One of my resolutions for 2010 is to get my house to a place I feel is magazine worthy (original design resolution post here), and part of that ongoing goal is to tackle all the small projects that seem to get pushed to the back of the to-do list. One of those has been to finish up the nonworking fireplace in my home office. It's a small, cosmetic project because my partner unfortunately love, love, loves the ugly red brick, so I've decided to just ignore it. However, the metal at the back of the original metal was a shiny silver and did not match the great rusted patina of the surround:
Furthermore, the hearth was just an unpainted slab of heat resistant material left over from the days the hearth contained a heater:
One of the reasons it took a while to do this small project is that I couldn't quite decide what to do. With three existing elements, brick, rust, and woodlook laminate floor, I didn't want to introduce another one. My first instinct was to paint it to blend with the rust firebox (my favorite element), but I thought it might call too much attention, especially since the mantle is in a de facto passageway. I finally decided to paint it in a faux bois (fake wood) technique (how to is here---the techniqure is the same, the colors are all that differ) to blend with the floor and to disappear, hopefully making the room look a little wider.Here is the fireplace after the back of the box has been faux painted to match the rust surround and the hearth has been primed:
Here is the after. I also simplified the mantle arrangement and painted it out to match the wall and blend in.
The large copper tub was a Christmas present. For entertaining, I'll fill it with a plant, but now (truth in blogging) I use it to collect all the shoes that seem to end up littering our first two rooms. I always wanted a house that felt so comfortable that people wanted to kick their shoes off and linger...I just never knew how much picking up after others that would entail.
A detail of the faux bois painting on the hearth.
One mini-project down on the way to achieving my number 1 design resolution. Approximately 12,347,889 to go.
Here is the after. I also simplified the mantle arrangement and painted it out to match the wall and blend in.
The large copper tub was a Christmas present. For entertaining, I'll fill it with a plant, but now (truth in blogging) I use it to collect all the shoes that seem to end up littering our first two rooms. I always wanted a house that felt so comfortable that people wanted to kick their shoes off and linger...I just never knew how much picking up after others that would entail.
A detail of the faux bois painting on the hearth.
One mini-project down on the way to achieving my number 1 design resolution. Approximately 12,347,889 to go. 
6 comments:
Love what you did with the rust and faux bois. Just wish you could do something with that brick! Couldn't you just "accidentally" paint over it or something? Don't you hate it when your "other half" has an opinion? Mine has learned to adapt!
I wish carla. Unfortunately, the house was already his when we met. Even more unfortunately, the brick survived the flooding after Katrina unscathed. One day I may convince Thomas to let me "slipcover" the brick with a wood suround, but until then, I'll just pretend it doesn't exist and be thankful we have a secure roof over our heads (even if that roof covers some really, really ugly brick).
Excellent job! I love it. Now, can I pull up my hateful carpet and faux paint my plywood floors to at least coordinate with the wood floors? :-) I keep threatening to do so.
It is amazing what survived Katrina. My sister's enclosed patio that desperately needed replacing BEFORE the storm survived. The rest of the house had to be gutted. To this day, there is a shower curtain on the missing door in back (back)off that sun room. The rest of the house is pristine now, done and decorated.
I have one Loyola student snowed in here in Vermont just aching to return back to NO. I think it is cold there, too, though. Stay warm.
I think the faux bois looks great. How long did it take? Seems like rocket science matching it to the floor. Congratulations.
Wow you are a talent! That is just like the flooring.
Fabulous job!!
Loving the bricks. Is it too late to mention your husband's a genius?
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