Hey guys! Today I’m talking all about a project that I have been waiting months to complete! Actually since the first time we walked into our house (before we even made an offer) I knew that this update was a must. I remember standing in the living room with my husband and realtor and my husband saying, “Ok, what are you already planning?”
I grinned at the empty wall and said, “Wouldn’t a fireplace look amazing right here?”
The realtor immediately agreed while my husband just rolled his eyes, but I knew already that this was our home and I would have a fireplace on that wall! Flash forward four months and it’s finally finished!
The first thing we had to decide was whether to do a gas fireplace or electric. Since we don’t spend a ton of time in here as a family we opted for electric. This not only saved us thousands of dollars on a gas line, but made it possible for my husband to do the installation. (If you choose gas the installation needs to be done professionally so it’s vented properly.)
There are a lot of electric fireplaces to choose from, but in the end I was very impressed with Dimplex and how real their flames look. I ordered the Dimplex Prism that can be recessed inside a wall.
Next, my husband cut a hole in the wall to slide the fireplace into. But what's on the other side you ask? My closet! Yes, my fireplace is hidden by my clothes at the moment lol! He made sure to add some framing to maintain the wall's strength, and we had our electrician put in an outlet in the closet to plug it in to. He then wired that to a switch on my living room wall so it can be easily controlled.
Then came the stone. We used the same Marble veneer that's in our family room to maintain the unity of the open spaces. Typically when stone is added to a wall there's backing (like metal lath or cement board) put on first, but since this veneer was not heavy our installer just stuck it to the drywall. (I would suggest speaking with a professional before doing this yourself.)
Finally my husband and brother in law cut the reclaimed beam we bought at a local salvage shop (and lugged around for months) to fit as the mantle. It's about one hundred yrs old and came with a lot of history. I love the rustic bit of warmth it adds to the space. To hang it they stuck lag bolts in the back of the mantle, and carefully drilled holes in the stone to fit the bolts. I'm sure I'm missing some steps, but all we really care about is the after right? So here you go lol!
The mood board I created as soon as the builder accepted our offer.
The finished fireplace.
Now I have the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine and some soft music. Who am I kidding? The baby doesn't allow that! LOL! But at least it's a beautiful room that was so fun to design and watch come together. If you would like help designing a space in your home, schedule your free call with me today!