I’d like to add tile to my fireplace and possibly paint over the bri

The brass can be painted with a black matte metal spray paint, you could extend the mantle to the width of the fireplace wall, tile in the resulting box...whitewash the brick and paint all the trim white

In that case - Why not add a Timber trim around where brass is, so that it could be removed if you wished at some time in the future if required and use a Fire Screen or Flower arrangement in front of fire area. Better to give a dry brush coat of emulsion paint to bricks rather than tile over them.

It took me years to get up the nerve to paint the dark brick white. Have never regretting finally doing it. Have fun!

Some ideas here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=redo+brick+fireplace

I also had red brick and decided to paint it. I didn't didn't paint it solid white, but sponged it and love it, so does everyone who comes in.

Our brick fireplace was similar to yours, with the raised hearth, but doesn't go up the wall. We cleaned the soot residue from the brick with a stiff brush and fireplace glass cleaner, and mild soap, and let it dry, then used an off-white paint that matched our other trim in the room. We have never regretted it, and with a nice fireplace screen (our is a stained-glass peacock) or flower arrangement, it really brightens up the room!

The shiny doors can be repainted with paint specific for fireplaces/appliances. Check with your paint store people.

we removed the metal from the front of ours and whitewashed the brick. Love it.

We had a similar fireplace. Painted it off-white with the "better" quality Behr paint from Home Depot -- worked beautifully! And it totally transforms the room. Go for it!

The mantle looks out of proportion. Spray the fireplace insert a dark color, definitely extend the mantle. You could even box it in anchoring it to the current mantle and make it from side to side. Tile a row up the sides of the firebox and tile the area between the mantle and opening. Lightly sponge on a milky white , light grey and or creamy color to blur but not cover the brick.

We Had the same situation in our older home. Only the brick was just around the fireplace surround. However we did paint the exterior brick of the fireplace.

We simply tiled the area around the fireplace directly over the existing brick. It was beautiful.

If you want to truncate the tile line at the mantel you can then paint the rest of the brick.

Now there are specialty masonry brick primers and paints. You may want the upper brick to ”disappear” and so you would paint it the same as your walls next to it.

I filled in between the bricks with spackle and then covered the entire space with plaster of Paris which gave an adobe look. It is painted the same color as my walls in a semi gloss paint for easy soot clean up. The hearth bricks were covered with cement patch which was easier applied on the level/flat surface.