I think painting brick is a "very" bad idea.....and NOT at all modern. You may want to paint the mantle white. Maybe throw down a little hearth rug down to give it a different look. The chairs, lamp table, plant...all look comfortable, but VERY dated. New furniture would "really" spruce it up! Also the pictures on the mantle.....not a "good" decorated arrangement.

Not at all the perfessional, but wanted to give my 2cents. I agree with painting the mantel and also the brass doors on the fireplace. My first suggestion would be to paint them black. You could also paint the gold on the mirror black. I think the mirror is cool, but I like old ornate things. Removing some of the things around and on the fireplace my help to showcase it. Putting a large colorful rug in front would add some interest. Just some food for thought !!

Kim

I can see in the fireplace the walls on the other side of your room, and the furniture you have..etc..your house is not modern by any means..so why do you want to go more modern..are you changing the entire room to reflect a more modern style..or just the fireplace..

the turned posts on the other side of the room are very very country..

You are right, the mirror really isn't the best choice there..you should only have a mirror where it will reflect something that you want to see twice..

I would remove everything off the mantle for a while and think about what style and themes you are planning on going with..i see the rooster..do you do country/farm type theme

the one thing i would try ..if you are keeping everything else..though..is to paint the mantle the color of your trimwork..and if you can remove the brass firescreen or paint it black..or replace it for something less dated.
the mantle does however go well with your floor..

your mantle and hearth are just way too cluttered with small things..i would suggest looking around for a piece of art..a little smaller than your mirror..and hang it up there first and see what you come up with..something that you really love to look at..something that is YOU.

then finish off the room from there..try some art that has some red and blue in it if the furniture and pillow are staying..use a brick red..maybe some rooster art? or outdoor scene?

If you put up there farm art..then maybe sit the rooster on the mantle..with a simple plant to tie in the outdoors?

God, I didn't think my house looked that bad. LOL

Maybe I should move.

Enjoyingspring: I once posted a question about where to put art work in my family room. No one addressed that at all, but instead gave lots of advice on furniture arrangement. They were right! Once I rearranged my furniture the rest almost took care of itself.

I guess my point is that the people here are really good at helping you make your space look better. Sometimes that means they answer a question you didn't ask.

Your room doesn't look bad at all, but rearranging and updating a few things will make it look more contemporary. Here are my thoughts: I would paint the mantel to match the trim in the room. Remove all the small objects from the mantel and hearth. Do you need the doors on the fireplace for heat retention? If you don't I would remove them and buy a nice black freestanding fireplace screen. If you are on a budget you could leave the mirror. It may look completely different to you once the rest of the fireplace is spruced up.

Off topic, but I have to ask...is that a clivia plant on the right of the hearth, and is it real???

It's OMG gorgeous!

You'll get some really great ideas on this forum. Some will be almost brutally honest. Keep in mind they are attacking the problems...not you. Just reading these forums have really changed my ideas of how I look at things I'm planning for my house.

Freshen the area around the mantel (or fireplace) FIRST by simply removing everything -- and then stand back and look again .... it is a classic way of seeing your space (or fireplace area) "empty"

THEN look around the whole room -- and see if you can Rotate and Re-organize items to freshen this area. I do this step all of the time -- move items from room to room OR switch items in a room just to freshen the look!

For example (JUST an example!) -- switch to artwork above the mantel -- and then add simply two smaller pots with your pretty orchids on each end. Again -- step back and look again ..... and place the brass clock in the middle of the mantel .....

How about taking all of the family photos -- place them in matching frames -- and place together on a nearby table? Or start a family gallery wall of photos nearby?

Yes -- painting the mantel to white would freshen the look too!

I love the brick on your FP! Please don't paint it. lol. It's a pretty color and they did a nice job.

I also love the plants on the hearth, but I'd put the two together to the right of the FP, and move the rooster elsewhere.

And you'd be surprised how much the FP will improve with a hearth rug. They come in all colors and styles.

Other than that, I like your room!

Consider a fireplace surround. Something like this one, but white. Leave the brick unpainted.

Here is a link that might be useful: fireplace surround

I agree that you should beef up the mantle and paint it white, and consider adding beefy vertical trim under it to make a larger fireplace surround. Also, do YOU like your brick? If not, you could paint it (I would do a neutral to contrast with a white painted mantle surround), OR you could tile over it, and use the same tiles to replace the ones in front of the fireplace. You could also paint (silver) or replace the fireplace screen. The end result would be a very traditional, but updated, look.

There are some good suggestions so far. Scroll down to Layla's fireplace makeover on the following link for some inspiration.

Here is a link that might be useful: Layla's $82 fireplace makeover

Not all brick is beautiful. Sometimes brick colors are ugly or hard to work with. In that case, go ahead & paint it. Your white trim looks pretty against the delicate wall color. I think painting the bricks & mantle white would work just fine.

Enjoyspring, do you maybe mean "update" or "freshen" rather rather than modernize? Even traditional homes need a change or two now and then and this seems to me what you are talking about. I agree with those who say don't paint the brick since I once lived for a short time in a house where this was done and it was awful. Someone suggested a new surround and painted the brass doors black. These are good suggestions in my opinion. If you can't paint the brass I'm sure you could buy new ones that are a more "updated" look. The polished brass, I think, was more of a 1980's traditional look and oil rubbed bronze and darker finishes have become more popular (although I've heard that they may be on the way out now). Your mirror is great IMHO and would look wonderful resting on a darker mantel.

I mocked up a surround for your fireplace. Even with all your stuff (except for a few tools), I think that the change is dramatic.

Thanks for all your suggestions and input, I really appreciate it. Now I have to make some decisions.

Suero - that looks so good. You did an amazing job on that mockup.

Thanks artlover; it was fun to do.

I have to say that with the white surround, it looks GREAT. It's updated (which might be what you're looking for rather than 'modern' per se. You might not even have to spend a lot of money...just get some casings and paint!

PS, I love your little critters :) You're giving me a very good, positive vibe....