Those are going to get hot. I'm not sure that brick would completely solve the issue without compromising the opening and closing of the door. Have you done some type of education with your kids about other hot surfaces - irons, stove tops, ovens? Something similar seems applicable here.

Here ya go Jewel. For comparison, behind it is my Emtek entry door lockset with flat black finish. The paint is covering very cheap shiny gold brass. I should have painted the wood as well, but will go back and do that later. This is 3 coats. Although it's flat black, it has a slight luster. It's not a dead black.

Who ordered the doors, and why did they have to be a custom size? Why wasn't the opening of the fireplace a "normal" size to begin with? If it were me, and the contractor wanted to adjust the opening, I would want the final product to look like no additional work was done. In other words, don't just put in two strips of stonework. But whoever ordered the wrong doors should pay the bill for this.

Photo GalleryI realize this is probably late, but others might benefit from seeing this. At Hansen Wholesale, we provide a Free Fireplace Door Design Service where we show you how various glass doors might look on your fireplace. It also happens that we are a Design Specialties dealer. So, I have created two examples below that depict the two types of doors you asked about. Example #1: Design Specialties Craftsman Door in Forged Iron. This is a hand forged steel door made from a single sheet of 3/16" this laser cut steel. The hinges and handles are hand crafted and the finish is applied by an artisan. This door is not only function and heavy duty, it has a very elegant look about it. Example #2: Design Specialties Carolina Fireplace Door in Rustic Black. The carolina is made from 3/16" thick steel barstock that is welded together at the corners. Carolina doors must be powder coat finished in order to hide the seams. Because this door is made from barstock, it has less character and detail than the Craftsman door but it is still very heavy duty and stylish. Example #2: Design Specialties Stiletto Cutback in Rustic Black. This is an aluminum door that has a very narrow frame. The advantage of aluminum doors over steel is simply price. This door is about 1/3 the cost of the Craftsman door, and a bit less than the Carolina door. I personally think it is a bit too contemporary in style than the steel doors, but that is a subjective call. Fireplace Door Photo Gallery Answer Provided By: Greg Tillotson Fireplace Door Expert https://www.hansenwholesale.com/fireplace-doors Want to see how various fireplace doors look on your fireplace? Read instructions for sending your pictures in here: Free Fireplace Door Design Service