Carleenimlach your fireplace is stunning. It is infact original in bungalow detailing, and the bricks are not painted. I know this treatment very well. They had a brick stain applied, which is a red oxide painted to give the appearance of an even red brick face, this was done when tuck pointing is applied to the mortar course. I can see yours was. It looks as though it was charcoal, also another Edwardian bungalow detail, and the lines accentuate the archway. The mantel itself is absolutely beautiful. I myself would restore the brickwork, and let this period detail return to being the heart of the home. The hearth bricks definitely need to go, in their place I would lay a single slab on stone, which is a little costly, but overall, is worth the expensive you save in defacing the brickwork anyway. I suggest a rough sawn bluestone slab that will further enhance the charcoal tuck pointing, and grey is not only a current interior colour, but it is also what edwardian bungalows often featured. So you get to have a current, updated interior whilst preserving the beauty and character of a period home. This is where the homes value lies.

To keep or not to keep... an interesting dilemma! Luckily, there's a pretty cool article to help you with this decision. Check out: [Fabulous Shelving Solutions to Frame Your Fireplace[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/fabulous-shelving-solutions-to-frame-your-fireplace-stsetivw-vs~29443292). And these are some really nifty ideas if you decide to lose the fire, but leave the place: [Have a Heart: Make Your Fireplace Look Smokin' Hot All Year Round[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/have-a-hearth-make-your-fireplace-look-smokin-hot-all-year-round-stsetivw-vs~31498840) I especially love this idea:

haha!!!! Siri - you can have your Eiffel tower angel... give me the beach any day :) Nic - perhaps some driftwood, shells and a jar of sand might help bring the beach to you - just don't knock your sand flying or you'll literally be able to crank up your fireplace and lie down on your sand to sunbake lol.

This style of fireplace surround was common in the 1960s in many mid-century modern and post-war homes. It wasn't expensive then due to the cheap labour with lots of stone-masons immigrating from post-war Europe. There is a lot of skill and craftsmanship to get all of the irregular stones to fit together harmoniously. Poorer houses didn't have fancy stone fireplace surrounds, but exposed face brick, often to match the exterior or just the chimney. Today it is a very different story, with stone masonry a dying art, many of the stonemasons from the 1960s having since retired (or gone to the big stone quarry in the sky), and not many younger people taking up this trade. So today stonemasons who are skilled enough to do this type of work to this standard are rare and can charge what they like for their craftsmanship. It would be an act of vandalism to smother this craftsmanship in common render as it is a beautiful feature, and could never be re-instated. I would use it as a starting point to give your living room a cool mid-century modern vibe. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits