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Remodeling Design Dilemma Fireplaces

Fireplace/ Surround Proportions?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I am remodeling my living room and could use some advice on how to handle renovating the fireplace. The trim is all being painted white, the walls TBD, and the floors are going to be a wide whitewashed European oak. The ceiling is 9ft high. The fireplace itself is 39"W. The orange wall (which will not remain orange) is 6.5ft.

My questions are whether there are standard proportions to follow when doing a fireplace surround. I am replacing the mantle with a single beam mantlepiece and plan to tile beneath it (possibly above, TBD). What I am not sure is how wide to go with the tile and where to position the new mantle. I also want to make the base of the fireplace (currently 18") smaller so it doesn't take up such a large footprint. Any advice or if you know of any guides or standard proportions you can direct me to, I would very much appreciate it!

Thank you!

u

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Comments (4)

Theresa Janssen
3 years ago
how fun to be doing a refresh of your room. I am not a professional so I dont know the regulations and code for fireplaces, so i cant answer those types of questions. I do think though that I would keep your fireplace surround very simple. I say that because you also have to work with the 3 windows on the right and right now the fireplace seems to not quite work with those windows. I think part of it is the color, i would keep the wall color consistent with the rest of the room. the other idea is to just tile that corner and feasibly not have a mantel or hearth, just keep it simple. heres a few ideas. I will also say the way you approach the fireplace depends on the feel you want for the room in total. heres the concepts I was trying to explain
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Brittney Hundt
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Thank you, @Theresa Janssen! The fourth image you sent was actually one of my inspiration images! I would love to do away with the hearth entirely but I am still researching codes relevant to my particular fireplace. I 100% agree with you that it needs to be simplified. I am considering the color Whipped by Clare paint (a warm white) for the entire room and some sort of white stone/tile for the fireplace. You would run the tile all the way up and forgo the mantle? I would consider skipping the mantle, but I do like the idea of a simple beam *if* it won't clash with the windows. It is fun planning the reno - but it does make me question whoever designed the room to begin with!
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I was planning to use this fireplace surround for my remodel: but when we were laying it out with the location of the existing firebox I found the proportions very odd. The firebox is 20"X42", and 6" off the floor. If I leave the surround as is, I would have a 6" filler panel to the floor (flush hearth) and a 14" filler panel on top before the surround. Thought about cutting the surround down so I'd have 6" above and below the firebox, but I have 11'3 ceilings and I'm worried about the proportions if the surround is only 41" high. Thinking about adding a raised hearth, but I don't think that solves my problem. Maybe a raised hearth and raise the whole thing up to the full height of the surround? Has anyone seen a good solution to this type of problem?
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If you google "faux fireplace" there's lots of ideas on how to use it without an actual firebox, if that's what you're thinking. Here is a Candice Olson design where she used a mirror and candles, but I think it would be even better with an antique surround.
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Well, let's see. Its dark with a busy stone face in a room with light paint color and trim. Its outlined in black when the windows are white. Its rectangular when you have very distinct curving visual elements all around it. Replace the facing stone with something smooth and white, paint the trim, replace the inset with a cool-toned metal and you will be good to go. I would also probably "float" it so it doesn't touch the floor (if possible) and continue the baseboard under it.
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I would not do the steel over the fireplace. It cuts the room in half. Right now the room is long and that makes it feel narrow. I would make the fireplace a few inches taller and stucco the area you were going to do in steel. You could also do a judges panel treatment on that part or on the end wall. Another option is Italian or limestone plaster on the area above the stone.
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Brittney Hundt
Original Author
3 years ago
@Theresa Janssen would you tile the entire 6.5 width of the orange wall?
Theresa Janssen
3 years ago
yes I would tile the entire corner

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