Need help with ideas to update fireplace

8 years ago

The fireplace is outdated. The home is a Colonial and I want to stick with the period. I do not have a big budget so I cannot completely re-face. Obviously I need to get rid of the brass accessories. I was thinking to maybe add decorative trim to the outside perimiter and leave a bit of brick exposed around the opening. Any opinions or ideas?

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Flo Mangan

7 years ago

This is a gorgeous room where you have done a great job of putting nice furniture pieces, drapery, etc. Get rid of brass or just paint it black. Replace sconce light fixtures if you can. Then find I nice piece of artwork that brings a modern vibe. Done. I think the fireplace is a piece that should just be preserved. Too much treatment and fireplace will dominate rather than compliment. Nice room, great woodwork. So glad you resisted painting it. You have good instincts. Follow your gut.

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Comments (18)

lahall01
8 years ago
I would try to reface it with tile either in granite or porcelain. Level it with the mastic or liquid nails.
cmeister419
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks, do you think it would look out of place? Although my decor is transitional, the design of the home is still rather traditional. There are elements of colonial style throughout.
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Inspired Closets of Greater Boston
8 years ago
Hang a sharp looking TV over it and call it a day :) It will give the whole room a modern feel.
miacometlady
8 years ago
I'd hire a person in a heartbeat to wrap the brick to create a new, colonial look!
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Monarch Sofas
8 years ago
a few examples of "updated" colonial fireplaces. not sure if these are in the budget, but maybe something worth saving for :)

xoxo eva @ MONARCH SOFAS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR FINISHED CUSTOM SOFA & SECTIONAL PROJECTS !

Family room designs · More Info

Ewing House Colonial Williamsburg · More Info

Vandalia · More Info
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Monarch Sofas
8 years ago
@ MIACOMETLADY i love it !!! how much does something like that cost approx. (i know depends on the area, just wondering if you had an idea)

xoxo eva @ MONARCH SOFAS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR FINISHED CUSTOM SOFA & SECTIONAL PROJECTS !
Darzy
8 years ago
How about 3 shades of "white"? I think the FP design on the brick is interesting where the inset is above the firebox and the rectangular brick insets flanking the box. Soooo, just barely accentuate the design. Get a "white" paint chip that has a hint, hint of gray on the darkest paint chip. For the mantel, paint it "white, then the bricks the off white, then the grout the gray white? I don't mean a lot of contrast, just enough to notice three shades. I think it would be interesting and lovely and still keep the original design. The hearth may be able to leave as is, with the barely gray grout lines. If the grout "gray' doesn't look right, you can simply paint it all the "white" and the recessed, rectangular sections an off white.

The good thing is, it's just paint so it won't be costly to give it a try.
cmeister419
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for the ideas! I like the idea of wrapping the brick with trim. I can't do the crown as there is already thick original walnut crown.

Darzy - I like the idea of the paint, I'm just nervous that if I ever want to go back to the original brick I'm screwed. At least if I wrap it with trim I can remove it.

What do I do with the mantle? It is solid walnut stained to match the trim in the room. It's original to the house so I hate to paint it. But if I did trim on the firplace I'd want it to be white
PRO
PaintColorHelp.com Dallas
7 years ago
My first thought was that your fireplace looks fine, it just needs a big mirror above it.

The fireplace doesn't seem "dated" to me. It's simply of its era. If the fire surround is all that bugs you, replace it. I took one of those brass surround/screens off entirely and liked the look without anything, so I left it that way. But you could always put a decorative screen in front if you prefer. While I paint brick fireplaces, I probably wouldn't in your case. I might (repeat, might) consider painting the mantle a lighter color for contrast (perhaps a white or off white drawn from one of your fabrics).

Had you thought about replacing the wall sconces with something a bit taller or more glam?

I would make some of these smaller changes first, and see if they get you where you want to be with the space, before undertaking something more permanent and expensive that you can't change back.
cmeister419 thanked PaintColorHelp.com Dallas
shirlpp
7 years ago
This post is 15 months old.
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Flo Mangan
7 years ago
Art work is very personal, but here are a couple to show how you could mix your fireplace with semi-contemporary pieces and with your "gray and earth tones" in your room.
Lattice Composition, Modern Grid Lines Wall Art, Giclee on Metal · More Info
You have to measure the space between your sconces and top to bottom between mantel top and crown molding (gorgeous!) and then leave 4 or so inches from your sconces and about 5" down from crown and up about 3-4" from mantel top. Roughly 2/3rds of that space for art. So size is important to this space. Also, bringing in some different "textures" would be interesting. Everything is pretty soft and smooth, so the piece above has a little bit of dimension to it. Something like that. Or,
Contemporary Hand Painted Canvas Art, Extra Large-Wide Open 1", 55x28 · More Info
This particular one is pricey and probably to large (at least too long) but it is the idea that I like. Some vertical shapes, and some colors that typify your palette with just a tickle or two of color, like the yellow. It's interesting, and again, brings some texture or at least the feeling of texture.
"Mirror 1"Original Abstract Art · More Info
this one is also probably too tall, but brings grays, whites and pops of aqua and yellow/greens, etc. Those are my thoughts.
cmeister419 thanked Flo Mangan
PRO
Flo Mangan
7 years ago
Just noticed this is old post. Did you fix it? Wondering now.
cmeister419 thanked Flo Mangan
decoenthusiaste
7 years ago
PaintColorHelp.com revived this 2014 dilemma!
cmeister419
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you - I'm glad it was revived because my fireplace still looks exactly the same lol. Paintcolorhelp.com - The fireplace was updated in the 70's so its not original to the house. I have no idea what the original looked like but I am trying to simulate what a fireplace would have looked like in a colonial/arts and crafts home in the late 1920's. I do plan on changing the sconces
cmeister419
Original Author
7 years ago
Flo Mangan - beautiful pieces but I am trying to stay away from contemporary in the house. All of my other pieces and mirrors in the house are very traditional
PRO
PaintColorHelp.com Dallas
7 years ago
cmeister419 - sorry about that. Houzz has an unfortunate tendency to put articles in the sidebar just based on subject - (they will relate to a question you just answered) and if you don't look closely, you won't notice that the dilemma is months or even years old!

On the fireplace, maybe I'm not seeing it clearly from the photo, but it sure comes off as more 20s than 70s. Perhaps they made an effort to imitate the style, even though it was done much later. Whatever the case, I stand by my original suggestions. Like Flo said, you have a good eye. I'd experiment with sconces and a mirror, and then call it good. Hope it all works out for you!
cmeister419
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you!!!