AM it's only available from the UK as far as I know. But some of the gallery participants are in the US. It's not the cheapest stuff but very long lasting and really the choice for what I want. I have been waiting for a sample. There are some other things which you could look at such as Keim paint or silicate mineral paint which is a compound that makes a petrified layer on the brick not unlike what Dyebrick does. It's not like a paint that scrapes off so it is good for standing up to the heat of fireplace areas. I'm not sure if I am going to be dyeing the mortar but with a careful hand you can use that product and get an almost new look. Make you look at the videos on the Dyebrick site, they show quite a bit. There are a few distributors of mineral paint in the US. One is Sydney Harbour which is a US distributor of Porter's Paints from Australia. Another is Eco-house out of Canada. I hope that is helpful.

Anglophilia- We love the idea of the “triangle of light”. It will do so much for the space. I totally understand your rant of lack of tables/lights! You can find me reading pitifully curled up next to the only lamp in the room, with my drink out of arms reach on the coffee table. I think that these suggested ideas of where/what types of tables and lights to add in will make this a much better space to hang out in. Artemis_ma- Thank you for the insight! I appreciate it. That seems to be the general consensus of what to change in this room. I love this red brick, so I’d much rather design a room around it than to paint it! Lascatx- Great advice, thanks. And thank you for the helpful LED information, I’m sure that will make all the difference. We’ve already started the hunt for a new rug—we’re excited to see what that does for the room and where to go from there (for the coffee table, etc). Artdreamer- Thank you for the advice! We used to have a beautiful palm tree in the corner, but unfortunately it only lived a year or so. Not sure if I just don’t have good luck with plants, or if it didn’t like our cold, dark winters. We may try again! Those are great rug suggestions, and I like the idea of adding a mirror to reflect light to further brighten the room. Thanks! K Fitz- No problem! I’m sure it will be more messy and difficult than the internet makes it seem (aren’t home projects always this way?) but… 1) We plan to follow this set of directions to remove the brick: https://www.wikihow.com/Replace-a-Damaged-Brick ). 2) We will then cut the brick in half (either with a circular saw or by hand with a chisel https://www.thisoldhouse.com/more/how-to-hand-cut-brick ). 3) We will then re-insert the brick, pushing it back in until it is flush with the rest of the brick wall.

First off I'll say I think this space has great potential. Not sure what your style is or what the style of the house is, but it has some midcentury vibes. 1. Take your time with any decisions, if you just purchased / just moved in, no need to change things right away. The reason people always give this advice is it's easy to change your mind and if you haven't really thought about it for long enough you might do something you no longer like that's not easily reversible, like painting brick. 2. Delete wall paneling if possible. If not, paint white like the upper portion of the walls and ceiling. Or better yet lose that dark trim up top. 3. I would lose the curtains but I don't like window treatments, so... 3. Carpet --> light laminate or wood flooring like you said. In the zone of natural white oak. I know you mentioned this and obviously more $$$ and not a bandaid fix, I'm just affirming it's a good idea down the road :) 4. Get rid of shelving on fireplace, and ALL knick knacks that go with it 5. Put a nice looking set of fireplace tools on display 5. If you DO install light wood flooring in the future, consider a mantel that matches instead of the dark rustic looking one that is there. 6. Find a nice piece of art that speaks to you and elevates the room, larger than what's currently in place, and hang it above the mantel. Right now the art fades into the brick. 7. I don't know what is entailed, but if you can get rid of that hearth / semi-circle, get rid of it. Maybe when you do flooring there will be an opportunity to wrap demo of that in. 8. Splurge on a cool modern fan or interesting pendant light fixture to replace existing fan. Maybe add a table lamp to a side table for some additional light. 9. I would not paint or wash the brick, but I don't like painted brick. If you don't like the brick you might as well drywall over it. Again, just my opinion. I think there are a lot of other things you can address first, and then you might find the brick isn't an issue. Just some ideas. When I first moved into my house I also wanted to paint our brick fireplace, white. I'm soooo glad I didn't. I realize everyone has different styles, but just to show you how the surrounding details can make a difference, here is the listing photo and how it is today:

Go over the brick with some type of floating floor. You will be happier in the long run. The brick screws up your cabinetry, the stone of the fireplace etc. Floating Floor Examples There are three types of flooring that are most commonly installed with floating floor methods: Laminate flooring: The prime example of a floating floor is laminate flooring, which is almost never glued down to the subfloor. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room's relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling. Laminate flooring planks are generally joined together along the edges and end with a modified tongue-and-groove system, often known as "click-lock" or "fold-and-lock." The shape of the interlocking grooves may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, since there are several proprietary methods of connection. Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF): Sometimes known as vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) usually snaps together board-to-board, in much the same fashion as laminate planks, although some types can also be glued to the subfloor. Tiny tongues and grooves engineered into the boards allow them to lock together. Some forms of LVF are semi-flexible planks, while others are quite rigid. Engineered wood flooring: Some engineered wood flooring is installed by nailing or stapling it down to a plywood subfloor. However, other brands are installed as floating floors. Similar to laminate flooring, engineered wood flooring is designed with a decorative surface layer glued over a plywood or MDF core.