Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Can you build over an existing surround?

My husband and I are buying a house whose present owners' taste is, shall we say, not congruent with ours. The existing fireplace in the living room is this clear-coated pine-looking diagonal paneling, flush with the wall. I can't stand it, personally (I think diagonal paneling is funny-lookin' and tacky), and would like to replace it with a grey stone surround that extends out from the wall a bit, so we can put things on top of it.

Is it possible to just put the new surround on top of the existing one, since it's flush with the wall anyhow? And how much do surrounds run you, anyway? A few hundred? Several thousand?

Thanks in advance!

You can do anything you wish, from drywalling to fake stone, to brick or real stone. Just don't mess with the firebox itself or the flue.

Be careful about how low and how far out over the firebox you go. In other words, don't build the 'surround' out too far as a good roaring fire can overheat it. I doon't mean to scare you, just use caution and common sense. Feel free to ask any fireplace store in your area. Most are happy to answer questions.

Just don't expect any more 'expert' opinion from Home Depot or the like.