When we first met these clients, they walked into our showroom as a last resort. They had been searching for a gas fireplace for the living room in a house they had just purchased on Lake Simcoe. Venting the gas fireplace was creating seemingly insurmountable issues, and they had decided that if we couldn’t find a solution, they were giving up.
They had a vision of a wall of cabinetry incorporating storage and display space, with a fireplace in the centre, and a TV mounted above the fireplace. They presented us with a photo of a wall unit that they liked, shown below.
We determined that they needed a large firebox, and directed them to a 39” option from Classic Flame, which they loved. After further discussion, we tweaked the design to have the central fireplace portion built in oak and stained to match their kitchen cabinets. The cabinets on either side of the fireplace were to be painted to match their wall colour, and we changed one set of cupboard doors to drawers. Given the lakeside location and the dark oak fireplace surround, we suggested a slate-look 2” porcelain tile to go around the firebox, for colour and texture.
After creating a 3D rendering in colour, for client approval, we arranged for multiple site visits to take measurements, had electrical outlets added at TV height, sourced a tile, and worked with the cabinet maker to fine-tune details.
BEFORE
AFTER
We incorporated lots of hidden storage, in addition to the obvious shelves, doors and drawers. The pilasters on either side of the firebox open on touch-latches, and the side columns on either end of the wall are actually cabinets, also with touch-latch hardware. (We avoided visible hardware in these areas to keep the storage a ‘secret’.)
AFTER
Stylish Fireplaces & Interiors specializes in electric fireplaces, and custom designs to complete the project.