What can we do with this fireplace?

[bloodywhitecat]

I hate it but what can I do to make it look better? It's about to have an inset stove put in and we depend on it for heating the room in the winter months so ripping it out isn't an option. We rent, and the chimney has failed its inspection so our lovely landlady has agreed we can have a stove put in and the easiest option is an inset stove which means the fireplace will remain (if we'd had a free standing stove the fireplace would need to come out but that would be a more expensive option). So, what can we do to make it look less 1950s?

BTW who is paying to have the stove fitted? As a landlady myself that would be my call. Long term tenants or not.

Our landlady is paying, she's a diamond.

We've got a Victorian fireplace but I wasnt keen on the tiles so we've covered them up with tile stickers. An option to cover them perhaps, if your landlady wouldn't be keen you on painting them?

Will the budget stretch to taking the whole thing out? Ask her!

Putting in a burner with that surround is half a job. Take it back to whats there!