Sorry about all the drama with that login crap on our site… happy to report that is has been fixed up and we are planning to use condoms from now on. Seriously, what is up internet? How come you keep infecting us with your dumb herpes? Turns out the code in one of the pictures we used was pointing to another site. So rude.
Anyway, I’m still staring at the fireplace and running through various permutations to determine the most excellent outcome. I had almost decided to tear half of that monstrosity down when Karly rekindled an idea first sparked by this picture:
This is commenter MB From Dallas’ gorgeous home (featured in entirety at Head Over Heels — check out the landscaping!!!). I keep thinking about how that fireplace extends all the way to the ceiling and wishing hoping wondering if I could possibly do that too.
A reminder of the horrifying vision that greets us every day. The ceiling actually keeps going for several more feet up there, so extending the fireplace would be quite a job.
Love the ziggurat of white brick, but I think we’d be better off just continuing the fireplace up in a straight line.
So what do you peeps think? Tear half of the fireplace down? Build it all the way up?
Shake me to my senses and say, “just paint the damn thing already!”?
I vote on cutting it off at the mantle, painting the fugly brick and extending it to the ceiling with the taper as in picture 1. That is one high ceiling you have there.
I pull up your blog today and see a pic of my family room. (first photo) Too funny. Here is the deal, I have a love hate with the stone on my fireplace… I do like the tapered fireplace box that goes to the ceiling. The stonework, not so much. I have wondered if I should have a mason fill in all the gaps with mortar and allow just a bit of stone to show in a smooth surface? But this isn’t about my fireplace drama is it.
As for your fireplace drama… I think you are on to something. Box out a great framed fireplace ( like that fabulous white brick on in your post) and then do a taper to the ceiling.
How about this beautiful fall weather in Texas?
mb from big D.
The taper idea is interesting. Veddy Veddy interesting. Draw us up an elevation to determine if the scale is right
While I love the idea of having the stone continue to the ceiling (the drama!), I’m not sure it would work for you. Since you don’t actually like the fugly brick, it might not be the best thing to add more fugly brick – even painted. I like your idea of adding drama and accentuating the ceiling height. Would you consider a large piece of art? I believe paint is your friend.
Either tear half of it down, or just paint it already.
I don’t think going all the way up to the ceiling would work for you.
If you extend it like the pic, would you just build it out drywall? I’m all for that idea, can’t imagine it could be THAT crazy expensive.
And did the architect of this abode not believe in TV? That little corner is the only place to put it?! Oh no, girl.
Maybe people didn’t watch tv in the 70s? Because the only other place to put it is on the opposite side if the room, which makes zero sense. I think it’s actually going to be fine there once we mount it on the wall with an angle bracket. All the components and wires will be hidden elsewhere.
As for the fireplace, I may just paint it until i figure out what else to do. It’s nasty.
Oh and I’m totally redoing the furniture…
Definitely paint it, love the examples you showed. Can always extend it one day, very low on the list I’d say.
I’ll probably get crucified for this, but if it were my place (and I DO love it, the TV thing just boggles my mind), I’d consider removing and drywalling over the lower windows flanking the fireplace, then adding builtins, maybe with tambour doors to hide TV when not in use. There’s so much natural light in there, I doubt it would make a difference as far as that is concerned.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some money to print…
Paint those bricks! I think half the problem with that fireplace is that it’s too perfect. A perfectly smooth rectangle with perfectly smooth rectangular windows… I think what you are drawn to is an organic form, one that has soul, and that, my friend, you can’t rush. Let it fall to the back of your mind. I’m certain you will come up with a cost-friendly solution that will give you the drama of full height (you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?) with the charm of a hand-made hearth. Otherwise you might as well clad it in smooth stucco and go for full-on modern (which would also be lovely, by the way). Can we get a picture of the room from the ground level with the furniture in it? Or is that too stressful? I think the scale and solution will be more apparent if we can see what the room looks like from down below.
Hey Erin. Spent a moment thinking about your fireplace and this is what I am certain that you should do… Paint the bricks and spend the money that you would have renovating the fireplace on a fabulous piece of art work.
mb from big D.
When I first saw your firplace I thought to myslef, why doesn’t it go all the way to the ceiling?!
If it were me, the first thing I would do is rip that mantle off, fill any holes, paint it.
Are you thinking of painting it the same colour as your walls so stops causing all of those funny visual lines with the windows etc.?
I used this recipe for DIY chalk paint to do my fireplace. I didn’t want it to look like it was ‘painted’ but more like it was stained/limed. (My fireplace is gas so I could use whatever paint I wanted, I’m not sure this would work with wood though.) I used my wall colour and extra ‘chalk’ so I achieved a super flat finish.
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2011/09/make-your-own-chalk-paint-for-400.html
All the best! L
Thanks for the recipe — it’s awesome!
I think I am just going to paint/line/whatever it to start… will update when it’s done.
Just paint the damn thing already and mount your TV on it. The wall behind it is probably hollow and you could run the wires through it. This is by far the simplest and most elegant solution. Flat screen TVs are meant to be hung on walls and over fireplaces.
YES to drywall. That first pic – the white part looks like plaster (whether it is or not). A good carpenter could copy that for you, and if you eliminate the curved lines, a bad carpenter could pull it off. Aesthetic problem: your brickwork already extends above normal mantel height. Your girl MB’s doesn’t. It would read rather differently in your room. Either you need a good CGI to make the call, or just go for broke and try it live. (And maybe if you added a wood mantel and painted the brick white above that and the “hood” white, it would read correctly.)
Stressful restaurant dream = hilarious.
I’m with Kara! Paint that bitch and Mount the tv on it!. Please! You can’t leave your tv in the corner like that it just ain’t right.
Matt says building up (more brick, drywall, whatever) is easier than tear down, so there’s that. BUT I still think you’re ceilings are so high that it’s going to end up looking like a big looming monstrosity even if it is painted white all the way to the ceiling. You’re eye is going to go straight up.
I like the inspiration photo A LOT but i think in order to make that work you’re going to have to lower the brick some first, in which case you may as well just do the demo, no build, and move on. Just make Matt do it while you’re out of town because it’s going to be dusty and gross.
I agree, rip that mantle off, paint the brick for now and then smooth it along later. Bugger the TV! Leave is sans mantle!
The other fireplaces work to extend up because the scale of the fireplace is very large for the room, yours however is different. I think it would be best to pull all brink and mantel off and leave a clean sleek firebox. If that is not in the budget then just pull off mantel and paint that brick the wall color. Just my thoughts. I know you’ll work it out you have a great vibe. <3 ya posts
First, just take the mantle off. Then a few days later paint it – maybe black. Your tv would be stealth. Then relax and think about it.