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Home Decorating Fireplaces

Proportions of fireplace, surround and mouldings

3 years ago

Hi Houzzers
What’s wrong with this fireplace? This is the feature wall in my living room. We replaced the fireplace this summer, along with the window mouldings and fireplace tile surround. We just added the foreplace mouldings this weekend and it doesn’t look right. Did i get the propotions wrong ?

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Comments (3)

PRO
Greta Interiors
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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.
HU-187528210
3 years ago
I agree to float it. I also think the window above it it unnecessary and it’s just clashing with the sharpness and neatness of the FP. What are you able to change? Do you want to remove the window? Do you want to reface and possibly reshape the FP? Leave it and work with it?....
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You're right. It's a mess. Not to put too fine a point on it.... :>) Look at Lyban's exanple, and at Annie's first example, to see what the proportion issue is. At the moment, your mantel is too skimpy, your tiles are too big, your side sections are too narrow, and the molding around the tiles is too small and uninteresting. So it needs some rejiggering to fix those issues. Pal is right about adding the chimney breast above. I would: ...pull off all the trim, and build the false wall above (taking care to line the sides up precisely with the sides of your lower section, not the edge of the mantel shelf). ...install a deeper and more fully trimmed mantel to reduce the dimension of the section between the firebox and the bottom of the mantel assembly. ...pull off the tiles and replace them with tiles that are a quarter the size of the ones there now (which look like floor or shower wall tiles) with a glossier finish, or whatever you like, and build the wall in around those. ...and add molding around the tiles that is the right style and heft to bring the whole thing into proportion.
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I looked at your ideabooks. You are going about this the right way. You might want to consider starting an idea book for your three seasons porch. Bear in mind that there are many different names for a “three seasons porch”, such as sun room, solarium, all seasons room, and Florida room. using different names might get you more results in your search.
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I am posting more pictures to better reflect the colour on the wall on the panel moulding in more subtle lighting (taken over the holidays). We are also looking at a surrounds that have less detail. I like the second one which won't compete with the moulding but my husband is afraid it's too plan. Style of surround not withstanding, I think it will be a less distinctive chose that will allow the rest of the room details to shine. Very excited about having a hearth.
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Comments (7)
Thanks everyone for your suggestions! M Brown, I didn't think about the TV being over the fireplace. It is a working fireplace, but we never use it, so that shouldn't be an issue. decoenthusiaste, our adjoining space is a light smoky blue, and I agree, the blue and brown look great together. We are still playing around with colors but haven't found that "wow" combination. If anyone has thoughts on what to do with those bump-out areas, please let me know. Thanks!
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4arnottp
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for those helpful ideas!

I cannot change the window this year, but have certainly thought about it. It is the only place in the house with the round windows and they don’t do a thing for me!

The fireplace is new though, so it has to stay. I could paint the trim of the inset a pale colour (grey IMO). Thoughts? If I also painted the trim around the stone a pale grey, would that work?

I like the idea of floating the fireplace- thanks!

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