Fireplace and built-ins-- Second guessing my design
Met with carpenter last week to discuss cabinetry. GC decided CM will just do entire fireplace and surround as well. I'm not 100% on my plan for the wall, and would love some suggestions while there's still time to change. Keep in mind, the walls are up and the (wood-burning, gas starter) firebox already installed, so those are untouchable.
I'm going for a Craftsman look minus the windows above the built-ins. Needed wall space for DH's deer (yes, ridiculous, I'm aware) and will place those on either side of fireplace instead of windows. Wall is 18' long by 10' tall; prints called for 6' fireplace centered, however it's closer to 7'. (Need to double check. It's between 6.5-7' for sure.)
You can find other dimensions on the sketch below. Will use a penny or hex tile 7" wide (vice 6" as drawn) with wood stands (is that the right word??) on either side. Mantel would be a distressed wooden beam that wraps on all three sides of fireplace box. The sides will not be as deep as the front. Above the fireplace will be 8" wide shiplap and a tv. (side note: using shiplap as backsplash in kitchen)
On either side of fireplace--lower cabinets with one or two rows of shelving set back about an 1" on top of cabinets. The trim piece at top of shelving would fall just below the mantel.
It's sounding more and more fussy as I try to describe it...... help me please!
Comments (28)
ascorsonelli
8 years agoExamples of what I'm trying (in vain, it seems) to mimic:
Fireplace would be almost identical, except the shiplap will wrap on all three sides of firebox
*Beam mantel, but again, mine would wrap on all three sides
Michelle's gorgeous layout
Snapshot of current state (bad angle):
whaas_5a
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Design advice from a plumber?? I'm second guessing....
Comments (33)Lisa; It's interesting how differently people have interpreted your original note. Our GC, in an almost-avuncular tone, took me aside early in the planning stages to "caution" me about the cost of the crown moulding (let alone other trims / casings) we'd selected for our project. (one eight foot piece of crown alone was $1000 [because the wall is curved, so it had to be made out of flex and, as it's a "custom" profile (one my husband and I designed ourselves) the flex company (in CA) had to make a new mold for it]) Because I already had a good feel for the sort of person our GC is and I was in the situation (not reading about it, I mean) I understood he was trying to help me not have a heart attack when I got the bill. (The crown [material, not labor] alone, not inc. base, not inc. casing., not inc. trim, was >$15K. Gulp, but I love it!!!) When I read your post(s), I automatically heard my GC's kind, caretaking tone from your plumber's point person. There's my bias. So when I read the rest of your note, I was left thinking "isn't that nice that they wanted to make sure you understood what you were getting into?" I think v. often so many of us bite off more than we can chew, simply because costs have a way of spiraling .... (ours did) Plus, most of us aren't serial remodelers (or flippers), meaning we aren't always aware of the (mounting) costs of fixtures plus labor. There are some incredibly cher fixtures out there which are crap -- they have The Name (whatever the name du jour is), but they haven't the good innards. Please make sure before you spend any money on your beautiful reno that your house has good (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc.) "innards." What a waste to put in a beautiful faucet only to have problems with the pipes in the walls or from the street! I also want to say I believe I read edlakin's initial post in a completely different way from you: I thought s/he was just trying to help get to a potential root of the issue. It might not be your root at all! I know that I am a little embarrassed about how much we are spending on our nearly-whole house reno. It's gauche in our society to talk about money, plus the truth is, within myself I feel horrible guilt about why I have been so lucky when so many others the world 'round have not. I think about the flooding in Bangladesh and all those displaced people and it makes me wonder "why me? why them?" I think you'll understand, Lisa, because you wrote that you "don't need to remodel" -- if I read into your comment(s) correctly, you know it's a real luxury to get to change something which already works for something which will give you pleasure. And I love it. Our kitchen is not yet done but even still, walking in and seeing my dreamy countertops just makes me happy. So for me, to have that feeling, was worth $X. I believe I am generously charitable with my money, my time and my positive thoughts, but it is still something about which I think. That's me. I'm pretty sure that's from where edlakin was coming -- not trying to attack or pigeonhole you. I also don't think his/her "blaming you" comment was directed at you .... So the way I understood your plumber's comments were merely to give you a head's up, not to sway you toward or away from what you want. I think you're on a great path: getting bids for all your Dream Objects (from your fixtures to your countertops). After you have those bids, only you and your partner can determine if it's feasible or if something needs to be trimmed. I wouldn't start altering fixture / countertop choices yet: I'd wait until I had all bids in hand. You might not need to change a single thing! As you and louisianapurchase (of whom I am quite fond!) have been chatting, costs for the same item / labor 'round the continent can and do vary widely. I'm in Colorado and for what you're planning on doing I think you'd be lucky to get that all done for $200K. My fingers are crossed your KD is right, though, and that it comes in closer to her figure. I confess, sometimes I am really envious of the prices people here have quoted for various objects (cabinetry, for one) in other parts of N. America. But I don't live there. I live here, so I have to pay "here's" prices. I am v. excited about your upcoming reno -- it is going to be lovely. Congratulations!...See MoreMaster Suite Design - Built-in wardrobe vs Walk-in closet
Comments (42)I totally agree with cpartist. You are really limiting yourself by staying in the footprint you made for yourself. Considering the investment you will make in the addition, I would want to do everything I could to make this room and possibly the laundry room/office work. I would also think about landscaping. Maybe your bedroom doesnt look to the patio because you move it to the back of the house, but you have succulents and cacti planted in front of the bedroom windows for a beautiful view. I'd start over with a fresh piece of paper and think about every option. I say this because I am doing a master suite addition to my house. I put a lot of thought into what I wanted. The people on this board also really helped me and I hired an architect. We came up with a great plan and will be starting this week on the project....See MoreHelp designing fireplace built ins
Comments (7)What do you plan to store in the drawers/cabinets? That will determine the best size. At 17 - 18" deep, cabinets will offer the most storage, and be great for things like board games; if you are storing a DVD collection, drawers sized for DVDs on their sides (titles facing up) would be best. If you go for doors, make sure you get extra shelves, so you can store things without stacking. Depending on what you may be displaying on the shelves, lighting and glass shelves may be in order. It's always better to approach a project like this from the standpoint of "I want these things to go here", rather than "I have a space - now what should I do with it?"...See MoreSecond guessing my island pendants
Comments (15)Thank you all! I really appreciate the feedback. And @Mark Benner, I agree! Bold selections often cause anxiety. I do need to trust myself more often. I love design and I think I do a pretty darn good job. Thank you for the confidence boost! :) @Jay Inhoff... so I really don't like matchy-matchy, but I believe in coordinating color families. Obviously the Lacanche has unlacquered brass hardware, my faucet is polished brass and then the cabinet hardware and lighting are more of a brushed finish. They all have the same undertones, but not necessarily the same finish. I think that's what makes a space special. I chose those pendants because I loved them, they were bold, and they offered some curvature in what I view as a relatively linear space....See Moreascorsonelli
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years ago
Rachel (Zone 7A + wind)
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoHere's a similar idea...on either side of a window. Notice how nice the wood bookshelves and gold tones look in the room? And the leather! Maybe something to think about?
ascorsonelli thanked Lavender Lassascorsonelli
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agowhaas_5a
8 years agoLavender Lass
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
ILoveRed
8 years agoContinuous line with mantel in my LR. Just to give you another idea of what it might look like.
This is one of the hardest decisions when building. Good luck!
cpartist
8 years agoHere's what I'm planning for my craftsman house with fireplace and tv above the fireplace. BTW: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the mounting idea. You just solved a major problem.
Our wall is only 13' wide but we are using a narrower fireplace too. You can scale appropriately, or add double doors on either side.
ascorsonelli thanked cpartist
alwolin
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years agoThought I'd share what I decided to go with (after much flip flopping!). Will tile the surround and hearth, cover the lower cabinets with doors, and add adjustable shelves to the upper set-backs. Happy with how it's turned out so far!
ascorsonelli
8 years agoAnother update (with the Mantel Mount pulled down)
Now do decide.... hardware or no
whaas_5a
8 years agoascorsonelli
8 years ago
There's an outlet right behind it and conduit (or something) running down to the bottom right cabinet. We'll keep the Apple TV there. DVR is wireless. Sound bar wil be mounted to the top of the tv. What's a single source sensor??
Architectrunnerguy