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How about changing the colour of the tiles and inserting a small ethanol fireplace burner? there are also artificial pieces of wood for more realistic impression.
Hi Pmeta, I think the small tiles around the fireplace opening is quite charming and it is possible just to install some modern tiles over your existing bricks to give a more updated look.
If that is a working fireplace (looks like it is) I'd check on whether paint can handle that kind of heat. Maybe bbq paint could. I'm not sure what is available in that regard but you don't want something that will blister or might burn in some way. If the tiles are not shiny glazed they would probably take some paint okay.
You didn't say what style you like but what about getting some metal cut to fit? Stainless or copper or lead or whatever (a call to a metalsmith could get you some idea of prices for various types). You could make it look contemporary or old depending on what you choose. Then it's just have it cut (they'd finish the edges nicely for you which doesn't usually cost much) and they'd probably tell you the best way to attach it. There are even old tin tiles around (think of the ceilings in old buildings). Those would be fireproof I bet and you wouldn't need many to cover the area.
I wonder if some coloured opaque glass or a piece of mirror could stand the heat. Might be worth checking into that kind of thing. It just seems to me if you can find something to put on top of that tile it would be an easy and fast fix.
If you are up for it, you can probably get a hammer out and knock the old tile off (no way, as I understand it, to put tile over tile and have it stick) so you can use a new one. More work for sure and some nice molding would really finish it off between the brick and tile.
edit to add: It just occurred to me that the stone they use to put on walls (faux sort of in that it's thinner than real brick or stone) is probably fireproof (the ones made of the real thing). I wonder if you could completely cover the brick and tile with one to make one cohesive look.
What about just paint over the tile and brick work?