I think if you get all that sh*t off it and just let the stone be, it'll be pretty awesome. You could work your way up to an enormous, chunky, recycled wood mantle piece. But first, seriously consider a more modern grate and lose all the other crap that's crowding it.

Maybe cement?

yup! what sarahjade said. all of your furniture/curtains/rods look slightly country'ish...so that probably takes away from the possibility of a modern look.

remove all the stuff on/surrounding it and replace the screen with a brushed nickel withOUT any scalloping on the top, etc...example:

http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=71871&CatID=71871&Grptyp=PRD&ItemId=1990510&sisearchengine=182&siproduct=Google&cm_mmc=ShoppingFeed-_-Google-_-HomeDecor-_-Napa%20Contemporary%20Fireplace%20Screen%20by%20JCPenney&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=718711990510

if you're willing to repaint that deep red with a nice taupe...i think that would really modernize the stone fireplace as well. the stone is gorgeous.

I kinda like it. And agree that a more modern screen would be nice.

you could go a few routes.. i like 1 as a shortest-term fix.

1. distraction.
- simple shelves on the wall to the right of the fireplace, e.g. Ikea LACK style, that have clean, sleek lines and can have eye-catching objects on them
- simple white flat paint over the stones
- enormous canvas hung almost completely covering the area above the mantle
- eye-catching sculptures on the small dark shelf currently there
- a new brushed nickel screen as lauren81 mentioned in front.

2. cheap temporary drywall coverage. if you don't plan on using the fireplace and don't want to demo anything, you can buy a couple inexpensive sheets of drywall, secure some wood to the wall and drywall over it, leaving just a small amount of the actual fireplace visible, that can be covered by aforementioned screen.

3. cheap, more permanent drywall coverage - rip out the surround, put in drywall for now, prime and paint, and cover the actual fireplace up with the screen - put in the right, permanent mantle and surround when you're ready - that gives you usable wall space right away.

keep the stone, its beautiful and certainly will be more modern without the country looking accessories and paint. Also, remove the existing mantle as it is too small.

agree with sarahjade

I'm not feeling like the stone is worth saving -- hire someone to cement/spackle over that thing and get some smooth flat walls there! it'd be much cheaper than demolishing it. Then I'd go with MerBot's suggestion of low profile shelving -- you won't even notice that the walls around the fireplace stick out!

Agree with previous posters. A stone wall is a very modern look! Get a more contemporary grate and get rid of most of the accessories.

Sarahjade's idea of a recycled wood mantle would also help you out.

Good luck!

You could paint the stone white if you don't like it. I agree with other commenters that maybe your furnishings and paint colors could be amended to a more MCM style to match the house.

I'm not seeing what everyone else seems to. It looks like cement with rocks stuck in it, not like a fireplace built out of stone. I would definitely do away with the stone on the wall on the right and maybe chip away at the wall above the mantle. There's got to be some kind of fire brick behind it which you could dry wall over. We had a really ugly grey brick fireplace that went to the ceiling, my husband removed about 5' of brick from the top, put up dry wall and made a mantle of a 2x10 piece of oak that we attached moulding to and stained. It's not perfect but it definitely pulls the focus away from an eyesore and onto the rest of my beautiful room.

Personally, I would get rid of the stone. But if that's not an option I would paint the walls around it a color similar to the stone (grey, taupe...) to help it disappear. There's too much contrast now, especially with the red wall, that makes the stone jump out. And, yes, I agree, there's too much stuff on and around it.

I agree with a lot of other commenters.
- paint the walls in this room a taupe/natural color to reduce contrast
- clear clutter - keep any decorative objects to less quantity, modern shapes and larger pieces rather than smaller pieces.
- float some furniture in the center of the room, take the focus off the walls.

Good heavens, one doesn't have to call her stuff names. Yes, there are too many things around the fireplace, but we can say that nicely. If I had clutter in my house, I wouldn't want someone calling it (*)(*), and I doubt she does either.

Having said that, I'd get rid of the thing entirely and get my dining room back, but maybe that is just me.

To answer the poster's question, modern by definition means sleek, clean lines, and uncluttered spaces. So remove everything from the fireplace, and add a new large black screen that extends much higher than the fire box. I wouldn't paint the stones if one is going to use the fireplace. No good can come of that. Just the possibility of fumes would scare me.

PS Why is a lamp standing next to the fireplace, with a straight chair? I thought this was a dining room.

Leave the stone- it's not the problem. You need to get rid of all your clutter. I would change the paint from country burgundy to something cleaner and lighter. I'd get a couple modern vases/ objects for the mantle (maybe white jonathan adler style pottery) and put up a clean, simple print.

I love that fireplace - it's just cluttered. Remove all the stuff! Add a modern grate in a pewter or nickel finish. Paint the adjoining walls a lighter putty color to match the grout, so the stone doesn't contrast so strongly, creating a monotone color scheme. The dark stain on the mantel also contrasts too strongly - try replacing the wood with something bleached or blond in the same tones as the stone. Think a pebbly beach with driftwood. Add a black and white photo above the mantel.

Dry wall over it and paint the wall a shade darker or lighter than the rest of the room. Cheap, easy, and easily reversible if the next owner loves the stone.

1. Paint the walls a lighter color.
2. Get someone to make a wood mantle that custom fits the length of the mantle and paint it a color that compliments the walls, probably a white color. This is cheap if you can d.i.y.
3. Get a new lighter screen. Silvers are modern. You can paint it too.

*custom fits the rocky section: L-shaped versus one piece of wood.

Remove the mantle. Remove the screen. Remove or replace the lamp. Keep fireplace. Repaint walls a neutral shade that echos the colors in the fireplace, e.g. linen, sand, limestone, etc. Remove or replace the drapes (the tiebacks scream country not modern).

The stone is fine, it's everything else that's making it bland. Try lighter, fun colors on the walls and beach-like decor.

There's an episode on house crashers where they sheet-rock over an ugly fireplace and add a shelf for a mantle. You can also re-tile fire places.

I too like to stone the way it is without clutter and changing the wall color. If you really do not want to keep it as is, you could paint it. Not white, too many white brick facades out there. Something with a little bit of metallic flare like pewter or platinum w/o a mantle, make it the feature wall.

Everyone who has pointed out the clutter is right.

Do NOT paint the stones though. You will be sorry.

Since proper removal and repair of the wallspace would be expensive... choose, do you want modern neutral (even beachy?) or do you want modern elegant?

Neutral, paint the mantle a light neutral color to blend with stones. Do the same to the hearth platform and lip. Paint your red and beige walls a matching neutral color, personally I would advise a mid to light grey on the walls with sand tons for the mantle/hearth platform. Get rid of picture over mantle, a mirror or nothing. Get rid of clutter. Have a few 1 - 3 items on mantle that are in similar neutral/beachy colors.

Modern elegant, just paint the hearth platform black. Change red and beige walls to agreeing color, cream tone white perhaps. Change curtains to something more streamlined... Get ride of clutter. Get rid of picture over mantle. Update with something a bit more simple/bold when you find something you love. Add large dark candlesticks on mantle. Nothing else.

Keep it simple.

Just one girl's opinion... :D

The fireplace is actually fine. The mantel needs to be updated and the interior paint scheme needs to be changed. I'm tending to agree with most of the posters that there needs to be a monochromatic color scheme in the room that's a light gray or cool white. Bring color in with accessories.

The mantel should be an overscale warm tone natural wood and set lower than the current mantel - maybe something with a miter so that the mantel can wrap the corner as well. Refrain from "decorating" mantel too much. I'd opt for a simple display of colorful glass pieces - set asymmetrically toward the corner.

Ideally, you'd be able to change the finish on the floor to a lighter gold tone (like white oak) color and match the mantel to that. If that's not possible try to get the mantel color close to the floor color, but not as dark.

You have one red wall, one tan wall and a blue hearth. Maybe simplify that to one wall color and one hearth color or paint the hearth to match the mantel.

I would not mind painting the mantle, but not so sure that that would not be the last move. After removing all the stuff, consider one or two strong art pieces on the mantle, maybe playing off a colorful mobile to replace the picture. Don't paint the masonry! Eek! The texture is actually working for you, but you have to simplify so that it will have a chance to make its statement. I do agree about a simple fire screen.

After all of that, how about angling a comfy chair toward the fireplace from the door wall to encourage gazing at the coals?

I agree that the space is not cohesive - choose a style and stick to it. If you want to accommodate the fireplace, select a light neutral in the grays and paint both walls rather than going for a dated "accent wall" effect.

Curtain panels that are the correct length will help - try a set that just touch the floor enough to break and opt for a similar color to the wall to create some openness in the room.

Finally, select a minimal number of accessories. A punch of color would be nice in a vase, a minimalist painting over the fireplace and a brushed brass grate without a lot of frills will give you a stunning look.

I like the pebbly look. Get rid of all the "accessories". Get a more streamlined fireplace screen (without the arch) and get a mirror cut that will fill the width of the mantle and height all the way to the ceiling.

Then you can pick three things (one of which MUST be functional) to adorn the area with.

Less is more! There are a lot of cluttered LOOKING places in the house tours, but they are successful because they start with good bones.

get rid of everything and leave it bare no mantel no art no heat screen no nothing and paint your walls either white or gray

Try removing everything (painting, stuff on mantle and hearth, nearby furniture) and living with it for a week or two. It may grow on you, and you may get some ideas. I think the floor to ceiling thing works for modern. I would remove the current mantle and replace with something more modern; a recycled wood (as others have suggested) or simple black metal shelf. I would also paint the hearth to match whatever you do with a shelf.

We have a 1920's stone fireplace that works great with our eclectic modern look. But to get it there, we had to strip 12 layers of paint off it. I (repeatedly) cursed all the previous homeowners during the three weekends that took.

Since you just bought the house, maybe you could simply de-clutter and float a rustic, chunky shelf around that whole corner.

And don't have an accent wall adjacent to the fireplace ;P One color.

Also, do the other houses in your neighborhood have anything similar to this? If so, perhaps you should not do anything drastic to the fireplace until you've lived with it.

In any new digs, there are plenty of projects to do to personalize the space, and I'd save getting rid of the stones for last.

The current colour scheme is very old-fashioned. Unify the walls with a lighter taupe and replace the colonial style furniture and accessories with sleek, minimal modern pieces. That way the fireplace becomes the room's "texture" piece. Needless to say you should also lose the painting and all of the clutter, with perhaps ONE focus piece on the mantle

I also rather like the idea of using a heavy piece of driftwood as a mantle - the look then becomes "minimal pebble beach" rather than "hokey redneck".

That's actually a beautiful fireplace IMO. I agree with prior posts re: getting a more simple screen and a simple shelf mantle that runs the length of the stone. I think your accessories on the mantle and around the fireplace need to be just a couple large but simple pieces. Think streamlined.

I'd really urge you to NOT paint the stone. If you should decide down the road you don't want it painted, removing the paint from a textured stone surface is a LOT more difficult than getting paint off woodwork. Once it's painted, you're pretty much committed to it being painted forever.

1. joint compound to fill in the crevices of the stone
OR build a frame and put beadboard over it (which will leave the stone intact)
2 larger mantle, just like everyone else said

there are plenty of examples on hgtv of #1

Paint the walls a shade that complements the stone. Then, remove the shelf (or paint it the same shade as the walls if you can't remove it).

Definitely remove the clutter (including that framed print hanging above the fireplace - sorry, but it just isn't working there), and maybe try a sleeker fireplace screen in a finish that isn't black.

My first apartment had a fireplace with a stone wall that reached all the way to the ceiling, and my grandma's house had one as well. Grandma's mantel was pretty bare - two taper candles in crystal candleholders. I'd try something in silver - it pairs well with stone. (And neither of us used a screen, let alone a big black one. It looked better without one, so we left it alone and didn't use the fireplace.)

cement, then paint it a light colour and do the walls the same, keep away from heavy wooden chunky mantles, get a cute mid century fire screen which draws the eye towards it, get the fireplace working and use it. fire side dining is the best

Stucco over with cement, try to get as smooth as possible. You can try to apply mortar over pebbles or put up wire mesh then coat with stucco. Doesn't have to be perfect, but the more applications the smoother it will get. Then paint slightly darker than tan wall. You could leave some pebbles, possibly as a surround.....maybe. I am thinking the side on the wall is for fire protection. Get rid of the red. The fad of the accent wall is driving me crazy. I believe an accent wall can be great, but it is not for all homes. It needs to be a stand alone wall.

Re: Accent Walls. I have one and only one. I used to add depth a wall of shelves. The color shows along the sides of the shelves and very slightly in the back of the shelves. I wouldn't do it as a "focal point."

Easiest thing to do? Get rid of the tchotchkes on the mantle and get a more mid century modern painting over the fireplace. Move the fireplace accessories to the garage. Done.

I would paint your walls white and make the most of the stone until you can afford to remove it. The problem to my eye isn't the fireplace as much as it is the clashing red and camel paint. Last season's West Elm catalog, if I recall, had a fireplace much like this and it worked.

If it is a more modern look your after reface it. I'd go visit a local tile store and see what is available in the closeout room. It would look great faced in marble tile. I was able to get 12 x 12 inch tile in a polished crema marble for $1.80 each and it looks incredible on the wall.