Boy, one thing I have noticed anywhere I have been that has a hearth is that people end up sitting on it in front of the fire and not only can others not enjoy it but the heat is blocked from going into the room. On the other hand, it does give a way to provide additional seating. I do think that if higher end stone is used there is no way it would look too rustic. I like your ideas.

Is it safe to have a gel fuel log set inside a stone/mason fireplace that is surrounded by wood? Instead of making a metal insert for this wood fireplace surround, I could easily make a masonry insert. I'm just not sure if the masonry would get hot and burn and of the wood.

I can only comment on the one I have...there is an odor from the gel,hard to describe but there is an odor.It does put out some heat and has a crackle sound but the cans are kind of hard to hide behind the fake logs unless you close the screen. I wanted it for a mantle and it looked nice in the room. Hope this helps.

Hi, I've been looking into this for my own fireplace. It's rare to use actual stone. It's far more common to use a stone, tile, or concrete stone product. You are, quite correctly, writing about using this concrete product. The strength of the foundation should not be an issue, these materials are light in weight. Material cost is usually $20/s.f plus labor. Your tile contractor can install this. Or you can. So multiply $500 by the width of your desired fireplace and add in a maximum of $2,000 to install. Pad another at most $1,000 for mastic, wire base, etc. You are most likely looking at an $8K project, completely reasonable and a good investment in your home's value and your present enjoyment in your living space.