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irishroses

Need help with "SHOWPIECE FIREPLACE"

13 years ago
HELP!! The design we had for our fireplace fell thru, 3/4 of the way into the project, miscommunication - I thought my contractor was building it, he thought I was ordering it from someplace. Bottom line, now I am back at square one. Trying to get a nice wooden mantle built around here, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. People don't like to call you. So, now I am on plan C. Which is to put some kind of stone or granite or something on the front of my fireplace and hearth.

We were looking at making this the centerpiece, or focal point of all the remodeling we are doing. This WHOLE project has revolved around the fireplace and now it has all fallen thru. I not only need ideas for suggestions, but also info on how to get said product, etc..

We are in the process of doing a FULL remodel and on a time crunch...... trying to get everything done by my son's graduation, which is next week on the 15th. I realize the fireplace probably wont be done in time, but I am determined the rest of the house will be. However, I am burnt out with looking at 50,000 + pictures for ideas for my entire house.

Bronze lighting thru out, the family room where the fireplace will be, will be painted Sherwin Williams Concord Buff, as well as the kitchen. Colors in the house is burgundy and almond colored cabinets, with black glazing, black appliances, gold nuances, and the floor has blacks, browns, reds and grays in it.

Any suggestions you give, can you attach a picture and tell me what it is and where I can find it? I live in Chesapeake, VA.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!

Ps....... We have an open concept and the kitchen opens off o the family room, so that is why I showed a picture of the kitchen as well, so you can see the colors and the concepts going on. Just fyi, left hand side of the kitchen pic is our bay window banquette that is being built. It is going to be AWESOME!!

Now if we can just get our fireplace as AWESOME, we will be alright!!

Comments (30)

  • 13 years ago
    I would put shelving for ornaments and books and pain it the same color as your walls.
  • 13 years ago
    What is the wood flooring? Is that a laminate? It is gorgeous!
  • 13 years ago
    We ordered travertine cut to our specs from this company: http://www.mantelsdirect.com/
    It was a bit harder than we expected to install though but that had to do with our specific design and the existing fireplace box which wasn't flush with the wall. At any rate, there are a lot of options here so see if anything fits your style.
  • 13 years ago
    Personally think that stone fireplaces are gorgeous I am not for your area so sorry I don't know any retailers, but my family ordered our fireplace from Napoleon fireplaces and grills, you should see if there is a retailer in you area. They have very modern fireplace, and I think they also do the stone surround but I am not positive.
  • 13 years ago
    Based on your floor and kitchen finishes, I could envision a limestone fireplace surround for your corner unit.
    House 16 · More Info
  • 13 years ago
    In regards to the laminate flooring, it is called Toast by Park Ridge and is sold at ProSource, it is also by Mannington and called Acardia and is part of the Restorative Collection. You should see it with the blue/gray walls, it looks stunning!

    In regards to an end date- yes it would be nice to have everything by that date, but on the other items they were pre-selected and we are just waiting for them to come in. We did not rush any of that. Just rushing now because everything is coming in at the same time.

    In regards to the façade for the fireplace, yes we would prefer real stone vs the fake stuff. I have seen the fake stuff and to me it reminds me of the old Star Trek shows where they had those fake boulders that looked like they were spray painted. They just don't look real. We have spent too much heart, soul, time and money on this project for us to trip at the finish line on this fireplace.

    I like the stone that is pictured here on the Sierra shadowstone, but my question is what do you use for the top part of the hearth where people would sit at? That would be too rough and bumpy to be comfortable to sit on.

    I know a mantle is NOT required, but I truly want one and so do my kids. They have been dying for years to hang their Christmas stockings by the fireplace.

    The first picture attached is my dream mantle - we wanted everything that was wood in the pic, I had planned on doing granite instead of the onyx that is depicted. We were so crushed when we found that our contractor couldn't do it. : (

    The second picture is another possibility as far as the stone goes.......
    We do plan on having two sconces on the wall, and the color of the walls is a darker version of our color, but still faced with the problem of what to do about the top part of the hearth. Have not found anyone that sells slabs of slate to face it with. Not sure how granite would look with stone......
  • 13 years ago
    Ooopssss....
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    We have seen people use our wood tile as a way to dress up a fire place in an interesting way. Given your floors, I would suggest either our timberline planks for a more distressed feel or our gunstock Parkwood for a more modern design. There are a lot of images on our website, but would happily send you more fire place images if you like the concept. Www.eandstile.com
  • 13 years ago
    I think the person who suggested this realstone was on the right track, withe dark floors you don't want to be getting too dark, and it also seems to lend itself well to the floor beautiful floor design you have going on in the kitchen. I do however think maybe bring a solid looking matle , one large rustic beam looking peice stained similar to your incredible floor would tie everything together. You have a lovely home.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    - @irishroses, what is the diagonal dimension of the fireplace wall?

    How high is the hearth?

    How high is the ceiling?

    Is the wall already drywalled?

    Has the chimney been installed yet?

    Feel free to contact me directly at tom@coastroadonline.com. There's a good chance I can help you to pull it together and help you find local resources to get it done quickly.

    Jim Bostaph at Black Goose Chimney Sweep in Newport News is a great guy that I know personally.You might get in touch with them. This is their website: http://blackgoose.com/

    I don't think Jim is into the design side as much as I am, but perhaps we can work together to help you through this.

    I don't know him personally, but James Brewer at Magic Sweep in Chesapeake is also a certified fireplace expert: http://www.magic-sweep.com/
  • 13 years ago
    The outside framed chase has been installed, but nothing else. All the metal work is supposed to be done tomorrow. How you see the picture of the fireplace is exactly how it looks right now. I have 9 foot high ceilings. The hearth is 1 foot high and 9 feet long. The "mantel" or fireplace surround is 7 feet wide by 8 feet high. No drywall has been put up yet.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Sorry, I can't help you as I am in the Los Angeles area but feel free to copy any of my designs.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Have you considered a lightweight concrete mantel? They can be custom-built to fit around the fireplace you have framed in, including wrapping the raised hearth. They are custom ordered to fit exactly what you have and come in a variety of colors
  • 13 years ago
    http://www.solusdecor.com/fireplace-surrounds/fraser/ I've been looking to do a similar remodel and have done months of research. Solus has a great select of concrete surrounds to choose from that would work well for the corner fireplace.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Find a local stone supplier in your area they can give you samples of stone choices in your area and maybe even referrals for a couple masons in your area. We're here in the Northwest and Mutual Materials is very popular. maybe there's one in your area.
  • 13 years ago
    I have no talent an I did this all myself. Don't worry about being exact. The little imperfections are wha make it unique.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    You can go with a stone veneer and have it shipped in if you can't find a supplier locally. The stone veneers are lighter in weight and cost than real stone, and look beautiful. There are many different styles to pick from, and you can choose colors that match your (very beautiful!) wood floors too.
  • 13 years ago
    I like the idea of real stone on my fireplace, whether it be full stone or veneer. I want to go with the creams, yellows, touch of gray and maybe some copper. All the colors that are in my kitchen tile. I also want the wooden mantle to be a darker wood to accent the family room floor. All of your ideas have been very wonderful and inspiring. Love the pictures, it helps to visualize. I like this attached photo of this fireplace a lot, the only problem is I don't think it is yellow enough for what I want to do here....
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    That's a great fireplace. If you want more yellows, and choose a stone veneer, you can custom color the veneer to have the right shades of yellow you are looking for.
  • 13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    Do you have architectural salvage places near you? They can be a great source for reclaimed rafters, railroad ties, etc that can be sanded and stained for beautiful floating mantles with real character.

    Have you contacted a local stoneyard? A friend of mine owns a huge one locally and he knows all of the local contractors who work with stone whether it's facing a fireplace with stone, building a stone hot tub deck, or laying flagstone patios. Going to the stone yard yourself will also allow you to select the exact stone used on the face of the fireplace.
  • 13 years ago
    No I haven't gone to a local stoneyard because I didn't know how to find one. Everything I googled just kept giving me tile shops that didn't carry stone like this or granite places, which also didn't carry what I needed, or places far away. I guess I wasn't using the correct search "terms" maybe? Thank you for all the wonderful ideas, I love the idea of custom coloring the veneer to match the kitchen, how awesome is that??? And totally love the idea of the floating mantle.
  • 13 years ago
    The pictures below show the color of my walls for my kitchen and family room where my fireplace will be. It is an open concept so I really want everything to flow. Also, included is the stain color that we are going to do on the French doors next to the fireplace. Attached is the yellow color we are using to paint the walls, and the clay faux painting on the kitchen ceiling. I also included a picture of the kitchen tile next to our laminate floors.
  • 13 years ago
    Ps. Still striking out trying to find local stoneyards or salvage shops that would have my wood mantle. Any names or numbers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Your fireplace can be a great focal point of that room whether you decide to use stone or wood... Your contractor or mason will be able to supply you with samples which will help you decide on color, shape, texture,etc
  • 13 years ago
    I know I already said this, but if you do go with the stone and a , rustic wood mantle. Make sure you go with something large, this is your focal point. Also make sure it is deep enough to hold your favorite treasure.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Here is a nice idea
  • 13 years ago
    How can I save your picture of fireplace. I love it!
  • 13 years ago
    I am not from your area so can't vouch for them but using my Googlefu I found this stoneyard http://superiorstone.net/index.htm that's supposedly in your area. They have a huge stoneyard and showroom and do installation. There's nothing quite like being able to go yourself to the stoneyard to pick out the individual pieces of stone used. It lets you get a custom look and it's a lot of fun once you stop feeling overwhelmed.

    I don't know how close this architectural salvage place is http://www.caravatis.com/ but they have a big selection of old lumber including beams and studs that probably are the perfect thickness and look for a floating mantle.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    - How did it come out?