We just had our brick fireplace re-surfaced in granite with a white surround. The contractor who worked on it actually advised against matching the kitchen granite -- even though the family room opens up right to the kitchen. He said that a more eclectic style is used where you'd use a variety of stones, mouldings, etc from room to room -- giving it a more custom look. Everything matching is more of a builder standard look. So don't feel the need to match your kitchen counters.

You'd probaly have a steel or brick firebox, with a soapstone overlay for decorative purposes. It would not be too soft, but if you oil it, it will be rather dark. Soapstone changes heat slowly [that's why if feels less cold than granite-- it doesn't soak up your body heat as readily]. This makes it ideal for a primary heating appliance, since it 'buffers' the highest heat of a woodstove, warming up and cooling off over time. Not so good for an occasional use heater IF you want that sudden burst of heat when you come in from skiing, or whatever.

It isn't terrible, but does look dated. When I bought my house, the fireplace was terrible. I believe old, dated brick SHOULD be painted. You can use latex paint eggshell finish, diluted 50% with water and sponge on. It leaves the brick texture, without an awful high gloss fake look. I don't advocate whitewash because it doesn't look natural at all with most brick tones. Pick any neutral color. Don't use stark white, as that won't go with your furniture or the style of your home. You might consider BM Lancaster Whitewash. Looks really good with brick, and is a warm off-white. I used BM Classic Gray (a very light beigy gray) which was the same as my wall color and minimized the monstrosity. It doesn't take long to use a sponge brush. Very minimal effort. You can leave the arched section as is Often the brick there has soot, and without a ton of elbow grease is difficult to clean. Paint may not stick. But the rest is easy. Do vacuum first! Everyone who sees my fireplace now loves it (none of them are shy about telling the truth). I think your TV would look far better on a bigger media stand, or build shelves to match the alcove size. Semi-customized shelving and cabinets would modernize the look and look less jury-rigged. The mantle and upper wood sections might look a lot better painted to match the fireplace. I left my mantle which looks lilke yours. Once the brick was updated, the mantle actually looked way better. Good luck with your project.

I love that shade! I would probably pair it with a pale blue or blue-green that has a slight similar undertone on the walls, along with the white counter. Here is a kitchen posted a few years ago that used a very similar color in the lowers. The walls are painted in Sherwin Williams Compatible Cream, the trim in Creamy... I wouldn't choose those paint colors myself though.