What country and state are you in? That will affect whether you need a fireplace. I like freestanding bookcase/storage units, they must be attached to the wall if tall and not deep. If getting custom built get at least 3quotes. Finally, there are DIY shelves available at hardware outlets and stores like Ikea.

photos Jan

I didn't specify the fireplace - it was the one they owned, so I'm not sure of the brand but many gas fireboxes can be installed in the same way. Try Jetmaster - their Heat N Glow range has similar designs.

Lovely fireplace, but back to the two main questions. Will removing the render make a mess? Yes, there is no easy, clean way to remove render, and there is no guarantee that the material underneath the render will be in a condition that you would want to live with, without additional finishing. The fine dust will be the worst as it gets everywhere. Is there sandstone under the render? Based on the age of the house and being of cheaper weatherboard construction I would have thought it unusual to have an expensive, labour intensive sandstone fireplace, unless it was a sandstone veneer on top of structural brickwork, which was commmon in the late 1950's and 1960's. However you did mention that there are sandstone stumps which are pretty rare, as hardwood, brick or concrete stumps were commonly used. Why would anybody craft sandstone stumps? Your close-up photo does look like it may be sandstone, although it could be where the decorative, textured, top render coat has chipped away from the coarser, base render coat. I am curious to know why anybody would render a sandstone fireplace, and the sandstone plinth below the weatherboard? I think that the first thing you need to do is to confirm that the stumps and plinth are actually sandstone, as they would be very unusual for a 1950's weatherboard house. I am not sure how structurally safe sandstone stumps would be unless they were broad and shallow, not thin and tall like most stumps. The curved, upper part of the fireplace is most likely bricks laid as a soldier course, with render over the top, as curved sandstone slab is hard to carve cost-effectively. If the height of this curved part is about 230mm-240mm then it is most likely brickwork. You can also check the recess between the rectangular base and curved top to see if it matches standard brick dimensions. I would be very cautious about removing the current render as I think that it is less likely there is sandstone underneath, and even if there is sandstone it won't be in great condition being a porous stone which has had render over the top. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls