Landlord said I could paint the fireplace mantel & surround. So, I did. White for mantel & faux painted a 'marble' on the tile. A lot of work, but I had to look at it every day, & it was disturbing my 'wa'. Landlord is pleased.
Don't know what the deal was with the swirly stuff on the hearth around the tile, but I didn't want to mess with it (I mean, I could have fixed it, but it's a rental, so . . .), so just painted it.
BTW, always happy to dispense advice if you need help with a project.
@VictoriaLandis1 You've really brought it up to date without ruining it! I like that a lot.
Thank you. You can't see it from the photo, but the white paint I used on the wood parts is BM Advance in a satin finish. It's a synthetic oil that cleans up with water, but lays like an oil. The oak grain shows through beautifully.
This paint is amazing. Can't recommend it enough.