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Do you like this fire place surround?

10 years ago

Below are photos of my home and features, and I'm trying to find a fireplace surround on ebay.

Would you look and tell me what looks more in keeping to you?

1. Our ground floor flat by the sea, in Devon, UK. Built 1903. Cream and blue building ( ignore colour )

2. Our living room , chimney stack, with 100cm alcoves either side . Ignore dresser on right, its going.
Quite like to keep cathedral heater in fireplace, until we can afford a stove of some kind.
Keeping the captains chair and desk.

3. Seen this on ebay, too fussy, and should I paint it?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTIQUE-FIRE-SURROUND-MANTEL-HEARTH-FIREPLACE-VICTORIAN-PINE-ART-NOUVEAU-RECLAIM-/291119789008?pt=UK_Antiques_Architecural_RL&hash=item43c81773d0

jesse

Featured Answer

shelleyuk

9 years ago

Oh yes definitely. Are you keeping it painted? I prefer it painted rather than having lots of slightly different wood tones. Have you picked a stove?

Comments (50)

apple_pie_order
10 years ago
There is something "off" about that fireplace surround, as seen in the enlarged ebay photos. The stain/wax is applied unevenly, the innermost molding has been applied with barely filled holes. It's just not right. The finish is wax which is a real pain to remove before painting. I'd keep looking.
jessegee thanked apple_pie_order
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
Forgot to show you the coving in the lounge, and other wood work features.
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Yes, great space. Great proportions. It's not always best to keep things traditional but the way your room is, I feel it would be a shame not think, partly, in a more traditional way. Since your fireplace is not original and made of plastic, I would definitely get rid of it and the fake bricks. I would be tempted to go for a reclaimed fireplace in keeping with your property's period and design. New, reproduction fireplaces can look pastiche. Give yourself enough time to research and deliberate before you make any decisions would be my advice. Do you have the opportunity to see if houses in the area still have the original fireplaces and what style they are? btw, I'm no expert, but to me your house looks more Edwardian than Victorian. Is the ceiling moulding original? Either way it looks good.
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jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks applepie, do you think it could be made good, or do you think the whole style is off?
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
The whole style is off. And the wax is almost impossible to remove. Nasty solvents, lots of scrubbing. You could have a simple pine mantle made to order that would have graceful proportions in keeping with the moldings. Although sometimes it is just fun to hunt for things on ebay or in antique shops.
jessegee thanked apple_pie_order
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
How'd the floors turn out?
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Oh shame, I really like the fireplace, but I will take advice, otherwise my flat wont look eclectic, it will look ridiculous!

Our floor came up well, thank you for remembering i ( photo 1 )
Got two more floors to do, victorian tiles, but first want to decide on a fireplace.

Having trouble reinventing our style after hubby fell in love with a captains chair and desk, but I love him, and its his home too, so going to embrace it and make it work. ( photo 2 )

Can you give me a picture or photo of the shape of fireplace that we could build or buy?
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
This one is attractive: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Decorative-hardwood-Victorian-Edwardian-fire-surround-/221414475315

I don't know if your style fireplace requires a cast iron surround or if it can just have some tilework with a wood surround. You might check with the other flat owners in the building.

I remember the lovely photos of the wood floor. The mosaic will be interesting when you finish deciding what to do with it.

Love the captains chair and desk, so I'm with your husband on that!
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you!
I love the fireplace you suggest, I had thought tile to bridge the gap, and a concrete hearth.
I've emailed the ebay seller, its a long way from us, but maybe could send a courier.
Would you paint it, or leave it wood?

jesse x
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
Something may turn up locally. This is just an example. What I love about it is the fine quality of the woodwork. It's still gleaming softly. This one I would not paint.
jessegee thanked apple_pie_order
Carolina
10 years ago
Commenting to follow progress. The shape of the fireplace you found jesse, looks good, but I don't like how the wood looks. Agree with apple pie order. Who found a beautiful example!
jessegee thanked Carolina
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I agree, its wood is beautiful. I think it would echo the floor well.
The dimensions are good too.
I've been searching a while, and these don't come up very often in our area for this price very often.
The other option is to find one I can paint...
how about these?
I prefer the left hand one, proportions seem better.
Carolina
10 years ago
I like the one on the left. I've seen lots of them complete with inserts on eBay. Is that one a complete one too?
jessegee thanked Carolina
sunnie2day
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Apple_pie found a beauty! The one you were originally looking at is the right era although a serious restoration case with what I thought was an eye watering price, tbh!

But the one Apple_pie found is also the right era - incredible, ready-to-install condition and priced very reasonably @£150 (as opposed to the pine piece that is £185 and needs a lot more work than a mere wool buffing no matter what the seller wants to believe).

That's what you want to be looking for and at, I'd think - Edwardian era hardwood surround, preferably something closer to you that won't take another round of the purchase price to have sent by courier.

Iirc, your home was built in 1903? Definitely very late Victorian (who knows, the builder may have been a recycler!) but really Edwardian.

And thank-you for bringing us along, I love watching these beautiful old buildings being brought back to home glory! I know you're not going for a restoration so much as an eclectic and cosy home, but watching you make that flat a home is going to be so much fun to share!
jessegee thanked sunnie2day
Carolina
10 years ago
...
jessegee thanked Carolina
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
The left hand one is better.
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
The one on ebay I found makes a statement in a room. A plain painted one will let other things stand out. If the one I tripped over on ebay happens to be exactly what you are looking for after a long search, sometimes serendipity works out. It says "just listed".
jessegee thanked apple_pie_order
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OnePlan
10 years ago
hi Jessie ! just popping in quickly and doing something I hate when others do it .... I haven't read the previous posts ! sorry everyone - really am only popping in as supposed to be off this week - if you look on this site for colours combinations - there's thousands - you are bound to find something that pulls in your hall floor colours and the beautiful wood floor ! will pop back when I can !! :-)
http://design-seeds.com/index.php/search
jessegee thanked OnePlan
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Oneplan, you darling, ta! ( no pressure , you're on holiday! )
Interesting Carolins, I like the top two photos above, in the first one, I like that the fireplace disappears, and lets the ornaments stand out, I do like odd pictures, but with symmetry, and things in bell jars. The fireplace in that one is a popular style in this area, with slightly earlier houses nearby having the exact same style, they also have very decorative floral coving.
The second photo, I like and appreciate the clever styling, its closer to what I like, grown up whimsy, tidy elegant, individual, I like the fireplace being a focal point, but not overpowering the room, it allows for something above and close by. I like that there is some colour too.
However the furniture feels a tad over the top, iI can see it works though, perhaps I just need to get used to it after squashy leather.

The last photo is least what I would like, my eyes see clutter and student home, fun and homely but we have been there, and want to go a step on from that.

Throw in a hint of soft seaside rustic , the parquet floor has a soft feeling, like sand . ( no beach balls and candy stripe or seagulls on sticks , but perhaps a lantern, seascapes, vintage advert framed mirror here and there.

This is our town , so you can see there is a lot of green / blue / stone / sand / white
the ever changing colours of the sea, grey blue to beige green )

I cant work out how to upload photos in my idea books onto this thread, but I'll rename the idea book photos " inspiration for lounge "
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
we had an idea to have an electric stove, a Dimplex opti-myst , or a version of optimyst that would look right.
Carolina
10 years ago
Why I added that 3rd pic, was because I thought it might be a nice idea to put your TV on a shelve and sort of let it 'disappear' between the other shelves. They didn't do it in the nicest way possible in that particular example, but I saw this photo in your ideabook...
Austin, TX: Rachel & Scott Anderson · More Info

I love those colours. And I like this one too. How cool would it be if you find a map or more maps of your beautiful town and do something like that on your wall. Stunning.
My home and ideas for redecoration · More Info
jessegee thanked Carolina
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thats a brilliant idea, love it.......( how did you do that, I can't work it out! )
I do love the blues, greys , in furniture and pictures, I understand the idea behind the 3rd photo now, putting the tv away now, yes good plan. we've had it in a cabinet.
In that top left photo I love the way they updated the room, it was okay before but great now. I want that blue chair for the bay window!
Carolina
10 years ago
That fire looks remarkably real. For your visualization, it would look something like this (or with a unpainted mantle):
jessegee thanked Carolina
Carolina
10 years ago
I'm not on the app, don't know how it works with the app, but when you're on a computer and click on a photo that's on Houzz (or in your ideabook), it enlarges and you can copy and paste the url of that photo into your comment.
jessegee thanked Carolina
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
ah okay brill, thank you.
I think I like the stove, I see how it would look, quite nice, its got the colour and feel of my place, here's another one, I guess it goes.....not very exciting, can I love it? The dark floor is interesting, I could darken mine .
as long as I dont look like a laura ashley or argos catalogue page , nothing wrong with them, just looking for something more individual.
Do you think it goes or should we abandon the idea of a stove ?

I can decide later, got to get a surround first, and those are ones that I like.
Carolina
10 years ago
You are forbidden to touch your gorgeous light floor!!! lol
jessegee thanked Carolina
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
okay, thank goodness for that!
Busy looking at maps now....
Victoria
10 years ago
Jesse pick the stove first as you need to make sure it fits in the surround. You can get a bespoke surround if need be but not a bespoke stove!
jessegee thanked Victoria
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Victoria yay hello! Lovely to hear from you and sunnie,
Hoping Bubblyjock and shelley are around too. Good point, we've done some research,

(I actually nearly bought one on ebay second hand, but the shiply courier I chose ran off with my money, so we didnt go ahead. I researched the courier, he was a new scammer, passed it to police , we'll see if anything comes of it. )

I'm aware that if they are too big, they look silly squashed into the fireplace, the smaller ones often have two doors which spoils the view of the flames a bit, so as you suggest, we will be careful with our measurements.
We've seen several in real life, they really do look great, you fill a little chamber inside with water, and that creates the smoke effect.
Not to be confused with Optiflame, which is nice too but not as realistic as the Optimyst.

Our scaffolding is coming down as we speak, the builders were fed up yesterday, an event in the gardens opposite had an accordion player who only knew two songs,
I love this town, lol!

We have a nice newly restored chimney stack, phew.
The morning the work began hubby and I had just got up, in our dressing gowns , gently waking up over a cuppa, when a few speckles of grit came down the open fireplace , I was just standing up to cover the opening when a big whoosh of dust and grit came down over us, the dog, and my restored floor!
Normally polite, I hung out the window like a fishwife and yelled for them to stop until we had it covered hehe.

I've promised to tackle the opening today, get it ready for a hearth , tile and surround, more dirt, ugh!
jessegee
Original Author
10 years ago
Here's the fireplace at the moment, got lots to do to it, including pointing it.
shelleyuk
9 years ago
Hi Jessegee, any progress with the fireplace?
jessegee thanked shelleyuk
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
Yay Shelley, sorry been a stranger, struggling with thermal wallpaper, its a nightmare to cut.

We have bought one from a neighbour, its not exactly correct, but it fits beautifully, do you think we can get away with it?

jesse x
Victoria
9 years ago
I prefer this to any of the others you posted, keep it painted, don't let it compete with your beautiful floor :-)
jessegee thanked Victoria
Carolina
9 years ago
It's a great looking fireplace. And yes, I agree with Shelley and Victoria, it does look good painted :-)
jessegee thanked Carolina
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you ladies, yes I like it painted too, am trying not to have different coloured woods, might have to wax some darker or paint. We're going white for now, haven't decided on a colour scheme yet.
Haven't found a stove yet, so my old cathedral heater can stay there for now.

Got lots more to do in the lounge, shutters to order next week, radiator to get off, finish insulation wallpapering, choose lighting ( can't decide, chandelier/bell jar/ ceiling fan, I've got another post on it, would dearly love your thoughts...

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ceiling-fan-for-edwardian-home-dsvw-vd~946775

My darling mother is coming to visit in 3 weeks, ( B&B next door) but so want the lounge to look nice.

I have accidentally ripped up all the old vinyl floor ( oops ) and chipped away at the 1950's linoleum tiles to find a thick bitumen and concrete screed underneath, aw.....so we're keeping the double doors a bit longer.

jesse x
Victoria
9 years ago
I like the same fan as Sunnie but wouldn't do it, they gather dust and for the amount you would use it you would be better off using a fan as Carolins suggests.
jessegee thanked Victoria
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
fireplace looks fab !
I agree with Victoria about using a fan occasionally like Carolina suggested ! ( providing you have somewhere to store it ?!?!) it's coming along beautifully !!
what was the name of that shop you recommended again Jessie ?! I was thinking of driving over for a nosey ?! I'm after a big chopping block !!
jessegee thanked OnePlan
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Okay, you've convinced me, ceiling fan is off, I'll have a nice light light instead. Yay!

Oneplan, lovely, can't remember what they have in chopping blocks, must have some on website. that shop in Bridport is
http://www.lilliputsonline.co.uk/
Lilliput Textiles Ltd
58 West Street
Bridport
Dorset DT6 3QP

Its down the bottom of the high street, if you park in small car park in Tannery rd , you'll be close to toher antiques shops and a fabric shop.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=lilliput+in+bridport&ie=UTF-8&ei=6R1dU_GrC8yLOYCjgKgO&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

They are shut on sundays, sadly because I have heard of a great antique vintage bazaar that happens some times on sundays, should be starting up soon for the summer season.
Theres a good shop too: and one who has a small unit at the back making proper stained glass.

http://bridportantiques.co.uk/

soo many great stores around here, found a few favourites in exeter now I work there.

http://www.steptoesmarket.co.uk/

I should do " day trips"

jesse x
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
thank you Jesse ! you are a star !!! I drove to Topsham the other day and thought of you as I went past the turning to your town !!!
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Crikey, lol! Small world, I spend the week working just off the Topsham Rd. then come home to Seaton at weekends.

Did you get a chance to visit cafes on the quay?
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
no -just went to Darts Farm and the oak furniture shop opposite !! saw friends in Feniton on the way !
sunnie2day
9 years ago
Oooooooh, Steptoe's is AMAZING! Clean and bright inside, lots and lots and lots of stuff, and the staff is very helpful, lol! We bought a little more than would fit in the boot and the young man kept helping us load-unload-reload until somehow we managed to get it all in and still be street legal.
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh wow, do you have a steptoes in scotland or was it the one down here?
sunnie2day
9 years ago
We do have a Steptoe's up here not far from us but it's (dare I say it) wretched! Dark, not clean, badly organised. The one near you, though, AMAZING! We go down every year and take two big cars (we have a Picasso and our friends who live in Devon have a Forester), lol, fill them to the brim every year:)

Last year we ended up shipping a lot of it back to Scotland as otherwise we wouldn't have got us, the luggage, and the Roo in to go home!
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
oh wonderful sunnie!
Theres a great store in axminster too, a recycling furniture store, they have great stuff.
http://www.tradeanddonate.com/
We have got lots of things from there, and donated back too.
If you ever feel like a seaton tour of mid range antique retro flea and local shopping let me know.
sunnie2day
9 years ago
I've got that one bookmarked now, thank-you! Our friends live just outside of Tavy and there is a similar store there but the one in Axminster is in need of serious exploration - we're usually down in late August and I'll be sure that's on the list. We'll have to try to meet up and have a good trawl!
jessegee
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That'd be lovely sunnie,
Have news- for oneplan too, just incase you havent seen the other UK post, Steptoes has gone into liquidation! x
sunnie2day
9 years ago
Oh no! Thanks for the heads up because no, I haven't seen the other UK post. What a shame, the one down south is really nice!
jessegee thanked sunnie2day
PRO
User
8 years ago
Love your flooring-Completely beautiful.
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
Wow this is from 2014 !!

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