Inglenook ideas please

3 years ago

Hello

we have an inglenook in our living room. The house was built in the 80’s and I don’t think the style is in keeping with the age of the house but I’m not sure what to do! We are replacing the gas inset fire with a log burner stove so the brick surrounding the current fire will be knocked through. I’m open to any ideas of what people would do to improve the look. I tried lime washing the brick but I think I just made it look a mess! We are considering a new hearth, plastering over the brick, removing fire surround or just leaving as a hole in the wall. I would be grateful for any advise and suggestions!

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Laura
Original Author

2 years ago

Thank you everyone. Sonia, the photos are lovely Ijust think I have too much height and it wouldn’t look cosy like the photographs. Jonathan I agree removing the chimney breast may be a big undertaking. The beam is structural so has to stay and I think it does look better with it. We are currently painting the fireplace in off white chalk paint. This does look better than limewash which just looks a mess and dusty. I will Remove the low shelves. I’m liking the painted look better, still not my choice however I think if I put the logs in at either side up to the motel and a big round mirror on the chimney breast it may tone all the brick down. Hmmmm, we’ll see. I love yawning dog fireplace image. You’ve done a great job there to make it look authentic. Pleased people have good reviews on the Charnwood. It took a while deciding on the stove so I’m pleased it’s received good feedback. It’s getting installed in July. I need to order stone tiles to replace the current red heart tiles. What you see in the photo is the entire hearth. Just not sure what tile to go for, I’m thinking natural tile maybe beige or grey colour. Anyway thank you to all your comments, very helpful x

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Comments (14)

keiblem
2 years ago
I would be tempted to remove the entire chimney and the low shelves either side and install a free standing log burner with a metal flue to match. The inglenook is big enough to face the white bricks with a new brick wall or, dependent on the house, stone.

Look on houzz or google for inspiration. There are lots of images of inglenooks.
Laura
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you Keebler, I thought about removing the low shelves I think I will definately do that. I had,t thought about removing the entire chimney breast though, that is a good idea and would really open up the space. I’m not sure how a log burner would look thought, it would need a long flu pipe all the way up and could look funny? I’ll have a look at some images, thank you so much for your ideas x
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The 'recess' is actually the main entrance: Ive tried to take a photo of it in context.... This is a close up of the stone work by the door. You can see its of poor quality with lots of old lime plaster, new gypsum plaster, bits of cement and all sorts... This is a close up of the stone around the fireplace. It seems more 'finished'. I wander whether in the past it was meant to have been exposed, but then they thought better of it and decided to plaster to the stone arch. (You can see the curve of the white line where the plaster did finish). Maybe the stone work by the door is as good as the stone around the fireplace. Im almost afraid to touch it in case large chunks come out!! (It doesnt look or feel very sound! ;) )
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ali270
2 years ago
Agree with kieblem remove the entire chimney and shelves . It’s too overpowering and without seeing the rest of your house am not sure how it could possibly fit in with an 80’s house . Having said that mega stone / brick features were obviously the vogue in the 80’s . When we bought our 80’s built house it had stone clad walls everywhere...including a brick built bar in the sitting room . The overall feel was “Alcatraz “ . It all came down within the first month....not one regret . Go for it .
keiblem
2 years ago
If the log burner is to scale it won’t look odd. Though the size required is generally dictated by the size of the room it has to heat and if you have ancillary heating. If you have a lot of height, and it looks like you have, then you could build a raised hearth to sit the stove on with room underneath to store logs.

It is definitely worth getting professional advice on the condition of the chimney, H&S regulations and costs before you proceed. When I moved into my house I had my wood burner checked only to discover there were timbers too close for regulations and there was no flue in the chimney. The stove pipe had been rammed into the old leaky chimney. I was a few thousand pounds poorer by the time the job was done well enough to pass muster but from a H&S point of view I consider it money well spent.
Laura
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you Ali270 for your thoughts also.

keiblem, we are getting a Charnwood C5 5kw output. Not a huge log burner but sufficient for size of room. I like idea of log store underneath. We have had advice on flu. Its in good condition just needs a flu liner.

thank you both so much for your ideas

best wishes
Sonia
2 years ago
I’m old enough to remember the 1980s and there was a craze for big brick fireplaces, a bit like you’d get in a pub. They would also be decorated with horse brasses etc to give the Ye Olde Pub look! I think most people have ripped them out now. Log burners look nice with just a fireplace and maybe a wooden beam across. It gives a modern cosy country look, but it will still look okay without the beam.
Laura
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you Sonia, I know exactly what you mean about the horse brass ha! I like your photo idea. So would you keep the large beam and also the small mantel above the fireplace or remove either one of them? I like the idea of removing the brick fire surround and simplify it.
keiblem
2 years ago
Maybe if you upload a photo of the room to put the inglenook in context. I notice you have windows either side which is interesting.

My house is pretty old and apart from the fireplace I mentioned, which is on the top floor, I also have four huge inglenooks on the ground floor, one in each room. Apparently the house was multiple occupancy for weavers and farm labourers. They take up a fair chunk of space which I sorely need so I am afraid I have decommissioned them all. They will stay as they are but will be converted into useable space. My bed head will be under one. Utility cupboards with washer in another. Hob in the kitchen and built in sofa and bookcases in the last.
Basically my meaning is Sonia’s idea may be well worth considering if you think you could utilise the space for something else.
Sonia
2 years ago
Yes Laura I think you could keep the beam but remove the smaller internal fireplace and add your woodburner. I would plaster the brick to update it a bit. Or remove the lot?
yawningdog
2 years ago
We converted a 1950's bungalow into a two storey Victorian country cottage. We created a simple artifical chimney breast, in the living room, only the wood burner pipe travels through the bedroom upstairs into a dummy chimney.
Laura thanked yawningdog
midwalesparky
2 years ago
Some interesting views, including it "looking OK without the beam"! No; absolutely not! For a start, the correct term is that it is a bressumer beam. Secondly, it may be structural, so you don't want to get rid of it. Yes, install your Charnwood; they make very good stoves; I had one once and funnily enough the guy I dealt with in the local builders' merchants was a member of the Wells family, so he really knew his stuff about their stoves - they're the manufacturers. The fact that you have windows in each side is a lovely bonus. Definitely get rid of that internal fireplace and those built-in shelves either side, but again you may need to check whether the fireplace is in any way structural because, if so, it will add to the cost. I wouldn't worry about the length of flue pipe that will be visible; you'll get used to it and the whole thing will be such a massive improvement that it will pale into insignificance for you. Just make sure it's colour-matched to your stove from the aesthetic point of view, not the double-insulated s/s type. Your chimney will need lining and you might want to take advice on the pros and cons of also having it insulated if it isn't currently. Some installers are pro insulating, some not. You may also need a register plate to stop debris falling down onto your hearth area. All things to consider. Finally, I would just paint the brick in whatever colour you want. Oh, and just as a PS: you could disregard all of that and go "French chateau"-style with your currently fireplace! Google for inspiration. It doesn't do it for me, but you would save a small fortune!
Laura thanked midwalesparky
Jonathan
2 years ago
Ripping out this fireplace is a big undertaking. Should you remove the chimney part you must satisfy yourself it’s not structural, then the brick on the walls will have to be removed.... and the hearth... and then plastered.... likely a new floor in the lounge. Assuming you want to spend the likely £6,000+ you need to be sure this money gets you a lounge you like.

I think you should also consider if the space will feel under decorated with a wood burner on its own (remembering that the windows on your room are side facing so offer no view like the earlier inspiration picture posted by Sonia) and of course you can’t wallpaper the alcove. You should also consider if a wood burner is the right choice and if it might get too hot in your centrally heated house, and also if the size of the burner you are looking at is enough to visually fill the space you have and will look tall enough against your high windows.

You might want to consider if swapping one country style brick fireplace with another rustic, albeit simpler, wood burner is still your style or if you would rather spend a little more, block up the inglenook, create more wall space for a TV or a different fireplace style or if you want to give your inglenook an alternative identity such as arts and crafts.
Laura thanked Jonathan
midwalesparky
2 years ago
Agree with some of what @Jonathan says, especially re. structural work. Not quite sure why you have to remove more brickwork than just the chimney itself and the shelves each side, though, and as for the hearth, as the picture doesn't show very much of it, it may well be fine, obviating the need for a whole new living room floor. I don't think the space would feel "under decorated". A Charnwood C5 is a great focal point and its nominal output means you don't have to install an airbrick which is a bonus. Also, there is no reason why it should get too warm; just don't heat that room via the CH system... simples. That's what we do in our sitting room. It is huge, L-shaped (about 30' x 20' x 30'), has 6 windows and, being a former cow-house and haybarn is quite cold. Though it has 3 radiators off our wet CH system, we never heat it that way. We use the multi-fuel stove only. But no-one has mentioned that all of this depends on what use you make of the room. We, for instance, only ever use our sitting room in the evenings or when entertaining, so it's easy to leave it relatively cold and only heat it as and when. It may be different for @Laura. The evening laying and lighting of the stove is quite ritualistic and I could not live without a real flame; it's so evocative, cosy, warm and a massive plus. I would certainly not just leave the inglenook empty or condemn it in any way. Finally, you cannot convert a 1950's bungalow "into" a Victorian cottage! You can convert it into a Victorian-style cotttage, but you can't tak it back 80 to 100 years before it was built! But the work that's been done there looks great, impossible time-travel aside 😂
Laura thanked midwalesparky

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