Brick fireplace - what would you do?
cloppy
8 years ago
Want to give our living room a new look - it's currently very dated wth chunky wooden light fittings.
I think the starting point needs to be the fireplace. I find it quite ugly. Don't have big budget. Wondering whether painting it and changing or painting wooden mantelpiece would make a difference. Friend recommended changing tiles to slate and creating more of a sticky our hearth but no idea who could do this - or how much it would cost.
We are committed to 2 X Ikea Ektorp dark grey sofas for now (as have 2 small messy boys) and have a nice painted grey dresser but otherwise blank canvas.
Any ideas really appreciated.
I think the starting point needs to be the fireplace. I find it quite ugly. Don't have big budget. Wondering whether painting it and changing or painting wooden mantelpiece would make a difference. Friend recommended changing tiles to slate and creating more of a sticky our hearth but no idea who could do this - or how much it would cost.
We are committed to 2 X Ikea Ektorp dark grey sofas for now (as have 2 small messy boys) and have a nice painted grey dresser but otherwise blank canvas.
Any ideas really appreciated.
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Comments (8)
h0meiswheretheheartis
8 years agoHmm well I would suggest finding a good carpenter who can make a faux fire surround in the style of fireplace that you like, that will slide over your existing fireplace. Something quite traditional would look nice with your sofas. And being mdf, you can paint it any colour you like?
I think that light fitting has to go!
PROAngela Keegan Interior Stylist
8 years agoRelated Discussions
What to do with this brick fireplace...?
Comments (11)Hello Emma, It's a fantastic room and house I imagine! Have you considered possibly painting the brick above the beam chalky matt finish and then hanging a large mirror.. or even something else.. I would not change anything and nor would I remove the beam, but you can force the eye to see what you want.. By painting chalky colour close to a brick colour not necessarily red in tone, but you then minimise the "brick" aesthetic somewhat whilst retaining it and the texture of it.. Hanging a lovely rectangular mirror to balance will also help gr8ly! It's an idea that doesn't involve any removal.. One last detail for the fire is give the hearth a bit of treatment.. I'd say it could come out a bit further.. maybe a brick hearth or if you'd prefer a slate, or stone.. .. You could have a piece of your choice cut to size. It will help to bring out the fireplace and the wood burning stove.. Add some fantastic iron tongs etc and a pile of logs.. What does look a little odd is the size of the windows.. They are very small... This is also the reason why the brickwork of the chimney stands out so much... as the scales are not proportional. A lot of really old houses had really small windows but, I do think the room could possibly benefit from the windows being extended and or moved slightly further away.. Also they need to be a open as possible with any dressings.. Roller or Roman if staying size as is.. need to be as tightly wound to open the window as much as possible.. Possibly consider opening the windows a bit further or even position them slightly further away.. With the stairs, they could look fantastic open without banister rail and spindles... So a sleek open design could really set the room.. If you like geometric and bold but highly sophisticated interior.. I can offer excellent procurement, design and styling advice.. Some fantastic large geometric wallpapers which really could play with the ideas of scale.. With paints and accessories stones, greys, charcoals and earthy colours, accent with copper, golds, charcoal/blacks (matt) and or warm woods.. Play with scale and height to add contrast and interest... : ))Large!!Stylish tongs etc.....See MoreWhat Type Of Fireplace Would You Prefer?
Comments (2)It will depend on the interior design of the space and the personal preferences of the homeowner. Be it rustic, contemporary, traditional, minimalist, industrial, transitional, etc... The options are limitless and the great thing about fireplaces is that they can match any existing decor. A Stove or Mantel Piece would go fantastically with a more traditional or classic decor, for example, while Hole in Wall fireplaces are great additions to modern designs....See Morewhat would you do?...
Comments (4)Thanks for the mention @Nichola Haysey I did have a look at this one when it was first posted, but the 10k budget was a bit of a sticking point. You could easily spend 10k on kitchen units alone! but I did have another think after I read that your husband @shelley_smartway is an electrician. I will assume he knows a lot of people in the trades and that he could do some of the work himself, in which case the same budget could stretch a lot further. So my suggestion would be to use a structure that is already built and therefore just only needs to be converted i.e. the garage. I would convert the garage into the dining and kitchen space and open it up to the living area as much as the budget allows. In the plans I have left the fireplace as a see through feature fireplace, but this is also to save on the cost of removing that wall as two openings either side of the fire would be considerably cheaper than removing the entire wall. I would convert the existing kitchen into a generous sized entrance with plenty of space for kids / shopping etc. I would have the WC in the existing entrance and convert the existing dining area into a snug/reading room. I would have double doors into the living room to carry on the light and open feel from the entrance. I believe, with some clever money saving, like reusing existing kitchen units and some DIY all of this would be possible within a 10k....See MoreWhat would you do with these fireplaces?
Comments (9)The first one looks original. I had a few in my 1934 house when I moved in. I hated them and removed them all, they looked too utilitarian for my liking! Looks like something from the war years. The second looks more recent. Looks like marble or similar stone and I really like it. Quite unusual. If it is marble then please don’t paint it, that would be sacrilege. Do you like them?...See Moreh0meiswheretheheartis
8 years ago
PROSustainable Kitchens
8 years agoWe had a horrible 60s tile surround and wanted something more contemporary
. We removed it all and plastered up to the corners. We laid a stone hearth and left the bricks bare on the back wall.cloppy
8 years ago
Viv Tay
8 years agoViv Tay
8 years ago
ciaranpark