the almost decision

Well folks, looks like we’re leaning towards the painted brick idea... hoping that the finished product could look something like one of these:

 And in my hunting, I discovered another clever technique... the whitewashed brick:

Not as much a fan of the whitewashed look, but it’s an option...

We’re currently experimenting in photoshop to try to simulate a painted brick look over a photo of our fireplace. We’re not so good at photoshop, so it may be quicker to just go ahead and paint the real thing...