What to do with these ugly bricks in fireplace?

[JamieNotJames]

We've just had the walls replastered and ready to paint and skirting boards fitted.
The bricks behind the stove I think look really ugly but I'm at a loss with what I can do with them to freshen up with the rest of the newly decorated room.
Any suggestions?

Plaster board maybe

I think they look fine! Very rustic. If you want to cover them up, either use plasterboard or just paint them?

I don't particularly want to cover them up. I like brick fireplaces but these bricks are dark, mismatched with random cement work!

They look great.
Clean them up with brick acid...it will get rid of any cement and stuff on the brick surface.
You can seal them then if you want to.

Clean and seal them. When the room is finished they will look nice, promise!

Definitely clean them up before you think of doing anything else. Might take some elbow grease but will be worth it. We have the same but I re grouted ours with lime mortar and it gives a softer look I think. It will look lovely especially when the fire is lit.

I like them.
I really wouldn’t start making it look like a little bland box.

This. Once done you will not recognise them.

This. Clean them, then rake out the cement and repoint with limemortar.

Mine looked exactly like yours. 1 day scrubbing with a brush, raking and repointing, and I think they are much nicer now. Would hate to cover them up.

We had horrible engineering bricks so tiled over them with colours to compliment the room.

That looks lovely. Exactly what I would like.

Thank you for your suggestions. We're definitely keeping the brickwork but it's good to know that they can be spruced up a bit

Yours look great @NellyBarney!

I was too lazy to clean the ones in our kitchen fireplace but once DH battened, boarded and skimmed the chimney breast and I'd papered it with lovely Liberty wallpaper I barely notice the bricks 😉

That looks really great.

I really like them as they are, they add some real charm. You could paint them black if you wanted to hide them? I wouldnt cover them though, that would be a shame.

Please don’t put anything which is not fireproof behind a woodburner, unless you want to burn your house down.

^ and the same goes that any paint or sealer used needs to be fire heat rated.