I have a corner brick wall that's 25yrs old- How can I brighten it up?

Would consider doing a white wash?

Here is an example. http://www.houzz.com/photos/787601/Ira-Lippke-eclectic-living-room

I think if you painted or used all black and white accessories it would look great with the contrast of the brick and the pretty white wood stove

Maybe black framed (paint old one with black satin) with black and white photos of kids/pets/landscapes. Paint the wood box? satin black. The mirror seems too busy. Maybe paint that and try it again or put it in another place. Black and whites will make that corner look awesome without touching that nice brick.

I think I would sponge the bricks with a red to make the leaves in your picture pop out. I would also get relocate the mirror (which I reallly like). What you are reflecting is a black pipe. Try and find a picture to coordinate with your existing one.

stain it so its a rich brick OR paint it cream/white

My daughter in law transformed my dark red brick. She used a sponge method with three colors in very light beige y creamy kind of colors. She used a very light touch and stayed away from the mortar lines. It looks absolutely beautiful. So much so that she also did the outside of the home and it looks so much nicer and very modern and tasteful.

Thanks all, very good and helpful comments☺

You can cover it with planks. Would be rustic but modern.

Or a mosaic of tiles!

I think the bricks look fine, it's the mirror and the box below it that throw it off.

I would take out the center X pieces of the mirror, (that's what makes it look busy), take the mirror off and paint the frame black, using chalk board paint, then do the same with the box below it. Scratch up the edges on both if you like the rustic look. It's a little less work and the outcome will make a difference in how you see your corner. If you don't like that, turn around and look at the rest of your room, pick a color that you might like to use as an accent. Then paint your brick that color. Bricks can be any color. Do you use the stove for heat? Make sure you get something that won't be affected by heat if you do. Paint might bubble with extreme high temps. We have a wood burner near a window and it happens every year. It goes back to normal when we don't use the stove. Good luck!

Take down mirror & picture, remove everything on hearth..Find a color that would compliment something else in the room & stove, & paint the brick..We had a similar brick around our stove, we faced the brick & hearth with a material that looks like stone..Homecenters sell it, comes in a variety of colors & styles..Not difficult, if you can put a puzzle together, you can do it !!!! A floating shelf painted a rustic black would look nice on the wall where you now have mirror.. Another idea, cover two thirds of the brick with wood with a light stain & keep the brick on the bottom portion the way they are. You can add a shelf to make a separation between wood & brick"

I would white or cream wash it.... It would look gorgeous

I would paint it. Keep in mind once painted it will always be painted or repainted. I love your mirror- not the color for here. I'd spray paint it black matte or satin (nothing glossy) and use it close by.. I've spray painted lots of frames and mirrors they get a while new look.. If your afraid of trying that.. get a cheap frame from Goodwill for a few cents and experiment first. I'd put a shelf or 2 smaller mirrors w/ black frame, one above each other or a simple black shelf there.. Every thing in that corner is big and sort of bulky.. I'd sand and stain the box a dark blackish brown. The wood grain will add more texture.. Paint color for the brick i"d go with a color that blends with the color you have elseware.. a few shades lighter.. With the color of the stove I'd find a warm neutral It looks like the wall on the left is grey.. Paint a strip with that color, paint a lighter sample shade next to it ( I sometimes use the same paint number with 1/4 the amount of color added). place that in the corner and check the colors next to the stove.. Scale and color should do the trick in this corner

You might also try moving the painting to where the mirror is. That wall seems much heavier with the mirror and box next to each other. For a mirrors I'd use something with curves or arched, about 12 in. each and a grid pattern like the larger one, this will soften the look of the corner just a bit. You have big rectangles in the box, pic frame and the stove, small rectangle in the brick pattern.. please post some picks when you get it done..I'd love to see it..

Hi Marjory,

You can lime wash it which will lighten it up but still keep some of the texture colour wise, as opposed to painting it which will more flat and uniform :). Be ready up update some of the décor your have around it though as the colours won't necessarily match with the wooden accents but it will with the lamp!

Have fun!

I too love the lime wash technique and appearance, and agree with removing the mirror and artwork. I'd consider a small mounted wood mantle on the left wall for displaying a few items, but keeping it simple and elegant at the same time. Best of luck.

I have a floor to ceiling used brick hearth & woodstove. Some of my bricks are already painted, as that's part of the charm of the used brick look. The mortar was done in cement gray, and the fireplace always appeared dingy. I scrubbed down the entire thing from floor to ceiling with TSP and a good scrub brush, repeat using clear water to rinse. Let dry and keep looking at it for a couple of days (longer if your area is humid). I wanted it completely dry to see if that brightened the dinginess away. I still thought it was drab, so I did a 1 part cream latex paint to 3 parts water "mortar only" white wash. (Don't let it drip as you moist brush the mortar) Now I have a very clean, brightened up fireplace, and a friend of mine thought I had re-bricked. Sometimes subtle changes can go a long way in updating. And, as previous posters have mentioned, once brick & mortar is painted, it's pretty much forever. Home improvements are like fashions, what's hot today will be out dated tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what you decide to do. 😊

Clean the bricks with ammonia water, when dry spray then with Behold or another furniture polish.

http://www.thechathamcollective.com/blog/2016/1/5/how-to-white-wash-a-brick-fireplace