I really like the fireplace, but not the mantel. Maybe others will give an idea of how to update the look.

The hearth does seem high. I also have a high high but removing it would be a major headache.

I love your paint choices and the painting over mantel. The paintings over windows are not located in the best place. Way to high

Best advice? Keep your pants on, call a LOCAL fireplace store to your site. Wait until you can replace the entire unit, until you can infill the hardwood, or do a flush to the floor hearth. Don't peck at the darn thing.

What you're saying is you hate it. Live with it until you can change it. Wrapping it, new mantel, changing logs to whatever? Do it over. A simple soapstone surround......: ) ,

White you wait? Paint out the mantel to trim white. Get curtains that touch the floor, those are too short, also too skimpy in panel width.. Consider lightening decor to a more "coastal " effect, if that's what you're after. Call an electrician, get receptacles in the floor for some LAMP lighting.......: ) and de clutter that cocktail and side table. Lose the table and lantern next to the tv console......and consider reducing the amount of brown wood furnishings as well. The paint, the art, the seashells,,,,,feel coastal. The dominating heavy brown wood and leather, less so.

The fireplace doesn't seem coastal. If you want coastal, why not get the fireplace redone? We included a recent design of ours below with a fireplace that might work really well for your space.

Breezy Blue Home: Living Room · More Info

Thank you ALL so much for your helpful comments. And, thank you, Courtney, for the picture you posted for me. That fireplace looks great and the picture is inspirational.

I would reply to each of you separately but I'm new to this and there doesn't appear to be that option--not that I see anyway.

Jan, I understand what you are saying about the curtains. I hope to replace them some day (in the not-too-distant-future) with white plantation shutters. I also understand and agree with your comments about the darker wood and clutter.

Some of the clutter on the coffee table and media console has been removed since I read your comment and I am considering plucking up a bit more. I have a light teak stump table between the two navy leather chairs that you don't see in the pictures. It helps lighten things up a bit and has a coastal (driftwood) feel.

I also plan to (chalk) paint the wood on the chair to the left of the fireplace and lighten the wood table where the old slot machine sits (I think you thought it was a lantern).

I think, possibly, that a big part of the darkness you mention probably comes from our rug. It's a rather good rug and we love it but it doesn't look so coastal. We have similar rugs throughout our home and they looked great when we lived in the Hill Country. Maybe I should think about changing out my rugs too. It's sort of hard to think about doing that but it might also make a huge difference.

I do have floor plugs (under the rug), and I will think about adding lamps. I had a table lamp on the table next to the couch but ended up moving it to the back because I didn't like it. (It was probably in the way of my clutter!) We do have recessed lighting, though, and a fan that is not seen in the pictures because of the height of the vaulted ceiling.

It's much less the rug, than the other heavy dark pieces and hate to say......leather recliners : ) . Think Nantucket TOWN versus Nantucket new build on the beach. A house in town could be loaded with fine rugs, antiques, the suggestion of the ocean. Below? The New England coast is right outside...........but cliched beach decor is absent entirely, save the art above the fire.

Just want to make sure you understand that you cannot just lower your mantel without checking on the proper clearances. Each fireplace has specific clearances and distances to combustible materials which must be adhered to or else you will have a fire hazard on your hands.

I really like your choice of paint for the walls, stunning. But have to agree with others on the chunky fireplace. If need be wait until you can replace it all, with something that makes your heart zing. We live by the water and when we built I wanted coastal fireplaces in the kitchen and master bedroom. I had to wait a over a year until I got what I wanted since we are not spring chickens and had to wait for hubby to build these. Both are gas fireplaces. Best of luck to you, your home is lovely.

I think a good carpenter can eliminate the brackets under the shelf. Short of completely reinstalling your fireplace there is nothing that can be done to fix the height of the hearth, so decide how much you're willing to spend.

I have changed out the dark rug.

Jalarse, Thanks for your help! Your fireplaces are beautiful!! I also love your light wood ceiling. We had a wonderful ceiling like that in our previous home—and a ceiling like that is (one of many things) on my contractor list to be priced out for this house.

Beverly, Thanks for your photo magic. It’s so nice to be able to get a better idea about the rug without having to actually change it out.

What do you think about the room with a rug change?

I do understand—and like—what Jan Moyer was saying about the rug being fine to stay, especially since I really like our rugs and I never want our home to look like a touristy rental, so it’s nice to be able to agree with her on them.

On the other hand our coast is Texas coast not east coast so maybe a rug change makes sense.

I really haven’t come to terms with either keeping or changing out the rug/our rugs at this point.

I can also see how replacing our navy leather chairs (also per Jan Moyer) with a pair of lower back fabric upholstered chairs would make it look more coastal with our rug BUT we spent a lot on those two recliners and we haven’t had them long so chucking them for something else isn’t a happy thought.

The fireplace certainly looks better without the corbels!

Again, thanks for the visuals. I look forward to seeing them on my computer screen instead of on my phone soon.

Get a magazine rack. Change the rug to wool sisal for a softer warmer feel. Wait and do a complete tear out and a new FP you love. If your coastal TX winter weather doesn't drop below freezing much, you might prefer putting TV on that wall to clear the traffic path by the stairwell and letting go of the FP entirely.