Make sure that you use a specialist company with expertise in the diamond polishing technique, not just a general builder. Also, you might want to consider poured resin which is a bit more tactile and warm under foot, with a greater range of colours and effects.

You have an amazing room and your idea of a double sided fireplace is awesome. I agree with colourhappy in not having a carpet but a wood floor. From the description of your taste you sound as if you like rustic and homely. A wood floor would look amazing and could be dressed with animal skin rugs or arty rugs or sheepskin - you could change the look with the seasons. You also seem to have some fab retro/mid century furniture on the far side of the room. Maybe you could change your sofa to something either retro or modern (think square - see dwell.co.uk for examples) and keep this style going. Clean modern lines would really give this room a fab look. Also, as the room is both a living room and study, could you move the dining room into this room and the study to the dining room? I think the room's identity as a living space would be more consolidated this way, if it's possible.

The fire sits on the hearth, floor or other frame that you've built out so that you can put the 3 sided fire on it. This bears the weight. Then you build the frame up over the fire with more timber ( the same as if you were building a stud wal )l, this is what the plaster board attaches to. You can build the bottom out of whatever you like as long as there's a timber frame in there somewhere. You can clad with whatever you like as long as it's heat retardent.It's the Timber framing behind all of this that keeps the 'false Chimney' up, get a carpenter on the job!

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