adnovak, you may want to start your own thread about your fireplace because lots of folks won't look at a 4 year old thread that's been revived. To upload pics, put them on your device, somewhere easy to find, click on the Photo Icon at the bottom of your post, select the place where your pic is, click on it to select and open it, then when it appears in your post, be sure to hit submit and we'll be able to see it, too. For vent covers, I would look to see if your fireplace innards has a brand name stamped someplace...I know Heatilator was a big name for fireplaces with vents in the 1970s. If you can find a name, you might be able to find what you want from the company or on ebay. Heatilator website

We are still designing our house (new construction) --- trying to get started this summer...but that is rapidly approaching. Here is a cad rendering of the front elevation --- stone in the center.... we've made several changes to the front, but here's the idea.... As far as the interior goes, floorplans are more or less done...Kitchen does not have lots of cabinets, but it has "zones" around it --- clean up area (we call the dish pantry), range area, island area, butler's pantry, etc. The kitchen will be one longish room with the keeping room (like the picture at the very top). I'm going to try to post the plan that we have so far.... I of course can't figure out how to make this bigger... grr. So you likely can't even see it anyway.... Anyway, I think the vault will look good in that kitchen / keeping room --- all the way --- the high point will be over the range wall and the fireplace. Still working on details to make sure we have accounted for how we live. I have in mind a white (creamy color) cabinet with a wood top on the island - like a dark walnut. One reason I'm now thinking the wood is because the island is all one level and it is 10-11 feet long and the granite with a seam I worry about. Plus, think the wood is beautiful. I'll probably go back and forth about this many many times before we get there. The little dish pantry area has an opening to the eat-in area, so we can pass dishes through there (and I can watch TV while doing dishes (over the FP). We'll put "barn doors" on rails outside the dish pantry so I can close the door on the mess! So far I am happy with it ---still so many details to work out, but it is very fun and exciting so far! Thanks again for sharing... Also, I love this last set of inspiration pics --- so many really great ones! Rachel

Though a lot has to do with personal taste, I'd vote for different ceiling heights to suit the home's design, architecture, roof style and region of contruction. While architecting our home with hip roofs with, we (I) had crazy ideas about superhigh ceilings for our large home, currently under construction, however decided to have a blend of ceiling heights for entryway, bedrooms, living areas and even garages, which made more sense and glad we did. We used a blend of 9, 10, 12 and 16' ceilings with 16' for the two rear garages only. Instead of using ceiling heights which do nothing for the physical space, we opted for very open spaces, very wide hallways and corridors which can be experienced and felt every day.

Anglophilia- We love the idea of the “triangle of light”. It will do so much for the space. I totally understand your rant of lack of tables/lights! You can find me reading pitifully curled up next to the only lamp in the room, with my drink out of arms reach on the coffee table. I think that these suggested ideas of where/what types of tables and lights to add in will make this a much better space to hang out in. Artemis_ma- Thank you for the insight! I appreciate it. That seems to be the general consensus of what to change in this room. I love this red brick, so I’d much rather design a room around it than to paint it! Lascatx- Great advice, thanks. And thank you for the helpful LED information, I’m sure that will make all the difference. We’ve already started the hunt for a new rug—we’re excited to see what that does for the room and where to go from there (for the coffee table, etc). Artdreamer- Thank you for the advice! We used to have a beautiful palm tree in the corner, but unfortunately it only lived a year or so. Not sure if I just don’t have good luck with plants, or if it didn’t like our cold, dark winters. We may try again! Those are great rug suggestions, and I like the idea of adding a mirror to reflect light to further brighten the room. Thanks! K Fitz- No problem! I’m sure it will be more messy and difficult than the internet makes it seem (aren’t home projects always this way?) but… 1) We plan to follow this set of directions to remove the brick: https://www.wikihow.com/Replace-a-Damaged-Brick ). 2) We will then cut the brick in half (either with a circular saw or by hand with a chisel https://www.thisoldhouse.com/more/how-to-hand-cut-brick ). 3) We will then re-insert the brick, pushing it back in until it is flush with the rest of the brick wall.