Sometimes, despite your best efforts, and the help of skilled tradesmen, a custom project can be a disappointment when it’s completed. Such was the case with a fireplace wall that we recently reworked.
The recently-completed fireplace wall featured dark wood cabinetry with floating wooden shelves, a TV recess, and a new 50″ wide electric fireplace, plus natural stone veneer. Unfortunately, the clients weren’t entirely happy with their selection of the dark wood cabinetry — it worked well with their flooring, but not so well with the adjoining kitchen. Plus, the stone veneer installation was very uneven, and as you can see in the Before image, very inconsistent in colouring.
We came up with a plan to replace the cabinetry and the stone, without changing the basic structure of the wall. Given the clients’ collection of beautiful Inuit art and carvings, we suggested that the wooden shelves be replaced with glass ones, with LED lighting to illuminate their collection.
We also added more weight to the right side of the fireplace by adding a small section of cabinetry there. We angled the top shelves to lessen the bulk next to their glass door, while leaving the bottom cabinet rectangular to make it more functional. By moving the TV components to the new right-hand cabinet, we freed up more space on the left for the grandchildren’s toys and games.
Rough stone veneer was replaced a Erthcoverings’ Silver Fox strips, for a more even, neutral tone that blends nicely with the kitchen palette. Cabinets were painted to match the pale taupe of the walls, to allow the fireplace and the art to be the stars.
Stylish Fireplaces & Interiors specializes in electric fireplaces in their GTA showroom. They also provide design and renovation services to complete the project.