'm keen on the idea of mounting white trim boards half way up the walls. Years ago, people mounted "chair rails" on their walls to protect the walls from the backs of chairs. That's because years ago, chairs were made of wood and you pulled them toward you when you bent over to sit down, and you pushed them away from you as you got up. Back in the 1800's, the only paints they had were Kalsomine paints, egg tempura and milk paints, all of which are very weak and easily damaged. Also, nowadays it's rare that you see a wooden chair light enough to move except in a dining room. Most chairs we have nowadays are upholstered and won't mark the walls even if you did move them when sitting down or getting up. That is, the only purpose of a molding mounted on the wall is to act as a chair rail, and there really is no point in having chair rails anymore except perhaps in a dining room. Nowadays, lots of people are putting up chair rails, but they're putting them up for aesthetic and decorative reasons rather than for any practical purpose. If it wuz me, I'd spend my time and money on things your house is gonna need. And once you move in, and start living in that house, you're gonna find lots of those things.

Your comments are greatly appreciated. The living room and dining room already have a trim/chairrail going halfway up the wall, but it is painted green and blue! I don't know what the previous owners of this house were thinking. Also the walls are painted a goldish brown over what looks like paper mâché that was placed all over. This is going to be a pain in the *** to get off and paint over. And God forbid if I posted up pictures of the master bath. It is awful and will take alot of work. But it is work that we are willing to do. It's funny how you mention those ghastly things growing around the fireplace. Those are cypress knees. I don't know what would possess someone to put that in their house. I live in south Louisiana. Their are plenty of cypress knees outside where they belong.

Hey!
Call me passé, but I actually like your fireplace with brick and wood. What I think needs help is the decor and color. I think you can use a coat of a nice neutral color paint where the mint or kind of sea foam color is, then you can use those kind of frames that are built on the wall( maybe you can keep them in white color and paint the wall in the neutral, but contrasting color) to hang some art work or nice black and white photos, both frame in the same style and the same size then you can get rid of all the clutter around the fireplace? I have seen some fireplaces with painted white brick, I am not sure about that option if you are planning to use the fireplace it might get dirty, but here an idea of a similar one, you can use a different theme though You can clean and glaze or seal your brick to bring out the natural color

I think you should give help to a contractor in remodeling your house but if you need to move your stuff I can help you.

I like your fireplace & the brick. That's cool that the floor is brick also. I'd just update your wall colors & paint the two inserts the same color as the mantel. It wouldn't hurt to remove the paneling above the mantel, but I'd paint it first & live with it, no since doing all that extra work, if you don't have to. Plus you don't know what's behind it.
Good Luck

To be honest with you the fireplace looks fine. Maybe remove the 2 half spindles and replace them with some trim to emulate the wainscoting around the walls?
Have you looked into imitation stone panels to cover the brick?

More thoughts for you. Love the fireplace and the mantel. The inserts above the mantel could be removed and tiffany glass inserted or some type stained glass since the sunshine seems to be shining on the panel area. If you find a back wall, a light placed behind the glass could create a wonderful focal point. Or a photo light above would be good is you have a translucent background. Painting brick is problematic, but maybe a cement stainer/finisher could color with a different color of choice to enhance the stained glass colors.

Don't do anything to this if you like royal touch in home. Just need to repaint.

Please don't paint the brick or cover it up. Thats a pet peeve of mine. I think it looks great. Maybe paint the panels the same color as the trim or the same as the wall. I would do a white trim but thats just me and i'm boring.