Perhaps it's not impossible, but... In addition to the crucial problem of support for the chimney, the interior dimensions of a fireplace are critical in ensuring adequate draft. If the existing fireplace is especially large, it might be possible to build a new firebox within the old one thereby avoiding ripping anything out, but this,too, seems pretty doubtful.

Errant, I've seen pics where slate was used for a hearth, but I've not given it close consideration. Are you also suggesting slate for the unfinished portion below the arch? I know there are slates that have orange in them that could tie in with the brick. I'm going to look into it. Ingrid, I know what you mean about the medieval look. The house has that late '60's Spanish or whatever revival vibe. The arch is a recurring theme in this house, mainly with cabinet doors plus some of the fixtures have the iron scrolls from that era. I'm not a goth fan, but I've been here 8 years and the arch has grown on me. The Cobble Brown goes more with the walnut floor, and I have just enough left over from my laundry room to do the hearth. The house also has a brick entry, so my thought was to use something similar to tie it into a material already used somewhere in the house. But I see how it could look more cohesive with the fireplace to use something like the Terrace Beige.

Thanks for that handy guide. This is why we are going to demo several rows of brick! I am looking for advice on framing/finishing though.

We are keeping built-ins and trim work above mantle (all the white). I actually like the hearth seat/ledge. And there is a small border around the firebox made of the same material that I am trying to keep. My thought is to remove the rest of the black mirrored material that has the gold veining and replace with new material of some sort.