How to modernize these fireplaces

[chopc]

Please could you give me ideas on how these fireplaces can be modernized? The dining room is a log burner and the lounge a gas fire.

I particularly find the lounge brickwork an eyesore

Thanks in advance!

Maybe you could plaster and paint the bit above the mantelpiece and the sides?
However, how old is the house and are the fireplaces original?

I actually don't think they need to be modernised at all. I think if the furniture and window furnishings were more modern it would give the room a very different look.

@mmmhazelnutchocolate even the lounge?
@JoJoSM2 the house was built in 1995 and the fireplaces are original

The log burner one looks like the external brickwork can be easily enough plaster boarded over and the internal bricks covered with something suitably heat proof?

The gas fire external brickwork could also be plaster boarded but the internal looks a lot more tricky to do anything with and might have to be lived with?

The exposed brick looks very hipster. It's the furniture, curtains and flooring that are ageing the rooms. Limewashed floor boards and a funky light fitting with exposed bulbs will make the spaces look heaps better.

And paint all the window and door frames. Mahogany is dated IMO.

We will be extending out a little into the balcony so the windows will need to be changed anyway. Don't plan to have curtains. The floor will come out as well to get underfloor heating- however quite liked the look of this floor. I will look up lime washed floor boards.

Painting it white and having lighter floorboards could make a huge difference. Like this:

abeautifulmess.com/2018/01/elsies-den-tour-before-after.html

I think you could probably tone down some of the brick with render, but honestly, I agree with PP that changing the decor and furniture will make such a big difference that you might not need to. The place needs a bit of colour beyond magnolia, even if you stay light coloured some more grey hues instead of the yellows will help enormously. I’d also consider painting the doors white (or off white). It’s the amount of wood of varying mid-shades with the magnolia that’s causing most issues I think!

Not sure if it’s possible, but a couple of concealed downlights in the big brick fireplace could look nice.

Dining room: square off the chimney breast. The 'funnel' is making it look dated.

Living room: I think I'd take it out.

I would also whitewash the bricks.

You could paint the brickwork white but I agree with others that the furniture and woodwork is very dated so I don’t think the fireplaces are the biggest problem to be honest if you want it to look more modern. If you like the decor and furniture that’s fine but it is all very 90’s, it’s not just the fireplaces that are 90’s so changing them alone won’t do much to help!

Thanks everyone! We will start renovations soon! Will post pictures after

I agree with mmmhazelnutchocolate, I wouldn’t do anything to them and think they would look great with the rest of the rooms modernised.

I’d square off the dining room one and take out the sitting room one-that’s truly hideous

If it's a 1995 house, you could even just rip everything out and replace with something to your liking.

@JoJoSM2 I could and actually discussed this with my husband but he likes to have a fireplace. Me too but just not a hideous one

Your home is beautiful op. But if you're finding the brickwork too much you could just reduce it a bit. In the dining room you could just have the brickwork around the stove only, and plaster over the rest of it. In the lounge, you could do something similar and only have the brickwork on the fireplace only and plaster over all the rest. Love your wood flooring; I wouldn't even consider changing that!

Aww thank you @2cupsofcoffee