Can you re-shape an internal brick wall feature?

Question

We have a horrible 70s style brick feature in our living room which eats into the room space and really dates the room. My OH is reluctant to remove it. There is a gas fire installed into the brick work and we suspect the gas fire in the dining room shares pipes with the one in the living room. What I'd like to do is at least re-shape (and maybe paint) the brick feature in the lounge from an upside down triangle _/ to a more rectangular |_| look.

Is it possible to cut bricks away from a feature like this and how would I do this?

All help much appreciated - Thanks

Answer 1

Warning

The process of modifying gas piping and combustion vent components requires technical expertise to avoid serious life safety hazards both during construction and future operation of the appliance.

Broad Answer

Given the willingness to devote sufficient resources in the forms of money and time, virtually all construction projects within the bounds of physics are possible. Determining what constitutes sufficient resources beforehand is really the rub for renovation projects Without xrays it's hard to know what is behind the wall even when you're standing in front of it.

Over the internet it's even harder because there is less information available and the context is left to the imagination. The inverted 'V' could be entirely non-structural brick veneer and contain nothing more than a gas vent, or it could be a critical seismic component of a multi-story building and have both fire sprinkler pipes and a main electrical bus running through it.

The former requires fewer resources. The latter requires somewhat more.

Whether this is a do it yourself project depends on your capabilities and resources.