Q: Annie, I have been reading your blog for a few months now and really enjoy it. I was hoping that you could help me pick a new look for my fireplace in Silver Spring [MD].
My family lives in a 1940s colonial. I like midcentury modern furnishings, a clean, neutral look, and silvertone or black metals.
We were thinking about using slate tiles and black fireplace doors. Someone else suggested that I paint it all white. What would you suggest?
Thanks,
Lisa Goldberg
A: Lisa, whatever you do, please don’t paint it white!!!
Ok, now I can be civil – I just couldn’t risk you getting out your paintbrush while I was all chatty. But thank you for reading my blog, and thanks for that great question.
Fireplaces are tough. They seem so permanent and unchangeable. But they’re not.
How long do you plan to stay in your house? If it’s, say, 4 years or fewer, I would just replace the doors with black, as you propose. The next owners may want the charm of a conventional brick and wood fireplace, and this one works well with the traditional built-ins. Having a sculpture on the mantel is a great way to insert your modern aesthetic into the space. (Is that African? I love it.)
If you’re committed to staying in the house longer, you can have a little fun. One option is removing the wooden mantle and covering the brick surround with another stone: the slate you mention, or a honed dark granite, like the Black Galaxy at right.
If you’re feeling REALLY edgy, consider concrete. It’s a versatile, fantastic material. (In the greater DC area, Concrete Jungle and Eycon are the folks to consider.) When we moved into our house, the family room had a dark salmon-colored marble fireplace.
Nice, huh? So we ripped it all out and had architects Studio: CrowleyHall design new, modern bookshelves and a concrete surround, which Michael Hall poured himself in frames in his backyard. Here’s an “in progress” shot before we moved in (don’t ask me which kid that is; they looked really alike at that age)…
…and here’s how it turned out.
We wanted a fairly rough, pebbled surface, and we kept the color natural. Concrete is an amazing material, though, and you can make it as sleek and colorful as you want. Here’s how the fireplace looks in the context of the room (who cleaned up? It’s never this tidy – )
I hope this is helpful, Lisa – let me know what you decide! (And try a larger rug to cozy up the room a bit :) )
Readers, what do YOU think she should do?
