Sleek, Beautiful Stone Slab Fireplace Surrounds
Refresh the look of your home's fireplace with a stone slab surround
With the shift of the seasons, many of you may have started using the fireplace, or are at least thinking about it. And maybe you're thinking about the look of yours?
Whether your leaning is modern or traditional, tile, brick or stone slab, there are countless ways to design a fireplace surround. Here, we'll look at stone slab options. Don't be intimidated by this often-overlooked project. If you're not in love with your existing fireplace, consider a redesign of the surround, mantle or both.
Whether your leaning is modern or traditional, tile, brick or stone slab, there are countless ways to design a fireplace surround. Here, we'll look at stone slab options. Don't be intimidated by this often-overlooked project. If you're not in love with your existing fireplace, consider a redesign of the surround, mantle or both.
For a more traditional look, a classic white wood mantel and Cararra marble slab surround is a great look that can work with any interior.
This unusual modern application of taupe-brown stone slab (I'm guessing a marble like Labrador Antique Light) trimmed with a sleek metal edge complements the dark paneled walls. I love how the mantel is painted the same black as the walls. This is a great way to make a space modern and traditional at the same time.
Here's a more Old-World stone mantel and matching stone (I'm guessing limestone or travertine). The hearth is raised off the floor and the slab material continues throughout the design.
Or go for no mantel at all. Slab material is great for this sort of fireplace design; it's simple, sleek and modern. The thick, raised hearth out of the same slab material is another interesting detail.
Here a honed black granite surround is flush with the wall and the floor and nicely complements the flush installation of the gas fireplace. Note how the stone slab runs farther out on the sides to accentuate the rectangle.
Here's another slab installation in gorgeous Calacatta marble, but this one is just slightly raised from the plane of the wall. This design could have easily had the stone run all the way to the ceiling, but I like how it stops partway up the wall and how the fireplace is higher off the ground than normal. This is perfect for the office, so you can get full view of the fireplace at all times from behind your desk.
If you're looking for a bit more detail than a simple slab, but you don't want a wood surround, think about ways to treat the stone with more detail. Here the stone ledge projects past the face of the surround on the outside edge, and the surround is stepped to give the stone a shadow line and more architectural detail.
Here's a more modern application using two types of stone: a mix of charcoal gray and white marble. The simple detail of the raised hearth and peek of white marble underneath is very modern and sculptural.
Fireplaces don't have to be symmetrical. I love the simplicity of the simple stone ledge and offset firebox and how the stone slab runs the full length of the wall.
More: 16 Stunningly Beautiful Fireplaces
Where to Put the TV?
Photo: Browse photos of fireplace designs
More: 16 Stunningly Beautiful Fireplaces
Where to Put the TV?
Photo: Browse photos of fireplace designs
Tip: Stone slab material can be more expensive than stone tile, but look for remnant material at your local stone supplier.