A few weeks ago, a lovely friend, Kim of Favourite Things, asked if I might have any ideas of what to do with her “ugly” brick fireplace surround. Without even having a picture, I knew exactly what she was talking about. It seems that quite a few homes that were built 15-25 years ago have these brick fireplaces. We had one… We demo’d it… What a messy affair! Luckily she did not want/could not take it down… she was looking for something to mask it’s appearance.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Gladman
Photo Credit: Kimberly Gladman
Now these brick surrounds aren’t necessarily ugly, they just seem outdated amongst the rustic whistler style cultured stoned fireplaces, or the contemporary inserts that have a seamless chic concrete or drywalled surround below.
Eldorado Stone - http://www.eldoradostone.com/stonejournals/
[http://www.eldoradostone.com/]
Solus Decor - http://www.solus.com
L&S Home -
[http://www.smh.com.au/news/house–home/places-in-the-hearth/2007/07/18/1184559832376.html]
We knew that we had to work with what we had and therefore put our minds together to come up with a design that incorporated a fire-resistant surround and not disrupt the integral brick structure but to also update the look of our little “ugly” duckling.
This story does not have an ending quite yet…. stay tuned and see our happily ever after. Here is a teaser “mock-up” drawing of what is to come. UPDATE: click here to see the finished product!
