Happy Tuesday everyone.
Sorry my posts have been so spaced out lately. We have had a lot going on with last minute house related decision making and I've also been making a whole boatload of changes at work, so needless to say, my brain has been occupied.
Today however, I'd like to take a quick break from my daily chaos to run some stuff by you. I have been debating lately over the overall style and look of our fireplace. The decisions associated with designing a fireplace have been enough to give me a facial tick and a new love of hard alcohol.
When designing a fireplace you have to choose the overall style, ie. Modern, Craftsman, Rustic, Traditional, etc. You also, have to choose tile, stone, metal etc, for the surround. You also have to decide if you want a big mantel or a small dainty one. You need to know if you want the fireplace to stick out from the wall or be flush with the wall. You need to decide if you want a hearth or not. You need to decide if you want wood trim around the stone, tile, etc. Gas or wood? Screen or Glass?
ARGGHHH!!!
ARGGHHH!!!
It's maddening.
We decided on a classic wood burning fireplace, and now, it's time to make it pretty.
We decided on a classic wood burning fireplace, and now, it's time to make it pretty.
So after approximately 17,000 hours spent looking through photos on www.Houzz.com, as well as perusing home renovation blogs online for people who have tackled this same project themselves, lets just say I'm ready to make a decision, or rather, have one made for me before I spontaneously combust.
So, here are some example photos of what I have narrowed it down too.
All thoughts are welcome!...
...unless you plan on telling me you hate what I've picked, in that case you should just be quiet.
All thoughts are welcome!...
...unless you plan on telling me you hate what I've picked, in that case you should just be quiet.
We are going for a Craftsman style with white woodwork.
I love the white trim work on this fireplace and the deep mantel is right up my alley. My husband would however like a hearth so that would have to be added...
....kinda like this photo...
I'm not crazy about the style of stone, but I totally love the mantel and the beadboard addition above the stone surround on this fireplace. I am however, a little concerned the carpentry talents needed on this one might be a bit above our heads....
Maybe not...I mean, we're pretty talented people... plus wood glue and putty can make anything look good...right?
I kid, I kid!
I'm not kidding..
So then there is this beauty...
Noticing a theme yet? Yeah me too.
So of course, as with the other pictures, I love the trimwork on this fireplace. Clean and classy. Not a huge fan of the tiles on this one though. Too gray and cold feeling for me....
...hey dummy, that's what the fire is for!...
Excuse me while the two opposing sides of my brain duke it out....
Okay, onward.
In our family room, to the right of our fireplace there will be a door going out to the wrap around porch, but we will have space to the left of our fireplace that I would like to put a built in cabinet for the DVD player and cable box as well as movies, games, and extra blankets. The attached cabinets in this picture are a good representation of what we would like, but they may be a little too tall for my taste. Plus I think our cabinets will actually have to stick out further than the face of the fireplace, as the fireplace is currently flush with our wall....
...was that all clear??...
...as mud? Yeah, I figured.
Here's what I meant...
Anyways, see how the cabinets are out further than the fireplace? We kind of have to do this, but I think we are going to attempt to build a small frame around the firebox opening that we will wrap with cement board and tile to give it a little depth instead of flat-faced against the wall.
I also like the dark counter tops on the cabinets in this picture. Helps to break up all the white woodwork.
And here's my favorite...
I love everything about this photo, with the exception of the river rock surround. I love the stone, but it may be just a little bit too largely scaled for me. I do however, ADORE the scale of the trimwork, the height of the cabinets on the sides, as well as the dark wood cabinet tops and mantel. It doesn't have a hearth, but we could always add one...
...or not. I know my husband wants one, but really, it looks so pretty without it, and why make the extra work for him us?
So after deciding on a pretty solid Craftsman design for the fireplace, all that I am left with is the stone to go inside the woodwork trim.
Here are my 4 final decisions, and luckily, they are actually only two kinds, just different colors.
Option 1:
I love the look of this stone. Not too rustic, definitely not too big, and it's just polished enough that at quick glance it could look like tile.
It also comes in a darker shade...
I love both, however, they may be a little too gray... I can't decide.
Option 2:
I really like this one. Its a little rustic, but since the stones are small and polished, it's not like the whole fireplace would look like it belongs in a backwoods cabin somewhere.
And the darker version...
I like this one because it's a tad darker and there are different variations of color, however, the name of it is "Sea Green Standing Pebble" so naturally that scares me that it will, in fact ,look green once its all up and attached.
So, what do you think? Any opinions on the stone would be appreciated, because as we all know, my decision making process is less practical and easy going, and more frantic and spastic...
:) ashley