I wouldn't touch the fireplace. It is the wow of the room. Once you paint you can never ever remove it. I haven't seen a painted stone fireplace yet that didn't look like it is that cheap fake stone sheets that they sell in big box stores that you paint and glue to the wall.

I'd take the tv down, put it on a low console in front of the window closest to the fireplace and get some colorful art up on the mantel. Add a colorful area rug and it will look much cozier. Add a lamp to your sofa table and some art behind the sectional. Maybe a few pieces hung horizontally. The fireplace is quite nice as it is, it's the tv that's the problem.

You already have an entire wall of windows, I’m not sure why you think you need more: No, to painting fireplace.

If you have to watch TV in there, take off the mantlepiece and lower the TV. With one less big black blob on the fireplace it will be less of a heavy presence in the room. Plus easier for you to watch TV. That takes care of decorating that area because you don't need or want too much on that wall making it seem busy. Focus on decorating the wall above the couch and doing something fun with a rug in the seating area, unless you are totally in love with the wood floors and don't live in a place where cold feet are a problem. The house my former husband had before we moved in together had all wood floors and almost no rugs, due to the allergies his family had. The wood was fairly warm on the feet since it was real and finished with wax, not polyurethane.

I like your fireplace as is. It's a really nice room, beautiful floors.

You mentioned that your room feels so empty. Don't know if you are opposed to a rug, but you could add a rug, get something on the wall behind the couch, put some different accessories on the sofa table (something with some height on one or both ends), put something different on your coffee table, add a floor lamp, try some different accessories on your fireplace (add something with some color-everything currently is black). I'd also move the couch out just a little so it isn't touching the wall.

Let us know what you decide.

If you don't like the stone on your fireplace, you can always find a tile you like and have the fireplace re-faced.

I'm a fan of painted fireplaces, but in this case, I think the stone on yours is very nice. I wouldn't paint or whitewash it. As for the room looking "empty", I agree with suggestions to add an area rug, preferably with a pattern. In addition, a deeper color on the walls would help to make the fireplace stand out and remove some of the blandness you're seeing in the room. Love the dog!

I agree the TV is too high for the wall. If you don't feel like moving the TV is an option and want to keep the mantel, then changing the mantel color to something warmer/lighter and not the same color of the TV might help.

Ditto on no to painting brick. It's one of the better looking ones I've seen. Be thankful it's not red brick or brown. I don't think you will gain anything painting it. I think it is modern looking. It's, I hate to say it, it's the TV that makes it look bad not the brick. But I understand that there is just not a good place for the TV in your room. If you don't really use the fireplace maybe put the tv in front of the fire box and put something nice on the mantle.

Do you use the room for anything other than watching TV? If so, you need lamps! Replace the table behind the sofa with a longer one and add lamps or (preferred) if you have room, use a table with lamps behind the sofa along the wall.

I also think the fireplace screen & decor you have on the hearth is very traditional and switching that out to something more clean lined would help spruce up the space, agree TV is distracting and needs to be moved, at a minimum change the mantel

I don't think you have room for windows, and it wouldn't be appropriate either. Agree with most of above comments. But the stone is dated, and a white washing could get you a more "modern" look. If you do that, then paint the mantel white and all that will help with the much too big scale of the mantel.

What is that above the TV? A soffit? If so, is it removable? I think without that up there the TV wouldn't look so high and squished to the ceiling. And don't paint the brick, it's nice and neutral and adds a great amount of texture.

I like the stone just how it is. I would switch out the screen and tools for something more contemporary (if you don't actually use the tools I would ditch them). Lower or remove the mantle and lower the TV. Paint the area above the stone the same color as the stone.