Have you considered doing any demo to it? If you are painting then I would think you have more possibilities to hammer out quite a bit. For sure I would want to go after the "hearth" area. That really is over whelming. Then built ins would be fantastic.

I would love to, but my fiancé actually had this built that way years ago! I am having a very hard time with the size and depth of sides! Hence this post!!

wow that is huge

i thought..if you're about to order/make build ins at some point..maybe can be customized so that the back panel actually hides some space behind it, providing more storage. but when closed it just seems a normal back panel, and the visible part of bookcase gets to be normal width..i mean depth

what do you think?..

love the bricks color actually,,but painting migh be striking too. i especially liked the black idea

the stone flooring can be taken off I presume for the built ins, so everywhere but the several pieces right in front of the hearth? leaves though some space in front of build ins anyway even if they get to be same size/a bit deeper than the fireplace..makes it a bit challenging. Can they be switched for other surface? Like maybe you have the remnant of this very brick..or maybe soapstone..something sleeker,,,

I too noted the brick had a modern vibe..so he designed in this way for what purpose? What was his train of thought? Plans?

I don't like painted brick...sorry.

I do think that the color of the mantel and curio cabinet and the painting is making the color of the brick...wrong.

Can you get rid of the honey oak?

Yes, all pieces will be gone - not mantel. The mantel will be painted or stained as well. I am more looking to whitewash or do a stain of some sort on the brick (it is fake brick too - only 1/2 pieces, not full brick pieces). The dept of the sides is huge and the hearth is too big! This is mostly what I am having issues with.... he is not going to let me do any demo... :-(

Some inglenook inspiration:

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/inglenook-fireplace/?lp=true

http://www.mrshinesclass.com/2012/07/09/cozy-nooks-and-spaces/

I agree with April. Can you think about built-ins even with the fireplace? There would be a lot of dead space behind them but it would minimize the massiveness. Then paint the brick or not as you desire.

What's your style? From the fireplace, it's hard to tell. To me, black (while stunning) would lean more toward contemporary, while a whitewash is more country/farmhouse-y...

I am more of a traditional / bohemian / mix-match type.... If that makes sense. I love white and grays ~ the style of this is what is killing me ~ the depth and height. If I did add built-ins, that would look better, of course, but they would be high on the hearth... would that look okay?

I think it would be fine. The hearth looks to be more of an "area" than an hearth (if that makes sense). I see you have outlets on the right hand side. I know moving them would be a whole heck of a lot of trouble, but if you do built ins, that side would be great to run a cord for your electronics.

I have built ins on either side of my fireplace and I'm not overly fond of the shelf parts because it's just something else i have to dust, but they do have cupboards on the bottom on one side and top and bottom (tv behind sliding doors) on the other. This I enjoy a lot as it hides board games and all sorts of junk that's not pretty.

What does your fiance think about doing built ins? Will it be his job or will you both hire out? I'm asking because they will require drilling into the brick and I don't know if that's doable for you both...

It makes me think of the craftsman fireplace inglenooks.

The raised hearth makes it a bit trickier. But if you like bohemian, I sort of wonder if there's any possibility of a reading nook?

Otherwise, I think I'd be inclined to go with built-ins with a false back. So just do regular bookshelf depth and pull the front to match the front of the fireplace. Paint it all the same color.

Thank you Pennydesign - and everyone!!! I love this - So very helpful!!! CRL - I love the reading nook possibility - I think even adding small movable stair step would be a good idea too ~ to get to the reading nook!

Love the idea of a bench on one side...plus that probably would cut down on costs...it looks like the left side is larger, I'm wondering if a bench perpendicular to (facing) the chimney with shelves for books across from the bench?? Would be a cute reading nook..

It's almost like those huge European fireplaces/ceramic tile ovens that are surrounded by benches with cushions, big enough to sleep on.

I LOVE the examples nosoccermom posted!!! Cozy boho cushions with book shelves above them would be so fun. If you do that, maybe you could replace the mantle with whatever wood you use for the shelving.

Me too!!! Thank you nosoccermom!!! These are awesome!!!!!

Don't know if you have kids (even if you don't!) but there would have been a big fight in my house to claim this spot...

I would probably do this on the left and have the whole thing a sort of bed...foam cuts easily for the "mattress" and with an assortment of pillows it would make a great feature in the room in whatever style you like.

I would even do a little mirror faux window as you have the height in there...

The other side I would do a kind of built in (or freestanding unit depending on the need to keep the brick pristine)

You should have fun with this...don't consider it an outdated fireplace "problem", but simply something that's in transit to a final fabulous destination :)....

Those nooks back in the day were warm spots in cold houses since the bricks radiated heat and it would eventually all get warmed up, particularly if you had a fire going for days. I know I wouldn't want nice wood in that spot or fine fabrics that would not hold up to repeated heating. That's why the curio cabinet confounds me, because it is so far from the front you can't hardly make out the small things that are in there . . . but they appear to be china so can probably take the warmth. Books perhaps not so much but depending on how valuable they were, maybe not a problem. Family photos . . . I would be wary of putting irreplaceable ones near the fireplace. But then again, maybe you don't use it all that much.