Fireplaces
Designer Rachel Chulew of DesignHAUS 24 removed the wall between the hallway and the rooms, and opened up the living room, dining room and kitchen to one another. She kept the architectural details of the living room traditional, bringing in a painted wood fireplace mantel and soapstone surround. “This soapstone is the perfect balance of old and new — it is an appropriate historic material, while its lighter color is fresh,” Chulew says.
Laura Freeman of Merits Design Group lightened up the fireplace surround, built-ins and walls with paint. She also moved the TV to the wall on the right. “This room wasn’t deep enough for the TV over the fireplace to be ergonomic,” she says. Now a mirror makes the fireplace a pretty focal point. Freeman also improved the lighting without changing its amount much. “So many times people just have the wrong bulbs or their lights are oriented in the wrong direction,” she says. Here she replaced the original LED bulbs that were 3,000 Kelvin with ones that were 2,700 Kelvin.
Teass \ Warren Architects clad the fireplace surround in a large-format tile with a ribbed texture, in a color that resembles concrete. The new fireplace adds warm industrial style to the room. The team removed the built-in bookcases to create a more streamlined look and to add a window for more natural light. The ceiling fan was replaced by recessed lighting.
Mia Rao Design added black porcelain tile arranged in a herringbone pattern on the fireplace surround, creating a sense of movement and visual interest. Lighter paint on the walls and new, streamlined furniture give the space a more contemporary look. The custom piece of art over the fireplace, created by a friend for the project, has glints of gold, as does the bold new light fixture.
At the other end of the back addition, opposite the oven wall and open to the kitchen-dining area, is the living room. To create a focal point in here, Niven added deep blue scallop tiles in the fireplace. “My personal style is contemporary but timeless so it won’t date, and neutral with accents of color. I’m drawn to blues, greens, grays and greige. However, I’m conscious of the fact we bought a period property,” she says. “One of my favorite pieces in the downstairs is this statement light. It’s a chandelier, but it’s not fuddy-duddy.”
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