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Design Dilemma Polls Fireplaces

Is a 8ft fire place too big for my space?

4 months ago

Our living room dimensions are 19.5' wide by 22' long with 20' ceilings. Our dilemma is, I am worried our fire place will be too large for the wall (19.5). Currently the fire place is framed in at exactly 7ft from outside of 2x4 to 2x4. Our contractor tells us, that with real stone it will add 8-12" on the width making it closer to 8ft. If we go with faux stone it will be closer to the 7.5ft we had planned. Its only another 6 inches, but on an already large fire place we are worried. The fire box is 42", and we plan on adding a 15-18 inch hearth infront of the firebox. On either side of the fire place will be lower cabinets and two floating shelves above that. We intended to have 6ft of shelf, 7.5ft fire place, and then 6ft of shelf to fill the wall. An inspiration photo is attached. Any opinions are appreciated, bc we dont know which way to go.. Thank you

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Comments (8)

chispa
4 months ago
Our first house had a large real stone fireplace. The house was a decent size, but not huge. I didn't like that the fireplace used up so much interior sq/ft., specially in the family room.

Is this your only living space?

How much furniture and people do you want to fit in the room?

Will the scale of the fireplace overwhelm the scale of everything else you are doing in the house?
Daniel Meyer
Original Author
4 months ago
Its the main living space, open concept, kitchen opens to living room, also main and lower hallways as there is a balcony overlooking the living room. ill attach the best pictures iv got and a rough draft of the floor plan. sizes are close but not exact
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My 1924 home has 8' ceilings and 8" baseboards. I love substantial moldings--most homes I see here on Houzz have skimpy, out of proportion moldings. "Postwar all the trim got small for some reason"--yes, due to COST. After WWII so many homes were needed that the builder homes were all cookie-cutter and mass produced (Levittown anyone?). Keeping costs down was a priority so the builders could earn a profit while not charging too much for the servicemen who came back from the war who had limited funds. So things like good proportions, plaster walls, nice trim was replaced by small, lower quality homes with skimpy clamshell moldings, no fireplaces and hollow core doors. The ironic thing is that today's new homes are even less well made than in the sixties. I grew up in a sixties home and have lived in a 1924 home for many years now. No comparison--my home is almost 100 years old and will probably stand for another 100 years unless some idiot decides to knock it down and build a monstrous McMansion.
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Okay, thanks to all of you. Ninigret, no it can't be cancelled, and rather than lose any money, Hubby said if it doesn't fit comfortably in the space, then we'll order a smaller one and I'll use the larger one in my Sewing Room. Becky, okay here is the math, 2 ft. depth for the china cabinet, and 2 more ft. to open the doors, 1 ft. X 2 for each end chair, the chairs are each 2 ft., so we are at 10 ft. so far, add in the 8 ft. table and there we have it ~ 18 ft. from wall to end of D.R. Dining room is 15 ft. long by 13 ft. wide. Claire Larece I do have one picture that was in the Listing (remember we haven't moved in yet), but the last owner's table is in the room. Table won't be delivered until end of July, but I think I can get one off the website. Kathryn P. no other place for the china cabinet. Will work on posting some pics. The more I talk about with other people, the more I'm convinced that I need to get a smaller table. I'm absolutely in love with this one however, because it would fit my entire family of 13. Grandkids don't want to sit at the counter any more.
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I am being a nooge I know, but I can't get a handle on the room. Honestly, two more questions and that's it. Can the fireplace be moved elsewhere? What is the credenza next to the Christmas tree? Floors are gorgeous; love your air locked entry and you have snow! Meantime, I think the entry wall should have something that makes the space feel like a foyer. This could be a good spot for the storage ottomans...mittens, hats, etc. The center ceiling light, I'm assuming it was hung so it could be seen from outside through the half moon window. Forgetting table and chairs for now, what if you position your sectional, coffee table, rug, chair right in the middle of the window? (Love the continuous rod and added match stick blinds. Any interest?)
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Daniel Meyer
Original Author
4 months ago
Daniel Meyer
Original Author
4 months ago
Space
Daniel Meyer
Original Author
4 months ago
Space
Paul F.
4 months ago
I love a fireplace with a lot of presence like this former design dilemma. I hope she kept that real stone.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 months ago
PLEASE not stacked stone for sure. I have a stone FP in my LR it is 10' wide 4' deep and 8' tall my space is 15 x25 the FP is on the 25' wall but has wide walkways on either side . I love it , it also forms the wall in my kitchen where I have my gas range
Jenny
4 months ago
My living room has a fireplace very close to your size, the room is 15x20' with a lower ceiling and the proportions feel fine. It looks a lot like the photo posted by Paul above. Don't go skimpy here, if you go much narrower it will look like a pole.

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