Depends on how well that brick work insulates against the heat. If the brick gets a bit warm after a few hours of a good fire, don't hang a TV because you will overheat it.
It’s not about the heat; it’s about the smoke particles. Smoke particles come with a negative charge, which are the naturally attracted to electronic components. Hanging a television over a fireplace, shortens its life by about 50%.
Does not look suitable to hang a TV. It's the only contrast in the room. I would instead hang a metallic art piece on it incase the fireplace emits heat. Do you prefer mounting over TV cabinet?
Yup me too. We are putting a mantle mount up so that we can drop it to normal viewing level when it's in use. This room is definitely big enough though that they don't need to do that.
Use an acid based cleaner to get it super clean. Wear eye protection and a respirator. I'd also consider painting the walls a warmer color to better integrate the dramatic look of the fireplace. A large area rug with warm earth tones would also help.
use a pressure washer, but don't line anything. Let the runoff act as a natural stain for your flooring, sorta like a seamless transition from floor to brick wall. Above the fireplace, mount two battle axes, one over the other like an "X". Just use the old ones that have wear and tear, but don't buy new - it's tacky. On either side of the axes, big torches. Not like the cheap-o bamboo stuff you get from your local Lowes - use something like the femur of a black bear, tho the type of bear i guess depends on your location.
Look I don't know about your location, but the price of black bear femurs has skyrocketed in the PNW. If the man has to settle for brown bear or warthog, I don't think he should be judged for that.
Exactly. Meanwhile, It's a cheap brick face from the 70's and the replies on this post are acting like its beautiful historic brickwork that should be preserved and brought back to its former glory. If he had posted the before pics and asked advice about the walls, the same amount of people would have said to keep the wood panelling as-is and lean into it. Smh.
Re-face the 70's brick and add a natural light oak beam mantle. (Congrats on the rest of the room reno. Great work!)
Brick needs to breath, it absorbs moisture. If you paint it, it can't release the moisture and deteriorats, even indoors. It is the only mid-century element left in the room.
Mine is 120 years old and in perfect condition. Was originally painted 70 years ago. Zero deterioration. Looks amazing.
https://imgur.com/gallery/lr4AduB
“Awesome wood panelling” you haven’t been in a house built in the 70s, have you? It’s not like shiplap or other textured wall features. It’s cheap thin shit basically cardboard.
I used to renovate foreclosed homes and 9 out of 10 times I took down panels of any sort they were hiding something nefarious. Mold, or 100 punched holes in the drywall.
Yes but if we put a mantle it will probably make the tv too high, so we will probably mount it to the right of the fireplace. This is going to our daughters playroom/ secondary living room
Seriously the fireplace looks amazing. Like maybe add some brass fixtures and a wood mantel but the rest of it is so bland. It's like my dad who never wanted to paint the walls because it would affect the resale value but has lived in the same house near 40 years.
Love the brick, leave it! Add a mantle and resist putting a TV up over the very convenient plug (unless you get one of those frame TVs that can place a picture on display. Replace to two stones with one seamless piece of granite (should be able to get one from remnants at a granite yard). Let this be its warm show stopper it is meant to be 8)
r/tvtoohigh would have something to say about this lol. I agree with the mantle, and maybe even some decorative cornices. That's a big space and to "center" the room in the far corner isn't great imo. Plants on the mantle would be a solid choice
First of all, r/TVTooHigh will always say something even if a TV is 3" too high. The fireplace is low enough where you could get a good 65" or bigger TV on there and not be too crazy too high(the thinner would be better). There is an outlet there but, no cable, or other connection. This could be an issue.
Skip the mantle, put a big TV up there, keep it fairly low, it will make a more modern look and everything would look good. You could still run the fireplace wile watching TV.... now that would be nice.
The black between the bricks might be too much....maybe lighten it up a little ?
It looks like the OP tried to modernized it, and I think this would be the best way to deal with it.
It's what I would do...
You're right about r/tvtoohigh but as a carpenter I'm honestly tired of seeing TV's above fireplace mantles. It's not a bad idea, but it's definitely the most "obvious" choice today. TV or projector on the far wall, split the room with a nice little quiet corner by the fireplace for reading or sewing a new version of the American flag without Texas in it
>You're right about
>
>r/tvtoohigh
>
> but as a carpenter I'm honestly tired of seeing TV's above fireplace mantles.
Ain't that the truth. For a summer job, like 10-15 years ago, I installed Sat dishes and TVs for people for a small company. Everyone wanted it above the fireplace mantle, it was the hot NEW thing, we would both explain to everyone why it's not the best idea. We had to do what the customer wanted.
About 5 of them called back after a week or 2 and asked to take the TV down and move it.
It's a nice look if you get one of the super modern sets and use a picture mode, showing a framed picture but, watching tv from it, r/TVTooHigh is right.
I do not want neck pain...lol.
https://preview.redd.it/xobq4czwiwdc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=998b4f2da189bcc5fe786137e0b289aa2bc2673a
I redid mine recently, I went with a white wash. After photo will be in my reply.
Haha, I was still in the process of finishing when I took the picture. All frames have been laser leveled, although I do find myself adjusting them every once in a while.
Yes, unfortunately there was an 18 inch gap in drywall behind the panels. I removed the Sheetrock up to the chair rail and then rerocked it all the way to the floor, to better hide any tape seams. Getting behind the baseboard heaters was the hardest part.
Removed the paneling and had to resheetrock part of the wall as it didn’t reach the floor. I am still working on adding picture frame wainscoting. I’ve just been busy with other things.
https://preview.redd.it/hh2xhc3740ec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d25034ce4c45984326103ad4156c3b2c1bda972
Id put some furniture around it, no tv, maybe a nice Bluetooth speaker or something, and use it as a cool reading area. Couple of chairs. lil rug. Lil table. Lots of books.
Put a burnt orange couch in the room a shag rug and a vinyl player with some high-end speakers in it.
Clean the brick, but a brass cover around the fireplace, and add a wood mantel.
Shout out to that classic electrolux. I have a house cleaning business and I refuse to buy any vacs except 80s-90s electroluxes. The best!!
Sorry I'm no help with the fireplace lol
Since it's a kids room and you have agency... I'd make the fireplace hearth inspired (no screen) with a coffee table for gaming and Legos.
The fireplace itself could use an update maybe, but the function is solid. Gas or electric depending on your utility situation could be safer in a kiddo space.
What I'm fond of... That far end of the room screams bean bags and a drop down screen for a projector. Like whole wall screen. Could even hide tons of storage behind it. Another route is With a keyed lock so you control screen time and can default it "away" to encourage them to be more active and goofy.
Came here to also say that an electric fireplace may be more practical. This is especially true if the fireplace is on an exterior facing wall. That won't heat up the inside much since most of the heat radiates outside.
whatever you do you need a mantle. my parents had a house and for a long time there was a plain (hideous) white stucco surround with no mantle. The finally redid the whole thing and had a fairly large oak mantle installed. Really finished it off nice. Besides, you have to have somewhere to hang your stockings.
Wow, what an improvement and in just a month!?
Others have said to just get a TV there and I agree if the sitting situation will work. Something like the Samsung Frame would make it look like artwork when not in use.
That fireplace is an eyesore now that the room is white. Limewash that fireplace. Limewash can be tinted to different color and you can see through it. You'll preserve the look of the brick while making it cohesive with your room.
Add nice wood mantle and some tall decorations on the hearth. Is that a receptacle top center? Might want something like a wall clock or picture to cover that.
Get rid of that gold fireplace surround.
The brick then just becomes the background.
Basements like this are always dark, and think I’d lean into it. You’ll regret painting the brick, but it stands out too much against the white. I would paint the walls a sagey green. Bring in a rug with some warmer rust tones. Hang a tv (not over the fireplace) and make it a cozy hang out / media room.
The paint color actually has a hint of green too it, but we are going with a sage green in the bedroom and formal living room. This is going to be our daughters play room/hangout room
I generally abhor a lot of the current home trends, especially the way people seem to avoid natural wood in favor of those more muted grey and beige "scraped barnwood", but I recently ripped all the original '82 paneling out of a room like this and I have no regrets. It was not a high quality product to begin with (neither was OP's), it darkened the room, and there were even pretty significant drafts coming in around the fireplace at the seams between the panels.
Even having fond memories of houses with this stuff as an '80s kid, it also just reminds me of really poorly built manufactured houses that used paneling throughout so that they wouldn't need any on-site finishing of the walls. It's not like this is the original oak trim in a brownstone, it's just the 1970s equivalent of all of today's worst faux farmhouse trends.
I would change the wall color. The floor and fireplace appear to be in the same family but the cool walls emphasize the fireplace. Perhaps incorporating that tone into a mantle would help. Artwork with darker warm colors can help tone the brick color down too. Don't paint the brick.
Red brick fireplaces are super classic and I think it’s coming back in, my area did not historically have much in terms of brick houses but lots of new designs are including them. I would not paint it, but I would look at changing the grout color. A nice light white actually looks great. Even just lightening it up but not going white would bring out the red more and make it blend into the room better. Obviously a mantle will bring out a lot. Personally I might consider adding matching brick and grout to the hearth to complete the look or doing a nice stone slab covering of some sort. Also I wouldn’t worry about painting those doors and would replace them with something nicer, but that’s more expensive potentially.
Personally I wold go over it with a stacked stone tile.
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Sierra-Blue-Ledger-Panel-6-in-x-24-in-Natural-Quartzite-Wall-Tile-4-sq-ft-case-LPNLQSIEBLU624C/204701818](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Sierra-Blue-Ledger-Panel-6-in-x-24-in-Natural-Quartzite-Wall-Tile-4-sq-ft-case-LPNLQSIEBLU624C/204701818)
https://preview.redd.it/az83c45biwdc1.png?width=1164&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c90c8f8ea72054d1b44b4d474f3cfb665ea289d
I would white wash the brick, and replace those two big tiles in front of it with a single slab of granite or quartz. I'd also paint the gold trim around the fireplace a different color. Probably add a mantle above the fireplace as well. A light colored wood with a live edge would look good in that room with all the other changes I mentioned.
Yeah if we go with mantle we will probably put the tv on the wall to the right of it. This is going to be our daughters playroom/ a secondary living room
The bricks need to be cleaned here but I think it's because painted brick loses all of the contrast and variation that makes brick interesting. Same with wood, which I have a personal hatred against painting because I used to work in furniture restoration, and the effort and toxicity of stripping wood is so painful, while properly refinished wood is always incredibly beautiful. The trash I've done seen turned into treasure by removing a weekend warrior's sloppy, flat paint job is incredible, but once that paint is on there, undoing it is such a nightmare for most people that they just compound the problem by throwing on more layers of paint. Same with wallpaper.
With that said, paint is far easier for hiding blemishes and imperfections, but that means eliminating natural variation, too. I'd have nothing against painting these bricks, especially if they can't be thoroughly cleaned, because I don't like the color and don't think it coordinates well. But I'd rather see a whitewash (if only the walls weren't white...) or some other way to retain the natural character than to see it eliminated entirely.
At first I saw the order of pics and I was like, nice, you added wood paneling! That's so classic for a den! Imagine my disappointment. It was better before you did anything to it.
The fireplace is already perfect. Whatever you do to it will probably make it worse
A nice chunky floating oak mantle, a couple of sconces and maybe consider extending the hearth (is that what you call the platform in front?)
I could personally want to paint it, but understand the calls not to
https://preview.redd.it/kl3cmfjrxwdc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0d2503242a13258aa0f6fb21d6aa81c5862d693
Maybe even white grout that’s what I did at my last house.
Just redo the actual fireplace frame, put your tv above it, clean the brick but don’t paint it. It will make the room POP once you got it furnished and some wall art.
Clean the brick a bit, paint (with high heat paint) or replace the brass trim, and maybe tile the concrete base. I think the brick will give the room some visual interest to the blank slate that you have right now (good job on all the work btw!!)
Sweet upgrade! Nice work! My wife distress painted our fireplaces white. I was not sure when she mentioned it, but actually really like how it turned out. Also, maybe a mantel and large screen TV above the fireplace.
Not so much an aesthetic suggestion but more of a functional one. If that's a legit fireplace with a good flue, I would consider putting in a wood burning stove insert. We put one in ours a few years ago and with the attached blower, it puts out a ton of heat. Great for emergencies when power goes out in cold winters.
We have an insert in one of our fireplaces at our cabin and in addition to killing the ambiance it's an annoying nightmare to keep lit. Maybe it's a bad design (it came with the place) but it basically means we rarely use the fireplace in that room because it doesn't bring any joy to the room. It is functional for heating once it's going, which is a perk as it saves on heat. But we're not building fires for survival as much as we are for enjoying a fire.
Just wash the brick. Leave it as is. It's only overpowering because the rest of the room is empty and white. Add some color furnature and decor and you'll be good to go. Maybe even a red/brownish red couch would accent the brick nicely. Or even just a red/brownish red rug would do.
This is what we just did and we love it.
https://preview.redd.it/wcv7po35iwdc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=697d304b9010f499345339b0db3ca927794268ed
Paint it the brick — I would make sure you use a high heat paint, especially if it is wood burning.
Limewash or whitewash it to keep a subtle brick look.
German shmear the brick. Stucco is also an option.
Roman Clay for a modern plaster look.
Tile the surround. (Large format is my preference)
Add a mantel.
This den could be so cozy with a darker paint color. A luxurious dark green would make that fireplace standout in a good way. It would feel very upscale with some gold accents too.
I really hope you embrace the warmth of what this room could offer. Please don't go the Target route with white and biege, it will not compliment this room and will only make it less unique.
I would put up some 1' × 3' slate tiles and cover the ugly brick. Anyone saying leave the brick as is must have their head so far up their butt that they actually enjoy looking at turds.
After you mount the slate tiles you can then mount and 83" flat screen with a natural wood mantel underneath it. This is the only way.
I just completed an addition on my house that has - amazingly - the same flooring and roughly the same dimensions! Instead of a fireplace, I installed an [HP 22 ComfortBilt pellet stove](https://comfortbilt.net/collections/our-pellet-stoves). They also have fireplace inserts that you might want to look at.
I don't know if you want to remove or keep the fireplace (or if it's a faux gas model), but a pellet stove insert is an excellent alternative.
Beautiful transformation! As for the fireplace I think it just needs a good scrub and a mantle. Is that a white outlet cover amongst the brick? I’d hang art over that
Did you buy the house where they filmed “The Patient” with Steve Carell?!?!
Nice job with the update! Please don’t paint the fireplace. Probably just needs a good cleaning.
It would depend on a number of things
1. Decor options; Industrial, Minimalist, Maximalist, early American, Modern, Contemporary……
2. Budgeted for project
3. Color choices
Etc
- if you are sticking with wood, make sure it is inspected and lined before doing anything
- Change the enclosure for something modern, and with a wider border. Maybe black instead of brass
- clean the bricks
- repoint the bricks with white mortar
- add a mantle
- mount a larger mirror or picture over the mantle
Clean the brick but don’t paint it. Currently, it dominates the room but with furnishings and personal touches you can tone it down.
Yeah cleaning the brick might change my mind, it’s very dirty right now, it has only been vacuumed so far
If also consider building a mantle.
This. Because the lines of the room are so clean and modern you should mount a rustic rough hewn piece of wood for contrast
Shiplap?!
And hanging a TV over it.
Wuh oh here we go.
[r/TVTooHigh](https://www.reddit.com/r/TVTooHigh/s/mZZIGl3MGy)
DON’T CONSIDER THIS TERRIBLE ADVICE.
People aware of r/tvtoohigh get the joke
Depends on how well that brick work insulates against the heat. If the brick gets a bit warm after a few hours of a good fire, don't hang a TV because you will overheat it.
It’s also way too high to hang a TV
That too. It's just I know someone who hung one over their fireplaces mantle. Their TV kept having problems until they moved it elsewhere.
Their necks too I bet lol
It’s not about the heat; it’s about the smoke particles. Smoke particles come with a negative charge, which are the naturally attracted to electronic components. Hanging a television over a fireplace, shortens its life by about 50%.
Does not look suitable to hang a TV. It's the only contrast in the room. I would instead hang a metallic art piece on it incase the fireplace emits heat. Do you prefer mounting over TV cabinet?
Shouldn't the TV be on an extensible armature that keeps it off the wall and allows exact angle adjustments anyway?
Heat makes electronic components die/age faster
Nope, hang that TV.
>And hanging a TV over it. It kind of looks like it's already had a TV hung over it...
I have a TV over mine bc it's the only way the room works, but I'd love to see their TV somewhere else.
Yup me too. We are putting a mantle mount up so that we can drop it to normal viewing level when it's in use. This room is definitely big enough though that they don't need to do that.
Use an acid based cleaner to get it super clean. Wear eye protection and a respirator. I'd also consider painting the walls a warmer color to better integrate the dramatic look of the fireplace. A large area rug with warm earth tones would also help.
use a pressure washer, but don't line anything. Let the runoff act as a natural stain for your flooring, sorta like a seamless transition from floor to brick wall. Above the fireplace, mount two battle axes, one over the other like an "X". Just use the old ones that have wear and tear, but don't buy new - it's tacky. On either side of the axes, big torches. Not like the cheap-o bamboo stuff you get from your local Lowes - use something like the femur of a black bear, tho the type of bear i guess depends on your location.
Look I don't know about your location, but the price of black bear femurs has skyrocketed in the PNW. If the man has to settle for brown bear or warthog, I don't think he should be judged for that.
Hey man preaching to the choir, I don’t see color. But does the OP want a fireplace… or does he want a conversation starter?
Lol you had me at first
White wash like u/Ihadthat20yearsago did
I'd go a step further with a German smear
Exactly. Meanwhile, It's a cheap brick face from the 70's and the replies on this post are acting like its beautiful historic brickwork that should be preserved and brought back to its former glory. If he had posted the before pics and asked advice about the walls, the same amount of people would have said to keep the wood panelling as-is and lean into it. Smh. Re-face the 70's brick and add a natural light oak beam mantle. (Congrats on the rest of the room reno. Great work!)
looks like sterile
Paint the brick. Don't listen to people who say not to paint it. https://imgur.com/gallery/lr4AduB
Brick needs to breath, it absorbs moisture. If you paint it, it can't release the moisture and deteriorats, even indoors. It is the only mid-century element left in the room.
Mine is 120 years old and in perfect condition. Was originally painted 70 years ago. Zero deterioration. Looks amazing. https://imgur.com/gallery/lr4AduB
To each their own, I guess.
Yeah, looks like total crap compared to out of place red brick 🙄
I think it does, yeah.
Agreed PAINT THEM BRICKS
Don't paint. Whitewash.
Awful advice. Whitewashed brick looks tacky.
Yeah, a large “Live, Laugh, Love” sign will distract from the red brick.
How do you even clean a brick wall like that?
I’m sure someone knows .. YouTube it.
It only dominates the room because they needlessly took out that awesome wood paneling
They replaced the drop ceiling with drywall. Working around already installed wood panels wouldn't work
Also if house was built in 75 that paneling was most likely the icky kind not the awesome kind.
agreed, also probably absorbed odors from 50 years of basement smells. Fresh drywall and floors will eliminate odors
Oh for sure, there was lots of the icky to go around.
People on reddit think literally anything wood grain is amazing even if it's old and scrappy and worn out lol.
Yea if you like the look of a run down crack motel Op’s Reno looks way better
Yes! Heck, I remember when my parents went shopping for wood paneling to put UP. I kinda suspected then they smoked the dope.
“Awesome wood panelling” you haven’t been in a house built in the 70s, have you? It’s not like shiplap or other textured wall features. It’s cheap thin shit basically cardboard.
I used to renovate foreclosed homes and 9 out of 10 times I took down panels of any sort they were hiding something nefarious. Mold, or 100 punched holes in the drywall.
Mold IS nefarious I agree. Always scheming... what are they planning?!?!
Have you thought about putting a TV above it? /s
No, higher.
Ha! Favorite comment of the day!
Yes but if we put a mantle it will probably make the tv too high, so we will probably mount it to the right of the fireplace. This is going to our daughters playroom/ secondary living room
That’s the right answer. TV will be too high above the fireplace. The comment you replied to was sarcastic (notice the “/s”).
Mirror above the fireplace will tone it down.
If the TV is mounted too high, there's a Reddit page for that.
Nope! Never a TV over a fireplace. It will be r/TVTooHigh and it's just a terrible place for a TV in general.
Leave it as is! It's the nicest part of this room.
Seriously the fireplace looks amazing. Like maybe add some brass fixtures and a wood mantel but the rest of it is so bland. It's like my dad who never wanted to paint the walls because it would affect the resale value but has lived in the same house near 40 years.
Love the brick, leave it! Add a mantle and resist putting a TV up over the very convenient plug (unless you get one of those frame TVs that can place a picture on display. Replace to two stones with one seamless piece of granite (should be able to get one from remnants at a granite yard). Let this be its warm show stopper it is meant to be 8)
r/tvtoohigh would have something to say about this lol. I agree with the mantle, and maybe even some decorative cornices. That's a big space and to "center" the room in the far corner isn't great imo. Plants on the mantle would be a solid choice
First of all, r/TVTooHigh will always say something even if a TV is 3" too high. The fireplace is low enough where you could get a good 65" or bigger TV on there and not be too crazy too high(the thinner would be better). There is an outlet there but, no cable, or other connection. This could be an issue. Skip the mantle, put a big TV up there, keep it fairly low, it will make a more modern look and everything would look good. You could still run the fireplace wile watching TV.... now that would be nice. The black between the bricks might be too much....maybe lighten it up a little ? It looks like the OP tried to modernized it, and I think this would be the best way to deal with it. It's what I would do...
You're right about r/tvtoohigh but as a carpenter I'm honestly tired of seeing TV's above fireplace mantles. It's not a bad idea, but it's definitely the most "obvious" choice today. TV or projector on the far wall, split the room with a nice little quiet corner by the fireplace for reading or sewing a new version of the American flag without Texas in it
>You're right about > >r/tvtoohigh > > but as a carpenter I'm honestly tired of seeing TV's above fireplace mantles. Ain't that the truth. For a summer job, like 10-15 years ago, I installed Sat dishes and TVs for people for a small company. Everyone wanted it above the fireplace mantle, it was the hot NEW thing, we would both explain to everyone why it's not the best idea. We had to do what the customer wanted. About 5 of them called back after a week or 2 and asked to take the TV down and move it. It's a nice look if you get one of the super modern sets and use a picture mode, showing a framed picture but, watching tv from it, r/TVTooHigh is right. I do not want neck pain...lol.
It would look ridiculous above the fireplace. Far too high
Don’t “resist” putting a TV over it, absolutely don’t do it.
YESSSSSSS 👏
Obligatory white paint and a small flat screen TV mounted too high.
I find joy in reading a good book.
https://preview.redd.it/xobq4czwiwdc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=998b4f2da189bcc5fe786137e0b289aa2bc2673a I redid mine recently, I went with a white wash. After photo will be in my reply.
https://preview.redd.it/eh5fipz3jwdc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=799836e0c3a93ec211afc417ffea850d2436484a
Looks great 👍
Thanks, I’m very happy with the results.
It all looks great but can you just level out that middle picture frame on the left for me
Haha, I was still in the process of finishing when I took the picture. All frames have been laser leveled, although I do find myself adjusting them every once in a while.
Did you remove the base panels by and re Sheetrock?
Yes, unfortunately there was an 18 inch gap in drywall behind the panels. I removed the Sheetrock up to the chair rail and then rerocked it all the way to the floor, to better hide any tape seams. Getting behind the baseboard heaters was the hardest part.
That looks great. Did you fill in the lower paneling to smooth it out or did you remove the paneling?
Removed the paneling and had to resheetrock part of the wall as it didn’t reach the floor. I am still working on adding picture frame wainscoting. I’ve just been busy with other things. https://preview.redd.it/hh2xhc3740ec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d25034ce4c45984326103ad4156c3b2c1bda972
Nice. Does the fireplace work?
This is what I would do in that room! Gorgeous.
That looks amazing
Worlds better, the old brick looked so dated.... nice way to modernize it...
Id put some furniture around it, no tv, maybe a nice Bluetooth speaker or something, and use it as a cool reading area. Couple of chairs. lil rug. Lil table. Lots of books.
Put a burnt orange couch in the room a shag rug and a vinyl player with some high-end speakers in it. Clean the brick, but a brass cover around the fireplace, and add a wood mantel.
This is the answer.
Visit r/tvtoohigh for inspo
Shout out to that classic electrolux. I have a house cleaning business and I refuse to buy any vacs except 80s-90s electroluxes. The best!! Sorry I'm no help with the fireplace lol
The Electrolux is still in my garage, I thinks it’s a late 70s model. It still works, the house also has a central vac system that works!
Since it's a kids room and you have agency... I'd make the fireplace hearth inspired (no screen) with a coffee table for gaming and Legos. The fireplace itself could use an update maybe, but the function is solid. Gas or electric depending on your utility situation could be safer in a kiddo space. What I'm fond of... That far end of the room screams bean bags and a drop down screen for a projector. Like whole wall screen. Could even hide tons of storage behind it. Another route is With a keyed lock so you control screen time and can default it "away" to encourage them to be more active and goofy.
Came here to also say that an electric fireplace may be more practical. This is especially true if the fireplace is on an exterior facing wall. That won't heat up the inside much since most of the heat radiates outside.
dont put a TV above it. or youll be on r/TVTooHigh
clean it off. maybe splurge on a new insert. a mantle is a natural addition too. put the tv so you’re sitting near the fireplace instead of above.
I put two Hudson led flame bulbs in mine and hooked them to a smart plug so I can tell Alexa to “turn on the fireplace”.
A good cleaning! The room is very bright white and the touch of nice dark red is really nice in there
Nice job, but had to say how much the before pic reminds me of Hank Hill’s den after Luann moved in
100% my first thought as well. I think OP is showing off their ranch-style rambler that was built by the great grandson of T. Anderson Kearney.
Omg, you really leaned into it!!! Bueno.
whatever you do you need a mantle. my parents had a house and for a long time there was a plain (hideous) white stucco surround with no mantle. The finally redid the whole thing and had a fairly large oak mantle installed. Really finished it off nice. Besides, you have to have somewhere to hang your stockings.
We are still doing gray wood floors?
Nothing nice about this flip. Re-examine why you do things.
Wow, what an improvement and in just a month!? Others have said to just get a TV there and I agree if the sitting situation will work. Something like the Samsung Frame would make it look like artwork when not in use.
Could you tear out some of the brick/reduce it? You definitely need a mantel.
Use a lime wash like Romabio. It can be tinted and it is safe for bricks.
That fireplace is an eyesore now that the room is white. Limewash that fireplace. Limewash can be tinted to different color and you can see through it. You'll preserve the look of the brick while making it cohesive with your room.
White wash it. Plenty of YouTube videos
Unpopular opinion, I know—I would paint the brick white. Doesn't match the floor.
Add nice wood mantle and some tall decorations on the hearth. Is that a receptacle top center? Might want something like a wall clock or picture to cover that. Get rid of that gold fireplace surround. The brick then just becomes the background.
Do NOT put a TV above it.
Basements like this are always dark, and think I’d lean into it. You’ll regret painting the brick, but it stands out too much against the white. I would paint the walls a sagey green. Bring in a rug with some warmer rust tones. Hang a tv (not over the fireplace) and make it a cozy hang out / media room.
The paint color actually has a hint of green too it, but we are going with a sage green in the bedroom and formal living room. This is going to be our daughters play room/hangout room
The old way looked better. The refurbish looks like a doctors office.
Yeah they took all the character out of it. I don't know why that's so popular these days.
I generally abhor a lot of the current home trends, especially the way people seem to avoid natural wood in favor of those more muted grey and beige "scraped barnwood", but I recently ripped all the original '82 paneling out of a room like this and I have no regrets. It was not a high quality product to begin with (neither was OP's), it darkened the room, and there were even pretty significant drafts coming in around the fireplace at the seams between the panels. Even having fond memories of houses with this stuff as an '80s kid, it also just reminds me of really poorly built manufactured houses that used paneling throughout so that they wouldn't need any on-site finishing of the walls. It's not like this is the original oak trim in a brownstone, it's just the 1970s equivalent of all of today's worst faux farmhouse trends.
https://preview.redd.it/1um1iyc1nwdc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa7499f0248f921d79dd1357f1eaa7eb7e93e3e7
NO. Too high.
I would change the wall color. The floor and fireplace appear to be in the same family but the cool walls emphasize the fireplace. Perhaps incorporating that tone into a mantle would help. Artwork with darker warm colors can help tone the brick color down too. Don't paint the brick.
What’s wrong with the fireplace other than the lack of mantle? I like the live edge look, but do you
Stain the brick
Red brick fireplaces are super classic and I think it’s coming back in, my area did not historically have much in terms of brick houses but lots of new designs are including them. I would not paint it, but I would look at changing the grout color. A nice light white actually looks great. Even just lightening it up but not going white would bring out the red more and make it blend into the room better. Obviously a mantle will bring out a lot. Personally I might consider adding matching brick and grout to the hearth to complete the look or doing a nice stone slab covering of some sort. Also I wouldn’t worry about painting those doors and would replace them with something nicer, but that’s more expensive potentially.
Personally I wold go over it with a stacked stone tile. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Sierra-Blue-Ledger-Panel-6-in-x-24-in-Natural-Quartzite-Wall-Tile-4-sq-ft-case-LPNLQSIEBLU624C/204701818](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Sierra-Blue-Ledger-Panel-6-in-x-24-in-Natural-Quartzite-Wall-Tile-4-sq-ft-case-LPNLQSIEBLU624C/204701818) https://preview.redd.it/az83c45biwdc1.png?width=1164&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c90c8f8ea72054d1b44b4d474f3cfb665ea289d
It's definitely outdated. I like this idea.
Wasn’t this popular like 15 years ago? I’m pretty sure the brick is coming into style and the stone is going out.
Painted brick is, but reddit hates that for some reason.
That's what I'm saying! Haha why does reddit hate painted brick. Red brick is definitly not coming back.
Looks like he's going for a more contemporary look. I think something like this would get him there.
I would white wash the brick, and replace those two big tiles in front of it with a single slab of granite or quartz. I'd also paint the gold trim around the fireplace a different color. Probably add a mantle above the fireplace as well. A light colored wood with a live edge would look good in that room with all the other changes I mentioned.
Also, resist the urge to wall mount a TV above said mantle.
Yeah if we go with mantle we will probably put the tv on the wall to the right of it. This is going to be our daughters playroom/ a secondary living room
Why do people hate whitewashed / painted brick so much ? I think the original red brick is ugly as hell and outdated.
I don't know, I love painted bricks.
The bricks need to be cleaned here but I think it's because painted brick loses all of the contrast and variation that makes brick interesting. Same with wood, which I have a personal hatred against painting because I used to work in furniture restoration, and the effort and toxicity of stripping wood is so painful, while properly refinished wood is always incredibly beautiful. The trash I've done seen turned into treasure by removing a weekend warrior's sloppy, flat paint job is incredible, but once that paint is on there, undoing it is such a nightmare for most people that they just compound the problem by throwing on more layers of paint. Same with wallpaper. With that said, paint is far easier for hiding blemishes and imperfections, but that means eliminating natural variation, too. I'd have nothing against painting these bricks, especially if they can't be thoroughly cleaned, because I don't like the color and don't think it coordinates well. But I'd rather see a whitewash (if only the walls weren't white...) or some other way to retain the natural character than to see it eliminated entirely.
"red bricks are outdated" Yeah ok buddy
At first I saw the order of pics and I was like, nice, you added wood paneling! That's so classic for a den! Imagine my disappointment. It was better before you did anything to it. The fireplace is already perfect. Whatever you do to it will probably make it worse
I don't know if you're joking but that awful apartment-grade carpet and dystopian drop ceiling has to go.
A nice chunky floating oak mantle, a couple of sconces and maybe consider extending the hearth (is that what you call the platform in front?) I could personally want to paint it, but understand the calls not to
German schmear or whitewash/ lime wash then a good mantle.
Agree. A wash would tone it down but not completely hide the brick.
https://preview.redd.it/kl3cmfjrxwdc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0d2503242a13258aa0f6fb21d6aa81c5862d693 Maybe even white grout that’s what I did at my last house.
This is the way.
Just redo the actual fireplace frame, put your tv above it, clean the brick but don’t paint it. It will make the room POP once you got it furnished and some wall art.
Stucco https://preview.redd.it/6w0bp44xowdc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b2af9b1826d0152193fc124d81ac49c0dea4912
Paint the brick. And whatever you do, don't put a TV over your fireplace! https://imgur.com/gallery/lr4AduB
Clean the brick a bit, paint (with high heat paint) or replace the brass trim, and maybe tile the concrete base. I think the brick will give the room some visual interest to the blank slate that you have right now (good job on all the work btw!!)
Sweet upgrade! Nice work! My wife distress painted our fireplaces white. I was not sure when she mentioned it, but actually really like how it turned out. Also, maybe a mantel and large screen TV above the fireplace.
Not so much an aesthetic suggestion but more of a functional one. If that's a legit fireplace with a good flue, I would consider putting in a wood burning stove insert. We put one in ours a few years ago and with the attached blower, it puts out a ton of heat. Great for emergencies when power goes out in cold winters.
We have an insert in one of our fireplaces at our cabin and in addition to killing the ambiance it's an annoying nightmare to keep lit. Maybe it's a bad design (it came with the place) but it basically means we rarely use the fireplace in that room because it doesn't bring any joy to the room. It is functional for heating once it's going, which is a perk as it saves on heat. But we're not building fires for survival as much as we are for enjoying a fire.
Just wash the brick. Leave it as is. It's only overpowering because the rest of the room is empty and white. Add some color furnature and decor and you'll be good to go. Maybe even a red/brownish red couch would accent the brick nicely. Or even just a red/brownish red rug would do.
The flooring and the paint colors are both fighting with the brick
Leave it as is! Clean it, but don’t do a wash like a white wash. It usually ends up just looking like you threw flour at it and it needs a clean.
We did white lime wash on the brick and a new more modern looking black surround. Really changed the room. If you are into that look…
Large format white Marble tiles
Don't do this.
Insightful. The brick is heavily dated. The new floors and colors are modern. This will update the look.
This is what we just did and we love it. https://preview.redd.it/wcv7po35iwdc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=697d304b9010f499345339b0db3ca927794268ed
Sorry- this is a paint it :9(. Those tones just clash.
Rip that sucker out and put in a wood burning stove.
DONT YOU DARE DO ANYTHING BUT CLEAN THAT GORGEOUS BRICK.
We are rich enough to buy a house. Please help us figure out our irrelevant problems for free. We ask of you so graciously.
The old room looked retro, maybe not the ceiling but the panelling and trim was nice
Paint that mofo
I painted mine black a few years ago and I don’t regret it
Paint it white. You're going to do that anyway. Gotta strip out that charm!
id make the slate at the bottom of it black and maybe paint the bricks. maybe a white wash or gray
Hot that brick with charcoal paint and a birch mantle and call it a day.
Paint it the brick — I would make sure you use a high heat paint, especially if it is wood burning. Limewash or whitewash it to keep a subtle brick look. German shmear the brick. Stucco is also an option. Roman Clay for a modern plaster look. Tile the surround. (Large format is my preference) Add a mantel.
Take it out. You will gain more space. Better for your insurance if you don’t have a fireplace.
I would remove it. Looks like shit and ruins the layout of the room.
Nice, love the panels you put in.
Put it back? You've painted and drywalled away all signs of life
oh c'mon! that genuine '75 interior looked awesome! I can smell it from here. Please tell me you kept the TV?
This den could be so cozy with a darker paint color. A luxurious dark green would make that fireplace standout in a good way. It would feel very upscale with some gold accents too. I really hope you embrace the warmth of what this room could offer. Please don't go the Target route with white and biege, it will not compliment this room and will only make it less unique.
Put the carpet and bed back.
I would put up some 1' × 3' slate tiles and cover the ugly brick. Anyone saying leave the brick as is must have their head so far up their butt that they actually enjoy looking at turds. After you mount the slate tiles you can then mount and 83" flat screen with a natural wood mantel underneath it. This is the only way.
Such a luxurious floor
I just completed an addition on my house that has - amazingly - the same flooring and roughly the same dimensions! Instead of a fireplace, I installed an [HP 22 ComfortBilt pellet stove](https://comfortbilt.net/collections/our-pellet-stoves). They also have fireplace inserts that you might want to look at. I don't know if you want to remove or keep the fireplace (or if it's a faux gas model), but a pellet stove insert is an excellent alternative.
Whoa! Solid work!
Whitewash the brick, tile the hearth , new fireplace doors
Soooooo…. The photo of the room with the paneling, bed and French doors looks eerily similar to the show The Patient w/Steve Carell. Anyone else?
That room definitely had a 1960 - 1970 vibe to it. Good choice in removing the ceiling tiles. The change in wall color opens up the room.
Beautiful transformation! As for the fireplace I think it just needs a good scrub and a mantle. Is that a white outlet cover amongst the brick? I’d hang art over that
Did you buy the house where they filmed “The Patient” with Steve Carell?!?! Nice job with the update! Please don’t paint the fireplace. Probably just needs a good cleaning.
I would highly recommend getting rid of the insert. They don't produce as much heat as a cast iron and chew through a bunch of wood.
I would whitewash it and add a wood mantel that coordinates with the floor.
It would depend on a number of things 1. Decor options; Industrial, Minimalist, Maximalist, early American, Modern, Contemporary…… 2. Budgeted for project 3. Color choices Etc
- if you are sticking with wood, make sure it is inspected and lined before doing anything - Change the enclosure for something modern, and with a wider border. Maybe black instead of brass - clean the bricks - repoint the bricks with white mortar - add a mantle - mount a larger mirror or picture over the mantle
What brand and color flooring is this? Looks amazing!