Thanks Flo, means a lot coming from you. that black hearth is soapstone, took three burley men to bring it in and place it!

Wow, would be fun, I’ll email you.

I would definitely start with painting the stone and mantle since it is the most inexpensive way to see a dramatic change!

commenting to follow. painting those rocks might turn out pretty good! post pics when you finish.

I would paint the stones all one color, a deep gray, much darker than the colors you picked out, so that the stones recede. And paint the mantel the same deep gray. Also, there is too much going on....I would remove all those knick -knacks...

....Hang a mirror over the fireplace. Keep it simple.

I think that those rocks once when they are painted would give nice texture to a room.

Next I would remove small items around fireplace (small shelves and wall decor) and I would try to built symmetry around it: either matching shelves on each side, or narrow cabinets or wall lamps etc...

If you like having more small items rather then few big, then I would built a gallery around it:

Sandra Martin

Would you mind sharing what kind of plant is that? It looks beautiful!!

Loving Beth H.'s suggestions

Better, but would still prefer a deep, dark gray over the whole thing and mantel....

It is coming along nicely. Your surrounding décor will change the entire scene as well.

We have a lot of different custom fireplaces we have done, feel free to check them out for ideas.

https://www.houzz.com/projects/users/prmcustombuilders

Look forward to seeing the finished product!

Looking way better already!

Wow! What a differenc. Looks great!

Tisha - great job. So glad you stopped the "bleeding". lol Now you can at least live with it for a while. What in the heck were the previous owner's thinking???? Yikes!

We do have our "ways"! You go girl! 15 years! OMG! Are you in counseling for overexposure to ugly rocks? Just kidding.

Glad you laughed. You needed a good laugh for sure! Good things are on their way in abundance!

wow, that is a massive improvement! nice job!

I believe you were thinking of changing the mantle too? I like the idea of something more squared off. OR stain it a dark color so it matches the little shelves you have off to the left.

edit: never mind, I see you're going to do air stone in the summer. that'll look good!

Looks much better. Good job toning the colors down.

Rosieone, remove the tiny paintings on the mantel. Find a very large piece of art to hang there. Your fireplace will look immediately better.

Looks great! gives a whole new look!

Too funny! It came out great, DIY's are not as easy as they look! Airstone is going to be awesome there. As a home owner it is hard when something is just not loved in the home, awesome fix until you have what you really want :)

It looks really pretty!

Wow it came out very nice!

Probably time to hire a professional if you are not brave. Lots of work to be done.

Paint is your friend. There are too many (5) colors and too much contrast in the stone veneer. Pick three, more similar-toned colors for the stonework. Paint stores often have folders with different color combination ideas. If you don’t plan to change the carpet or paint the walls, I would use the same color as the hearth for one of the colors. Some of the stones already seem to match the hearth. Select two more colors which coordinate nicely with the hearth color. Instead of the mirror, hang a painting above the fireplace. Reduce or remove the small shelves and accessories. Bring in an additional color with a couple of print fabric pillows. The coffee table seems a bit small and lightweight...something a bit larger and more bulky, but in the same color, would be good.

Not a Pro.

What a transformation! The fireplace looks so much better. A great start to a beautiful room.

At the beginning of your thread you mentioned giving your entire living room a face lift. Post pictures of all the walls in the living room and dimensions and let the transformation begin with a new furniture layout and new look.

My first suggestion would be to take down all the wall hangings on both sides of the fireplace. They look out of place. There is nothing grounding them.

Wow. Looks SO much better for now. I don’t know how you tolerated the initial look for so long. Paint is the easiest way to cover something even if you are planning a major redo soon. Much easier on the eyes.

So much better!!

Tisha, do you have a picture of your air stone?