Ideas and help with large, off center fireplace
Emily Eisman
2 years ago
We recently bought a house and the living/family room has this large-mantled fireplace. We know we want to change the color of the room but what to do with the fireplace? Also, as far as paint colors go, any recommendations? Any suggestions for a reasonably priced solution are most welcome. Thank you!
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KW PNW Z8
2 years ago
Yayagal
2 years agoRelated Discussions
HELP!! I need landscaping ideas with off center front door!
Comments (8)I do not find it disconcerting in the least that the door is not centered. Having it off-center in the porch area is as common as air. It might seem more noticeable now because the house has an unfinished look and a certain "emptiness" about it, which will all change as you add landscaping and the finishing touches. The black shutters seem okay ... like black eyeliner making the window features look larger. But the black posts remind me of black lipstick or fingernail polish. They look ghoulish. So I'd paint those white and another thing that would make the porch seem stronger visually is the addition of filigree trim at the top (at both front and sides.) I've used this before and it makes a huges difference. The trim I'm speaking of is made to go at the top of cabinets so it's a ready-made, big-box item. Or you could make something if you're handy with simple carpentry. One more thing I'd do there is add full length shutters along each side of the door to expand its size and importance. (This, again, is along the lines of how eyeliner makes eyes look larger.) If the door seemed larger, the porch area it would seem less "empty" looking. If ready-made shutters won't clear the utilities, make a pair of simulated shutters that will. They don't have to match existing shutters. And I'd paint the door and door frame white, too. (The darker grey adds a gloomy, instead of cheery, touch, I think.) A bench or seat of some time below the porch window would be a nice touch, too. You stated that everything was now paved, so it's probably too late for my walk suggestion. However, if not, I'd create a walk that acts as a landing for the entire front of the porch so as to make entering it seem like a spacious, unconfined experience. It would also leave some space for planting at the left side of the garage. Since that's blank wall space, a pair of matching small trees could flank the garage. (Such trees would be made of shrubs that only get 9'-10' height so as to minimize maintenance. One would pick the shrub that adds the particular personality they are looking for.) The rest of the plant suggestions are more or less self explanatory as to heights you might consider and the placement of foliage masses. This post was edited by Yardvaark on Tue, May 28, 13 at 10:38...See MoreOff center fireplace help...
Comments (8)I like the Instagram picture. If you're going to go asymmetrical, it has to be way off center so it looks like a design feature, not an accident. I like the look of the stone (I'm assuming you plan to remove the small brick surround you have currently). I think going floor to ceiling would actually add some visual height to the room which would be nice. If you're unsure, you could try painting the wall (and the brick surround, if its definitely going away) to emulate where you want to put stone. It would help you get the feel for what it would look like. This would let you play with proportion as well, to figure out how wide you want to go. (I think i would go more narrow that it is tall. I like the proportions you mocked up in scrap wood.)...See MoreKitchen sink centered or off centered under large kitchen window
Comments (15)How much hand-washing do you do--sterling/silverplate, crystal, plastics, pots and pans? Or, do you throw everything in the DW? That would factor into the decision---if you throw everything in the DW, then you are mostly looking down while you scrape the plates and load the DW. But if you hand wash many items and enjoy gazing at the view as you work, then an off-center sink will work better. Also, how much prepping do you do before cooking? Chicken nuggets, frozen pizza, canned vegetables, or do you cook from scratch, and spend a lot of time rinsing and chopping vegetables and meats? If the latter, then the solid wall will be in your view while prepping, if the sink is under the left window. A couple of other things to consider are 1) distance from sink to range and 2) distance from sink to fridge. NKBA's recommendation for prep space is 48" (36" minimum), so with the sink centered on the studs, you'll have the perfect amount of prep counter. With the sink offset, you'll have an extra step or two between the sink and range, but extra steps are good exercise. :) The recommended max distance between any two appliances in a work triangle is 9' (108"), but in the plan with the off-centered sink you'd have almost 11.5' (136"). Again, just a step, or two, so if you don't cook a lot, it won't make that much difference. The island, as drawn, also intersects the path between sink and fridge, (but not more than the NKBA recs), but I have an idea which will eliminate that and incorporate the support posts. Other advantages to having the sink closer to the range, are that it leaves more prep space on the left side, for a helper, and more space to store dishes on that side, so a helper can unload the DW, or gather dishes to set the table, without interfering in your prep tasks. I'm posting this here, instead of the other thread, to save time. You might consider using a table/island combo, with the table being the same width as the outside measurement of the posts. NKBA guidelines GW Kitchens discussions--dishes in drawers...See MorePlain wall, off center fireplace, please help?
Comments (7)Agree with gracie01. Move TV to console on left of FP. Make sure the console is at least 2/3 the width of the space from the corner to the FP and center it in that space. Hard to tell but I think I would go with a much larger rug so the recliners are on it or pull the recliners in so the walkway is behind them...See More
PROHansen Wholesale
2 years ago
Emily Eisman
2 years agoThanks for the comments all. I like the DIY if it is easy. We are not super handy (this is the first home we’ve owned). Here are photos of the room as it is now without the bear decor(not ours). The electric insert will definitely be removed. We didn’t have the chimney fully inspected yet but we know there is no gas line. The plantation shutters can go and the trim can be painted if that’s a good idea (though not sure cause of the knots in the pine). The carpet will likely go as well but we haven’t decided what to do with that yet either. The room is about 16’ x 12.5’ Thanks for any further ideas and advice!
KW PNW Z8
2 years ago
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Emily EismanOriginal Author