I think it looked beautiful in her re-do, and not at all bathroom-y. I have a gas FP, but I would think if the fireplace is constructed correctly, the draw would pull the smoke up the chimney and not stain the surround. I have to say that the first pic above posted my nosoccermom makes my heart beat faster! Just gorgeous in that setting. And peppapoodle's light soapstone is also beautiful.

Hi Andi, Stone or Tile are beat for heat. Wood would require a fireproof build our beneath, common yet costly. Something you could try to spice it up a bit without breaking the bank could he a 6" mosaic/small tile around the immediate opening and then do a larger tile over the rest. Of course you can't really go wrong with a good field stone surround, but that all comes down to preference. Hope that helps, please feel free to hit me up with any more questions or to get into specifics! Thanks, -frank

Yes to removing or covering the hearth tile. If we don't need it, we could put the hardwood there when that work is done. The fireplace has black metal that doesn't look finished if it's left exposed. Maybe a new layer of wall board coming in further with metal stripping around the opening? Thank you!

Either polished Absolute Granite or Polished Black Porcelain. Huge difference in price. https://stoneandtileshoppe.com/products/absolute-black-polished-granite-tile?variant=8135451934820 https://www.flooranddecor.com/available-in-store-only/super-black-polished-porcelain-tile-100121631.html