Hi, I just knocked down drywall in my kitchen to expose my brick chimney. It is old and rough. I want to clean it up and perhaps smooth it and keep it as natural as possible. How should I do this? What are the steps? I do want a finish on it , like a varnish of some sort? HELP!

So you want to leave the appearance of exposed plain brick, right? You can add a stain to improve the brick colors with index. You can also just seal it clear masonary sealer like Masonry Sealer | Waterproofs | Brick, Concrete, Exposed Aggregate, Block Walls - Superior Industries