I always try to start my posts with a pretty picture..but to get my point across I have to bend my rule.  This not so pretty picture (understatement for sure!) is what you saw when you opened the front door to my daughter, Shannon and son-n-law, Nate’s new house.

I just couldn’t understand the overall concept as to why they built this fireplace like they did.  It has no place for seating, and it sat so low to the floor and the wall space above it was so large it looked dwarf. I knew this whole set up was wrong, this fireplace needed to be the focal point when you opened the door, and this just wasn’t cutting it. This was one of the main things I wanted to tackle when they got the place.  And that I did.  First thing to do was to remove all that white tile and the choppy layered drywall mantel and the actual fireplace.

Then build a hearth so that you could actually sit around the fireplace. Which brought the fireplace up off the floor.

Now to finish it off with some tile.  I went with glass tile from Home Depot for the face of the fireplace.

Then for the hearth, I bought this cool poreclin basket weave from a local tile store with a matching quarter round to soften the square edges.

I had in mind a rustic looking mantel similar to this picture via House of Turquoise

One day when I was over checking out the progress on the place, I noticed a large piece of wood laying on the floor.  It evidently was a header that wasn’t going to be used, so I asked one of the carpenters if he would cut it and distress it for me so I could use it for the mantel.  Now the fireplace is not complete.  I took off the glass doors to paint the brass rail chrome and dang it I broke one of the pieces of glass.  (so typical!) So I am waiting on that piece before I can put the glass back in.  But I can’t wait any longer to show you the finished project!!  So here it is almost done (minus adding the decorating touches, it looks pretty bare right now)

Did you think I was going to use the tile horizontally?  Yep, so did Shanon and Nate.  I made a design decision to go vertical with the glass tile. I think it elongates the fireplace with the tall wall above it.  They like it, but where surprised when they saw it this way.   Just so that you don’t have to scroll back up the page for the before’s, here they are again with the afters.

Before..

After…

Before..

After

Now the fireplace is a focal point when you open the door. And to top it off, it is functional, you can actually sit around it and enjoy the fire.  On a side note, I am still thinking of sanding back the mantel just a bit, I think it may be a little too dark, what do you think? Oh and in case you might of noticed in one of the pictures, their TV stand is the industrial side table I posted about here.   They haven’t purchased a TV stand yet, so they are using this for now.  Which means I can’t finish the guest bedroom quite yet until they buy a TV stand, darn it.

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