You can replace the surround with anything that is non-combustible such as tile, brick, marble, stone, etc. Probably this least expensive and least disruptive thing you could do is to paint the cast iron surround a different color. (I assume it's cast iron -- maybe it's powder coated sheet metal made to look like cast iron.) If you decide to paint the existing surround, you obviously have to make sure you use paint that is compatible with the high heat environment of the surround. If you want to install a mantile that surrounds the existing iron surround to sort of "dress it up", you could do that and then you would have a more traditional looking fireplace. That additional surround MIGHT be combustible like wood IF the specs for the insert show that you have enough clearance. If you need a little more clearance, you can install tile over the brick as a surround around the existing metal surround and then put in the wood mantle around that. If you did that, your fireplace would look similar to ours, although our gas insert is from a different manufacturer. How do you like yours, by the way, does it give nice cozy heat?

I'm doing my fireplace wall entirely in stacked stone. Not sure color yet. Slightly modern-ish, but nothing too extreme. Going to install TV above fireplace, but I need a floating mantle to hold electronic components. Not sure where to find one, what sort to look for, or what style might go with a room that'll be slightly modern with a few craftsman accents. Thanks!

Do you have another small blue and white vase you can place on the left side instead of the tall brass thing? I think that and the clock are too similar in height. Maybe even try swapping places of the brass thing with the smaller vase on other side. Other than maybe adjusting the left side a bit, I think it looks good!

Try putting the vase with the red berries to the right of the picture on the right over the bookcase. It looks as though it's going to topple off the mantel. Please, no to the mirror and wreath, that's been so overdone. I like the left side with two frames on the bookcases, just leave them there and don't hang them up. The right side will be balanced out with one picture and the vase with the berries. Remove the clock and put the two candlesticks on the right and the one on the left, and let's see what that looks like.