Please help me design my fireplace

10 years ago

Hi, everyone! This is a complete walk (post) of shame. I am having a heck of a time figuring out what to do with the fireplace in our new build. The vibe of the house is rustic/modern/Scandinavian. Vertical cedar and charcoal board and batten exterior, silver metal roof, lots of white inside, slate, soapstone, quartzite, metal, white oak floors. You probably get the idea. Anyway, we have to go with a gas fireplace for budgetary reasons, so we'll get the kind with the river rock style burner. I am struggling to design the fireplace. How high? Mantel or no? soapstone surround? Sheet metal surround? Surround material just around the firebox or all the way to the ceiling?

We tried having our architect design it, but for whatever reason it just didn't work- spent a ton of money and didn't get anywhere. HELP, kind GWers- I'm drowning!

The fireplace will be in our living room on the short wall. Opposite short wall is 8' tall sliders. One long wall ( where the stairs are) will have TV, the other (with 12' transoms) will have the piano.

Here is a mock up of the fireplace wall. Any thoughts?

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Comments (8)

Kiwigem
Original Author
10 years ago
Here are a couple of fireplaces I like:
Kiwigem
Original Author
10 years ago
Another
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Oaktown
10 years ago
Board-formed concrete?

[Contemporary Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Nick Noyes Architecture

[Contemporary Family Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2103) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Arcanum Architecture

[Modern Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2105) by Salt Lake City Architects & Building Designers Sparano + Mooney Architecture

[EDIT: I would want to repeat one of the other elements you are already using in the house/landscape. So if you are doing a concrete stoop after all, then maybe also concrete fireplace. Soapstone counters? Then maybe an extra slab to do fireplace surround. Etc.]

This post was edited by Oaktown on Mon, Nov 3, 14 at 17:07
Kiwigem
Original Author
10 years ago
HI, Oaktown! I have thought about that, but wasn't sure what it was called :-) so thanks! Those do look great. I wasn't sure if I should introduce another material, since we won't have concrete inside. Although we will have concrete outside. Am I a study in internal conflict or what?
Any thoughts on form? Mantel or no? Hearth or no? surround material all the way up? Thanks!
Oaktown
10 years ago
How are you planning to use your fireplace? Do you have your insert chosen yet? Do you have any safety concerns? I really like the hearth that continues into the bench seat in one of your inspiration photos.

I can offer my sympathy because we waited and waited on fireplace drawings from the architect. Our fireplace is outdoors so we just continued the board and batten look -- the stone we were using elsewhere would not have looked right given the size of our fireplace insert and we didn't want to go smaller on that (plus it already had been purchased).

This porch room has similar dimensions to your wall -- 10' ceiling, the fireplace area is 64" wide and each side is 6'+. The insert is 42". Sorry for the poor camera phone quality and angle (taken from over a table) and it's not done -- still waiting on doors. We did a cantilevered bluestone hearth to tie in with our steps.

You can see that your inspiration photos have a much wider fireplace area in relation to the size of the firebox itself. Just something to think about as you are selecting your unit and working on the design. Good luck!

This post was edited by Oaktown on Tue, Nov 4, 14 at 0:31
detroit_burb
10 years ago
watch the "This Old House" where they did a Scandinavian/modern redo of a Cambridge home. The fireplace was really nice. I love that project.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tv/video/0,,20652509,00.html

season 32 episode 9

here is a houzz photo of their fireplace

https://www.houzz.com/photos/this-old-house-cambridge-scandinavian-family-room-boston-phvw-vp~2217048-Old-House-Cambridge-transitional-family-room-boston
Kiwigem
Original Author
10 years ago
Oaktown, every time I see your house, I just love it.
Detroit_blurb. Thank you for that link! Back when we were going to have a wood burning fireplace that is exactly how we were going to do it. You read my mind!
Kiwigem
Original Author
10 years ago
I think we are going to end up with the Montigo HR38

Here is a link that might be useful: Leading contender