Thursday, October 27, 2011

The next big thing and a request for help/advice

I have been working on a plan to update our livingroom for a while.  It is very much 70’s with glued on mirrors on the walls and an old cast iron fireplace that may or may not be safe.  Our gas company sent us a letter saying that they would pay for over half of the cost of replacing our fire place, and so I thought that while we were ripping out the fire place anyhow, I wanted to update that whole wall… which I think in turn will update the whole room.

So enter my pencil and drawings again.  Just like in the garden, I need a picture in my head of what I want and then go on to figuring out how to get it.  This is the plan…

From this:

_MG_4051

To this:

Image.jpg

  • I want to find some faux brick to extend the look to the opposing wall and then paint the brick white.
  • I want put in a new wooden mantel that is larger and is also based in the center of the wall (the current one is not even centered over the fireplace… which is weird.)  I am currently thinking a really dark stain, but it could be painted white also.
  • I want to put in a fireplace that doesn’t stick out into the room. 
  • Because the fireplace is higher up in the wall (and that isn’t likely to change) then putting a ledge shelf under the fireplace.  I am really not sure how we would do that.  I was thinking or mirroring the mantel, but I don’t think that a wood shelf under a fire place (even a gas one) would be a good idea. 

I do need some help though!  How would someone make faux brick inside the house that doesn’t stick out farther (or much farther) than the brick already in place?  And what kind of shelf would be safe under the gas fireplace (there is a small brick area between the fireplace and the wood floor so there can be supports that connect with that brick and nothing will be going into the floor).  And how in the world do you get the mirrors off the brick and the wall?  It’s seems like they are superglued up there… do I have to break them?

Any help you could give me would be great!  Thank you!

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3 comments

  1. Instead of a shelf at the base of the fireplace you might be able to make a plateform that is the top of it would be level with the fireplace. My parents wood stove had a plateform like "thing" made out of brick about a 6 inches off the floor and about 1 foot out around the stove. The was a place where wood could go, if ashes fell, they weren't on the floor and you could even out boots/shoes to drive using the wood heat there. Just a thought. Awesome drawing by the way! Good luck!

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  2. I would look at the hardware store for a glue solvent for to use on the mirrors - they might be able to suggest something.

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  3. Thank you guys! Those are the types of ideas I need. :) I love the idea of having more brick down there to bring the whole piece together!

    Blessings,

    Val

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