remodeing and what to do with old fireplaces?

10 years ago

We're getting ready to do some major work on our 1950s ranch. This includes replacing some walls removed by a PO and adding on to the side (new kitchen, breakfast nook, family room, dinky guest suite, bigger garage).

One thing we have to decide is what to do with our fireplaces. We have two and the one in good shape is in the way of progress and will probably have to be removed. It's in the middle of the long wall of the dining room-to-be, has a protruding hearth, and has a large chimney where my new kitchen is supposed to be. It also interferes with doorway placement. :(

The other has been mangled but is in a good place for a fireplace (the formal living room) (and by formal I just mean Lego-free and no TV). It's weird. I think it may have had built in cabinets on one side of it and that's why the hearth is over 13 feet long. Whatever we do, the hearth will have to be replaced with something flush to the floor--it's a tripping hazard.

These photos are from before we moved in and obscured everything with our stuff--the red accent wall is no longer red but the rest...still bad!

Can this fireplace be saved? A nice mantel and cabinetry on one side? Or remove it and enjoy some decent floor space? I don't want a NEW fireplace because I don't want the responsibility of selecting a forever fireplace that works with the house. So I'd like to work with this thing and just say it came with the house.

The bar area is where the wall once was--we will be putting the wall back. The vinyl flooring on the far side of the stone hearth is where I think built-in cabinets were. There may have been a mantle. There's a place where there isn't any stone on the side, but it's low. Maybe it was a built-in bench?

See the tripping hazard?

This is the other fireplace. There IS room for a dining table but of course it's not ideal. The addition will have a place for a table and as rare as dining rooms are these days, I doubt that a future homeowner would use that room as a dining room anyway. Our only problem with it is that it's making our addition plans tricky. For reference, the closet by the beanbag is visible in the corner of the photo above, behind the weird pendants.

(Yes, we brought in a beanbag, puzzle, and space heater before we actually moved in. Doesn't everyone?)

For reference, this is the existing plan, badly photographed. The addition will go between the garage and main house and extend back parallel to and behind the garage. The original parts of the house will remain, but be repaired. We will restore the partial separation between the dining room and living room (by turning that peninsula-off-the-peninsula with the goofy pendants into a wall again), but it will be open enough that having two mismatched fireplaces might not be cool. (Right now they are in essentially the same room, and it's definitely not cool.)

Sooooo, which fireplace should I kill? Either? neither? Any suggestions on making that messed up fireplace groovy again? My architect is in favor of fixing up the living room one and removing the dining room one. I suppose that's logical, and I know nobody likes the styles of either of these fireplaces nowadays but...I can't decide. And I really DO love the cheesy scalloped valance on the DR fireplace so don't even say it!!!

Thanks! I do appreciate all suggestions, even the bad ones! ;D

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Comments (10)

lavender_lass
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Fori- I like both fireplaces! I just can't remember exactly what your remodel is going to look like. Kitchen is staying in the same space or are you possibly moving it to the new addition?

I like those big fireplaces...they're clumsy and a bit out of scale, but I think that look is going to be popular again. They could be redone a bit and look very rustic/romantic...my favorite style :)
palimpsest
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The alcove was probably a log bin originally. You could redesign the flat hearth to get rid of the tripping hazard, it doesn't need to extend to each side, and as it exists now, it's kind of an imcompletely executed design feature.
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Why not just buy some good bituminous lump coal and use that? It's what they were designed for. Additionally coal is safe to use in older unlined chimneys, as it does not produce any flammable creosote (liners initially came into favor because they reduced/eliminated creosote seepage through the soft mortar joints of older chimneys - when there was a chimney fire the flammable creosote with a low ignition temp that had soaked through the porous mortar would ignite not just on the inside of the stack, but on the outside as well thus igniting the home). It is likely that there is a coal source in your area. Coal is less expensive than burning firewood (unless you cut it from your own lands), doesn't spark, doesn't produce flammable creosote and requires much less frequent tending - a 5 gallon pail full of lump coal will create a bright cheery fire most of the day. The covers on your fireplaces would improve the efficiency for heating, however, they were always a pain to deal with and are difficult to use once the fire has gotten hot; for a recreational fire I would highly reccomend leaving them off (this is why they are so hard to find - most people didn't use them even back then). Here is a link that might be useful: scroll to the second post down - demonstraition of a fireplace coal fire
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Fori
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Log bin! Of course. Were they ever 6 feet long though? I've got about that much hearth running wild! That will help with my googling. Thanks!

LLass, you live in the frozen north so of course you appreciate fireplaces! :) These fireplaces do "go" with the house. Just not at the same time because they are sort of different. Rustic farmy on one and the other was probably "I'm not quite ready to really go modern but maybe just a smidge".

We're going to move the whole darn kitchen. The chimney for the DR fireplace is where the fridge SHOULD be. I'm hoping the additions will be unnoticeable until you get to them so maybe that's why I have such a hard time pulling out a perfectly functional fireplace. Without nifty features like that, I might as well have bought a new house. I don't want to modernize or spruce up beyond repairs and maintenance. I'm really getting into the ranchy vibe and think people who hate ranches probably were mostly exposed to cheap ones. (They can indeed be so very very awful.)
lavender_lass
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Leave the fireplace and move the fridge! LOL

Seriously, where's your plan? I think the kitchen will be great in that area. Can you use the brick for a backdrop for the range? That might be cool :)
Fori
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The previous owners painted the lower parts of that chimney when they installed a DIY not-remotely-close-to-code addition back there. We tore that out fast. I'd love to see the brick in the new kitchen if it weren't painted. Spouse disagrees. :(

I hope to have a plan soon, but this fireplace issue is holding it up.
lavender_lass
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Painted brick still gives you a nice texture. I like French country and woodland cottage styles, so I don't mind painting almost anything...but I like wood, too. What's your husband want? Something more modern?
Fori
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I guess painted isn't bad. The spouse just has no vision. Sees this and thinks it's gotta go:

A problem is the lack of wall space. We have a large, awkward space and a weird angle. The triangular room in the original ate the angle and I'm thinking of expanding it to eat the new angle (which is the same angle, really). This is pretty early on in the process so things can be altered, and obviously my scribbles aren't to scale, but if I make the triangle room (which will probably be a laundry room plus cleaning supplies/spare appliance storage) even stranger, it gives me more wall space. And it seems to work with my chimney. Hmmmm. I don't know why the architect's table is so huge in the image. I have a table in there set up for ten right now and it's not that big! In the scribble, there is no wall and no upper cabs on the peninsula. But I drew it extra fat intentionally. (And no, I don't really want a 5+ foot fridge!) That kitchen doodle isn't serious. It's just a see-if-it-all fits doodle. But it shows the space.

The goal is to be able to shut off the more casual messy noisy areas--kitchen, family room, and inlaws--when desired. Pocket doors everywhere!

The more I look at my living room fireplace, the more I think it'll have to be refaced. I don't think I'm up to that.

And we do need to rework the tiny guest bed and bath. I want it to be somewhat accessible since our most frequent guests are getting up there in years.
lavender_lass
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like the brick! What if you take out the 'top' doorway to the dining room and put a pantry there, with the fridge recessed just a bit, into that space. You could have bookshelves or display on DR side.

The back of the chimney can be the snack area. Prep sink by fridge and microwave could be here, too...if you don't want it with the oven. Nice area for staging for more formal dining, too. Just an idea :) {{gwi:1838245}}From Kitchen plans
Fori
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, I like that. I had thought it would be a nice spot for the coffee bar. I'm sure the spouse could handle a brick backsplash in a small spot. I want the fridge accessible but this is only 3 steps over. I think we could handle it. When I get closer (and make the Great Fireplace Decision), I'll post on the kitchen forum.

I am trying to remember why we thought we needed two doors between the dining room and kitchen. I'm sure there was a perfectly good reason at one time, but it may or may not still be valid...

So, ya think that dining room fireplace is okay, LLass?

Thanks!
lavender_lass
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like the dining room fireplace because I enjoy eating by the fire, it adds a lot of charm...and it's a large enough space, it won't get too hot. Also, you can sit on the raised hearth and it would be fun to decorate for the holidays! What's not to like?

The living room fireplace...yes, it needs some work. But imagine the walls back in, a nice mantle across the top, wood storage on the left and built-in bookcases on each side. Now, a chair and ottoman in the corner (where you have view of kitchen now) facing the windows. Snuggle by the fire, read a book or enjoy the view. Again, what's not to like? :)

remodeing and what to do with old fireplaces?

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remodeing and what to do with old fireplaces?

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