Help fix our fireplace wall
7 years ago
We replaced a wood-burning fireplace with gas (which we love!) and a skylight above.
The idea initially was to clad the wall. Unfortunately, this meant that the installation wasn't perfectly smooth. We have since been through a few rounds of plastering and painting but it's still rough around the edges of the gas fireplace.
We don't want to spend a fortune on this wall, nor do we want to do anything that will be unappealing to any future buyers.
I have considered the super-thin large format tiles (like Kerlite or Slimtech) but have been told they can be pricey. Regular tile or stone is tricky to get it to look right because of their thickness interacting with the angles of the wall, skirting etc. Also, you might not see it from the photos but because of the chimney the top part of the wall above the mirror leans in at a slight angle.
Eager to hear what you would do in this situation!
The idea initially was to clad the wall. Unfortunately, this meant that the installation wasn't perfectly smooth. We have since been through a few rounds of plastering and painting but it's still rough around the edges of the gas fireplace.
We don't want to spend a fortune on this wall, nor do we want to do anything that will be unappealing to any future buyers.
I have considered the super-thin large format tiles (like Kerlite or Slimtech) but have been told they can be pricey. Regular tile or stone is tricky to get it to look right because of their thickness interacting with the angles of the wall, skirting etc. Also, you might not see it from the photos but because of the chimney the top part of the wall above the mirror leans in at a slight angle.
Eager to hear what you would do in this situation!
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7 years ago- 7 years ago
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- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years agoFollowing up to show what we ended up doing, spending as little as possible.
I talked to several tilers, but at the end of the day our walls are so wonky and not straight that the only tile we could use would be modern-looking "stacked stone", which we didn't feel suited this old house.
The gas fireplace shop was able to create the surround for us, to our dimensions, for $215. The man who services the fire annually installed it for free while doing his normal servicing. We also got a slate pool table top for free off of Gumtree, and we had a handyman neighbour cut it to replace the skirting and hearth.
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- 7 years agoThat is helpful, thank you, @LesleyH. I was wondering about maybe a vinyl wall decal, looking something like this (sorry bad photoshopping; just the black lines, not the white box).
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- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
PRO7 years agoHi, consider Zero.3 tech. Super thin, flexible and resistant. Awesome finishes available. See below, marble, wood, concrete effects.
Pretty awesome!
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- 7 years agoTwo photos. One is a bit darker so you can see that the window is pink. If you have cushion colour suggestions I'd love to hear them, too. Thank you!
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
7 years agoI think you should get a framed vintage print, like a Bally one, adds some colour and doesn't compete with era of house. We had vintage ski posters (we're mad skiers) above the fireplace in our old 1920s home and it looked great.
Sorry the photos look a bit crap taken in bad light but you get the idea.
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7 years agoHi Elisa, the fiddle leaf fig looks great there!! :-) Re your mirror, have you ever considered a round mirror on your fireplace to match your window and soften some of the harder angles in the room? I feel your current mirror does somewhat overpower the area, mainly because of its heavy frame, and something much finer (perhaps with a lighter coloured frame) would be less imposing.
Re artwork, I could see something colourful looking great on the wall above your bookcase there, and a few colourful cushions/throw on your lounge would pull all the colours together and brighten what is already a lovely and interesting room. Good luck!
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- 7 years agoFinished product! Glad I switched the rug the other direction, and the round table kind of plays off the circle window. Truly thankful for all your help! This was fun and I am so happy with the end result. :)
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