Live Slab Modern Fireplace Surround - Cool Idea?

last year

last modified: last year

Respectfully, please don’t auto-ignore my question/OP to suggest radical/expensive alternatives.

In terms of cost, we’re limited; however, we only need to cover cost of material + wood working prior to install.

We’d like to take our existing fireplace and make it appear that a giant piece of walnut wood is growing up towards the mantle as the fireplace surround. Keeping the white brick in the middle.

Current Photo of Fireplace:

Here’s the concept, but imagine this look, with one single slab instead of individual boards.

To minimize costs (because a single slab large enough would cost a fortune), we would use do two pieces on each side (grain going vertical), and in the middle, glue other pieces, match the grain up, so it looks like one slab.

Fireplace us Aprox 6.5ft and mantle would be 4.5ft. Also, we would do a thick mantle. That said, we don’t want it to look rustic either.

Feedback on my idea?

Featured Answer

rbhirano

last year

I think this is beautiful! Done correctly by a professional, it will look stunning in your home. I live in a MCM home and a, getting ready to redo our fireplace wall. It is currently thick, ugly, dirty, brown stone.

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Comments (23)

lkloes
last year
Respectfully, this will look like an odd DIY project. Why not just go with a live slab piece of furniture somewhere in the room? Use the exact finish of your new slab table on a chunky wood mantle.
Zach
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Thanks for your feedback. To be clear, it will all be professionally done (polished/sealed walnut slab). I guess you’re not a fan of the concept photo above either?
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Zach
Original Author
last year
I’m actually now thinking that having the grain run horizontal will provide a more modern look and feel, so may consider that change.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
I think the idea is awesome but you will need to very carefully plan out the look or it will look like a DIY disaster. . Is this an actul working FP and if so gas or wood burning? The firebox to me looks like a decor FP that ws never meant to work . Maybe explain a bit more about the actul FP.IMO if only for looks why not do a real horizontal electric FP and then do what you are planning.
felizlady
last year
Local building rules and restrictions will likely give you a minimum distance between a fireplace opening and ANY flammable material. You may be required to have proper permit and inspections to satisfy code requirements. Failure to follow code may invalidate your home insurance if there ever is a fire.
Zach thanked felizlady
lkloes
last year
I do like the inspo photo and yes, running the grain horizontally will look much better!
Zach thanked lkloes
la_la Girl
last year
I like the inspo photo also - it will take a lot of care to get the furnishings correct in a room with this strong of a focal point but if it is pulled together well then I think it could be a lovely warm organic space - that said, definitely make sure the professional you hire is tracking codes as @felizlady says
Zach
Original Author
last year
Thank you for the reassurance! Based on the initial feedback, I was starting to really doubt the concept.

The fireplace is working, and in the future for this one specifically, we would convert to gas. For now, we will not use it beyond decor. We have another fireplace in the basement that we use. Also, this doesn’t conflict with code, as long as we leave the brick in the middle, which we plan to do.

Now that we’re going horrizontal, i’m wondering if a live edge mantle would be cool or feel too rustic?

Essentially, it would be similar to a waterfall edge, where the mantle and surround look like one solid piece.

Totally agree about making sure it’s done well, to achieve the right effect vs. DIY mess.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Great idea. You say you are budget minded at this point... not real, but it looks great and is $.

https://www.stikwood.com/

Look at gallery photos, especially the wall behind a headboard.
Zach
Original Author
last year
@elcieg - It looks like they only sell strips, nothing that is one full solid piece right? I agree, it is a good less expensive alternative. Thanks for sending!
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Yes, it looks like just strips. Your inspiration photo, do you think that is just one piece?

My friend lives in what was once a boys' sailing camp. House is on the water, with a huge dock, panoramic views...worth probably $3.mil....I am telling you this because all the floors in her house are plywood Whoever laid the floors back in the 1940's had a good eye. Each 48" square piece was laid randomly, stained and finished with a low gloss, resulting in each piece showing a different grain Gorgeous!

So, maybe a good piece of plywood (grade A) , cut to fit the fireplace surround, stained and finished would give you the same look?
rbhirano
last year
Following this closely as we are getting ready to remove the stone on our fireplace wall. I love this concept photo - your fireplace will look beautiful! I think the live edge will look great. If you remove the bark on it, that will likely make it look less rustic. I have been trying to figure out how to put up a live edge mantle on our fireplace without it looking rustic. Is it possible for you to post the link to the original concept photo? qI would also love to see photos, if possible, that Julianna mention of the plywood floor. Thanks.
Zach thanked rbhirano
Zach
Original Author
last year
@elcieg - To your point, the inspiration photo is wood planks. I love you’re trying to think of ways to achieve the design on budget. We’re going to look at plywood as an option, however I’m not confident it will achieve what I want.

There’s only 12” around, which also isn’t a ton of space to apply wood and make an impact - this is because I don’t want to go beyond the width of the hearth (which is 12” out from the brick edge on each side). I may go slighly wider on the piece going across the top, it just depends.
elcieg
last year
I can't wait to see an after photo of your fireplace. Please post it.
kandrewspa
last year
For a MCM look (not rustic) you don't want a live-edge mantel. I love live-edge tables - maybe as another commenter said you could look at getting a piece of furniture for the room like that instead of doing a live-edge mantel.
Zach
Original Author
last year
We created a template to confirm the optimal dimensions before having the walnut slab surround custom made. I think the dimensions look good.

Depending on how thick the surround is, we may also have the mantle piece have a slight overhang on the side.

The mantle piece is part of the original beam that previously span across the ceiling.

Cardboard represents the surround and is 12.5” all the way arround, about the distance between the edge of the hearth and edge of white brick.
Zach
Original Author
last year
@kandrewspa, @elcieg, @Patricia Colwell Consulting, @la_la Girl, @felizlady, @rbhirano,

Hi, Below is the surround being made. It won’t look exactly like what I suggested, but it will look great. Once done, you won’t see the seams as much.

We originally wanted to find a way to incorporate the original beam spanning across the ceiling, which was removed due to structual changes. It’s pine with a reddish varnish to make it look like red wood.

I have the following options:

1) I wrap it in walnut, the same walnut in fact, which in someways defeats the intent, but should still look good.

2) Have the woodworker torch the beam, making it look black, which may not look great or could be cool?

Thoughts?
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Your goal was to make it not rustic. I think adding that piece atop the surround will make it look just that. Could you slice the wood and position the mantel as in your inspiration photo, off-side? If so, then I would have it the same as the surround.

Are you keeping the coffee table? Not sure I love the floors, the coffee table and the surround all together. Seems like a competition; which wood wins. Notice in your photo all the wood is the same tone. Not that I prescribe to matching woods, necessarily, but in your scheme I think one has to go. I like the surround with the hearth; I like the hearth with the sofa; and I like the floors with everything. I voting against the coffee table top. Maybe you could repurpose the base?
Zach thanked elcieg
Zach
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
@elcieg - we just moved in and haven’t had an opportunity to buy new furniture - that’s TBD. Agree with your point regarding too many woods.

I’m not interested in going thin on the mantle and making it off center, same as the inspiration photo… that said, as a 3rd option, I could not use the beam, and just stack walnut on top of itself to create a beam look (mabye 3” thick).

Thanks for the feedback!
Zach
Original Author
last year
Here’s the beam after being torched, we’ve been planning to use for the mantle.

At this stage, we’re planning to use this for the mantle, either 1) as-is, or 2) wrapped in walnut, or 3) have a thin slice of walnut on the top and/or bottom to make it look more cohesive (will need to see what it looks like to know if that will work).

I kinda like the torched wood concept, because it’s still sort of in a natural state and incorporates/reuses an original architectural component.
Zach
Original Author
last year
Quick Update: Not going torched, it just won’t look good together (see below)... So we’re just going to wrap it in the same walnut. Should still look good.
Zach
Original Author
last year
Here’s the FP surround. Please disregard the furniture and we’ll most likely consider different decor (using what we have for now). Also, we’re not done hanging up art/moving furniture, so just disregard those details for now.

Only thing we’ll probably be changing is the mantle, by going with something more slim (2.5” or so thick) and slightly deeper in the future, so this way it’s the same volume/width of wood all the way arround the FP, even with the mantle.

The person we hired also didn’t follow instructions in terms of grain matching so it would appear as one single slab, but we’re okay with it, given the price we paid.