If you are considering a ventless gas fireplace you should read the many discussions about their safety on the GardenWeb Fireplace Forum and elsewhere. Because their safe use depends on proper installation (even the log arrangement) and the ability of a detector in the unit to turn it off when the CO level is dangerous, I will not specify them. Here is a quote from Consumer Reports provided by Grinder12000 on the Fireplace Forum: "An unvented gas fireplace that's safely sized needn't pose any acute health hazard. But our tests confirm that these heaters contribute significantly to indoor air pollution. If you're planning to buy a gas fireplace, a vented model should be your first choice. That's especially wise if any household member has asthma or another respiratory ailment that may be exacerbated by particulate matter, or if your home is very airtight--and so will disperse the fireplace's emissions less readily." "A vented gas fireplace needn't cost more to buy and install than an unvented model, since some units require only a fairly small vent pipe that runs horizontally to any outside wall." "If you do decide to buy an unvented gas fireplace, here's how to ensure it operates as safely as possible:" * "Observe GRI guidelines. Insist that the contractor not exceed them when sizing your fireplace." * "Limit its use. Though occasional extended use of an unvented fireplace should pose little long-term health risk, we suggest limiting operation to no more than a few hours at a stretch, as a rule." * "Provide extra ventilation. Leave at least one window open in the space where the fireplace operates." * "Buy only a certified package. Some fireplaces are sold as two separate components: a "firebox" and a "logset"--the component that contains the burners and logs. Ask the contractor to confirm, through the owners' manual or an American Gas Association label on the logset, that the two components are compatible. A dealer sold us a fireplace firebox with another brand's logset he claimed was suitable. He was wrong; the combination emitted higher levels of carbon monoxide than is desirable until we obtained a logset that was approved for that firebox." * "Use a CO alarm. That dealer error aside, the fireplaces we tested showed no propensity to generate any carbon monoxide (CO). Also, some models claim to shut off should carbon monoxide levels ever rise. However, we recommend use of a CO alarm with any combustion appliance, including an unvented fireplace." Here is a link that might be useful: Fireplace Forum

I'm assuming it's raw, smooth mdf, ready for priming & painting. IME, the best way is to two coats of specific primer and two coats of quality acrylic latex paint. 1. Apply Cover Stain primer (Zinsser) and allow to dry. Lightly sand away any imperfections or raised grain. 2. Apply another coat of Cover Stain primer and allow to dry per label. 3. Apply two coats of quality acrylic latex paint lightly sanding between coats with "between coats sandpaper". Smooth MDF will telegraph brush/roller marks so I encourage you to practice on a scrap piece to achieve your level of satisfaction. Happy painting!

Two ides for you: Pick up some One Pass at Home Depot. It's an engineered cement. You could add some of your colorant to it if you like. Mix a small quantity with a little water and fill the voids. After it dries you could wipe it down with a damp rag or sand it smooth. Second, get a quart of deep base water based paint. Don't have any colorant added. Mix a small amount of the untinted paint with your pigment until it has enough opacity to cover your patches. Use a small amount of paint on a dry brush to feather colors together.

If it were me I would take away the arches and shelving in the niches and slip your 2 glass display cases right into those spaces. would do tile rather than stone in your fireplace surround, but i like your stone. But I wouldn’t touch the wood mantel. your sofa is fun but it could do with a decadent bohemian makeover of fake fur and fun pillows