Make sure the flu is cleaned so that the smoke doesn't come into the home before you do this project. You'll have to use a strong cleaner like Scrubbing Bubbles to get the smoke stain off the stones before you stain them. You can stain the stone using diluted Chalk Paints.

Thank you for your suggestions Patricia. There is a circular driveway that is hard to see from the picture we posted so I'm not sure how a walkway would work as it would have to cut across the driveway. We currently have asbestos shingles and have painted them 3 times over the last 20 years. I think they kind of make the house feel dated. The small windows are from our master bedroom redo 20 years ago. They were actually very modern looking when we put them in. I'm attaching a picture of how they look over our bed, but your right they do appear small from the outside.

I would remove the wall to wall carpeting and put in a hardwood floor. I would also consider enlarging the opening of the fireplace or reducing the amount of stone above it. The size of the opening and the amount of stone above it seem out of proportion, unless it is the angle of your photograph. I also don't care for the semicircular hearth. Also there is something strange about the woodwork above the fireplace. Your three photos don't match. The third photo has a wood column to the right of the painting that seems to serve no purpose. There are also two wooden pilasters on either side of the painting that seem to stop in the middle of nowhere that really do not suit at all, and I would remove them. Architectural ornamentation is like jewelry- you have to know when it is too much. Whatever you do, don't do anything piecemeal. I highly suggest you get the very best designer you can afford and put together a cohesive design for the whole room that incorporates everything, lighting, fireplace, furniture, architectural ornamentation, window treatments, etc. Then do what you can as you can afford it. By developing a cohesive plan now, you ensure that your home won't look like a crazy quilt, which is often what happens when no all-encompassing plan is developed, and or when there is no knowledgable experienced expert at the helm.

You are asking for a color that pops, right? Your brick appears to have muted red tones so I would try a dark red that complements it. On my screen, I would try Positive Red, Heartthrob, and Heritage Red. Heritage Red doesn't appear to have orange or purple/pink undertones so I'd start there.