Old fireplace- what can I do to this space?

Clean it out and add shelves.. You could even paint it to give it a new look!

When it's time to sell the place, a fireplace is desirable so I would not remove it. Perhaps an electric log just for effect.

Looks like you've got a lot of dust collecting reminders of those who care for you and I would consider making shelving above, beside, and all around the fireplace so they look like they belong.

artificial greenery ferns are great or just stack some wood in it ......I have a large urn in mine with greenery in it with wood stacked on the side ...... come spring do some spring flowers.......play with it and have fun.

Looks like you could use a toy box 😮

why not put doors in the opening and let your little one put their toys behind the doors 😀

I hate fireplaces! They take up too much room; they are dirty to contend with; they stain ceilings and draw all your heat out!! AND, if you love that natural smell, buying firewood is very expensive. To me, it is like going back to the 1800's!

Living in Michigan, I swear every house has one-at least the ones I have owned! Mine is sitting "dormant" and has been for years. If you still want to use it as a heat source, get an insert. We heated with an insert for many years; we got old and dont use it. If you don't want to heat with it, get a sledge hammer! If that isn't an option, paint it a light, neutral color.

i bought one of the electric fireplaces and put in in the front of my fireplace. looks great.

Use it to create a feature. Put a water fountain inside or in front on the hearth, then build in & around it with plants. A small strand of clear mini lights will give a lot of extra dimension as well as provide some nice soft light in the room.

I built a water fountain feature in my living room ( kept fireplace active) & in doing so, it adds just enough moisture to the air, there's very little dust or dander in the air in the room when I sweep, plus there's a bird room adjacent & no dander issue now at all from the birds. Nice the birds don't seem to pick their feathers as they used to.

I posted the water fountain feature on Hometalk.

I live in a double wide and we quit using our fireplace too. I used an incense stick and watched the smoke travel out of my home and realized that was the reason our power bill was so high. We were paying to heat and cool the outdoors. So, I tore the whole wall down. I tiled the whole wall for a focal point in our living room and it not only freed up space to be able to re-arrange the furniture and give a better floorplan, but it also save money by closing off the "draft hole". However, if you are wanting to keep it, you can use the space for a bookshelf, wine cabinet, Toybox nook, or you can put your TV on the mantle and all of your electronics can be stored inside the fireplace with the screen door in front of them.