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Unused fireplace in Kids bedroom - Ideas pls

10 years ago

Hello, We recently moved into our new home, this has some wonderful original features including some lovely fireplaces. One in particular though has been blocked up and not in a particularly elegant manner. This is in my son's bedroom - as we do not have plans to get any decorators in - I am looking for suggestion to transform this preferably with some DIY. Will welcome professional finished suggestions.

See attached images - it shows the fireplace which is being blocked using an MDF board which is sticking to a stone using double sided tape - I couldn't bring myself to share a photo of the insides :)

Featured Answer

Mark

10 years ago

If your up for a fun DIY project, this idea is quite nice. Very simply done. Cut logs glued on a board painted black.

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Comments (25)

PRO
Hooplaroom
10 years ago
Hello, this fireplace is beautiful! You can add all around those beautiful garland lights and keep in the middle the idea of the chalk board for your son to play. But, I'll buy a bigger one so that it covers the tiles as well. I think this fireplace is a great addition to a child room!
Niraj thanked Hooplaroom
PRO
Hooplaroom
10 years ago
Here, you have an idea of how it looks (with a different color) around a house-shaped bed.
Niraj thanked Hooplaroom
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Niraj
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you Hooplaroom - these look great!
Zula
10 years ago
Can you clean out the inside and use it for book storage? The surround and glazed tiles are so pretty it would be a shame to cover them.
Hassan
10 years ago
Remove it
Nancy Travisinteriors
10 years ago
Paint board with chalk paint. It's nice I would work around it. Adding interesting art over it.
Niraj thanked Nancy Travisinteriors
shelleyhmln
10 years ago
Don't remove it! It is really quite pretty. Could you add a vintage cover?
Niraj thanked shelleyhmln
tsudhonimh
10 years ago
If there is any space inside the fireplace, build a shallow shelving unit to slide into it for toys and things.

Look for a vintage summer cover for it.
Niraj thanked tsudhonimh
indianpatti
10 years ago
If you have a dog .. and he sleeps with your son, you could clean it up and put a soft, doggy bed inside.
Niraj thanked indianpatti
Niraj
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Mark, tsudhonimh & indianpatti - The logs idea is great. There isn't a space for shelving unit, I am afraid. And we do not have Dog. I am bit reluctant to take the whole thing (including what appears to be rather heavy stones) out - so something light which can go on top of the what we have got would be great.
greendeborah67
10 years ago
Love the log idea. Keeps inqusitive kids safe also.
PRO
purehome
10 years ago
The log idea is ingenius!
karemore55
10 years ago
Hi nirajin, I'm not sure if it bothers you that this FP is very ornate for a boy's bedroom, but if it is I wonder if you could build a wood frame that covers the entire FP (temporarily, of course!) and then face it with magnetic chalkboard. When he is younger, he can pull up a stool and draw at it, and when he's older perhaps he could use it as a bulletin board.
PRO
Dishington Construction - Jensen Hus
10 years ago
Use the mantel surround as a frame for a built in desk area. You can leave the original stone and cover the upper part that will be exposed above the desk with white board or cork board.
nwduck
10 years ago
You didn't say how old your boy is...but if a reasonable age, have you asked him his ideas? While they may not suit decoratively with the style of the fireplace surround, he will get more memories out of something like building a Hot Wheels ramp system inside the opening. An infill with logs may suit decorating moms (and is a great idea for a very small child), but for 3/4/5/6 something less elegant may prove to be more fun. Just don't look at it with a magazine photo shoot in mind.
PRO
Siegler Design Services + INTERIORS
10 years ago
Another very simple treatment would be a new board covering opening completely but, instead of Blackboard finish, apply a WHITE board finish to keep things light and bright. Benjamin Moore makes the White board coating for write on and wipe off functions.
des3
10 years ago
I agree with nwduck - the log idea is great for a living room, bur uninteresting for a child. Also, a big dust collector, which you don't want in a bedroom. IMHO. ;) Also, the pics offered are of chunkier fireplaces (especially Mark's first pic is great), but - again imho - does not fit your light, elegant fireplace.
How about covering the inner part (with or without the tiles, that depends on the colour scheme of the room) with a (washable) panel, that in turn is covered by a fabric "pocket organizer" (made to size) for toys, shoes, etc, ? It would be: A. removable, so washable; B. made in colours and patterns that match the room; C; with pockets made in shapes that echo the shapes of the decorations on the fireplace, which in turn honours the beautiful fireplace. :)
Sewing machine time..... ;)
KD
10 years ago
Not sure what it's actually like inside, but I had an ugly fireplace to deal with in one of my houses in England, and since removing it wasn't in the budget at the time, I found a piece of artwork I liked that fit into the opening framed and stuck that in it, then put a plant on the hearth just in front and to one side of the artwork to give it a little bit of life/color/dimension.

I do like the whiteboard idea, but you can also do colored chalkboard paint, if you want to add something other than black. Maybe pick out a color from the tiles and fit the new board a little better so it's nicely framed by the existing tile surround? (You do need to keep it a fairly dark color so the chalk shows, but it looks like there's a nice dark blue/green you could use based on the tiles? My laptop's color display is in 'night' mode so I can't tell exactly what shade the tiles are atm. They look sort of teal-ish to me. :) )
armipeg
10 years ago
How old is your son? Is he old enough to make some suggestions? After all he's the one who will be using it.
quatorze
10 years ago
Given all the answers, not sure if the real issue is just making the cover more attractive, or the re-invention of the whole area. If just the cover, I suggest painting flames on the cover of the opening so it looks like a "fire" is going. If it is to somehow utilize the space behind the cover, then the book/ shelf storage ideas offered are great, as is the log idea for sheer visual genius.
PRO
Hooplaroom
10 years ago
Look what I just found on pinterest, I think it's a great idea. OK, this one is girly but you could close it and make a small desk for him. You didn't tell us how old is your son?
sloegin
9 years ago
Mark stole my idea - logs. Make sure you've got airways/vents at the least, to comply with Building Regs re: closed up fireplaces. Not an issue if you open it up.
Catherine Hounslow
8 years ago
Put book shelves in the space .
PRO
The Letteroom
8 years ago
You can find some brilliant options like having a train playset within the space! Have a train 'station' as it were. You can find it here > Shops and People Wooden Play Set

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