That TV wires solution is SO SMART. I don't have a TV and wouldn't need that if I moved into the house, but I still think it's such a streamlined-looking, smart idea.

Wow! Stunning transformation.

It is a pretty common mounting method now in construction. With things like heavy weight scissor mounts you can recess them so the tv is 100% flush with the wall, and be able to pull the TV out for access to inputs or to angle it.

I have to say though that while I understand the modern trend to mount the display above the fireplace I also hate is 90% of the time. It results in the TV being placed awkwardly high on the wall.

Great fireplace conversion with the rustic bit of wood.

painting and removing (what I assume to be)original old growth wood trim and built-ins makes me sad.

gorgeous overall but LOVE the mantle!

agree I imagine removing wood built ins like that, regardless of the style

The after is lovely, but I liked the old trim and built-ins too. They would have shined with the new floors in place. I do understand why it was done and the results look well suited to the style of the furniture etc.

I loooove that mantle. I hope it's bolted on tight because I might make a quick trip down to Ohio and steal it.

For sure a stunning transformation from old to new. Would like to see some more pictures of the house like kitchen, bathrooms and exterior as this all plays a big role in achieving a great restoration.

talktoearthworms & ec05: the fireplace and trim were not original to the home. They were carefully removed and then donated to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Fen Shui At Work: It really wasn't so much a restoration, as he wasn't returning the home back to the way it was, as much as it was a renovation- changing it to suit his tastes. But there will be some more before & afters of Matt's home this month here at Apartment Therapy. :)

I loved the reclaimed wood as a mantle.

A soon as I saw the beautiful wood trim, I KNEW something bad was going to happen to it. Ominous music was playing in my head. . . and I was right.

your mantel is a stroke of genius.

Lovely! There are scores of adorable bungalows in North-Eastern Ohio. I'm glad to see this one getting some love.

This was already posted months ago.

I love this!

I was sad to see the wood trim go, but you did such an awesome job that I can't fault you! End result is beautiful and unique :)

I'd like to know more about the piece of wood used for the mantel. It looks like a railroad tie, but I imagine that would be too heavy. Can you provide more information?

The 'original' wood stuff was ghastly. It looked like a Home Depot leftover. I don't understand the fascination that people have with wood; ugly is ugly.

I want to know the paint color!

Everyone chill about the wood trim... clearly it came from HD or Lowes within the last 5-10 years.

matt seriously I thought the same thing...

This looks fantastic.

I don't like a TV over the mantle but it works here and the screen saver looks like a nice b/w print.

Great transformation- that wood was 80's and awful!

Wow! I love the pop of green against the white walls. I've been waffling about painting/not painting my brick fireplace. Now I want to scrap the brick and go green!

This is an incredible transformation!

I wish people would calm down with the wood obsession. Obviously this was an amazing upgrade. Should the owner have lived with builder-grade Home Depot shelves and fireplace trim forever? To please the Lumber Gods?

Great transformation.

Is there drywall right up to the edge of the fireplace? I have a similar situation in my living room and bedroom--I've taken off the unfortunate looking tile that was there, but I have yet to decide on the replacement. I like the clean-lined look of Matt's, but is it possible for me to have a (safely) functioning fireplace if I try something similar?

We actually did the TV over the fireplace in our renovation as well... I actually did a lot of testing to be sure the chimney did not get to hot, and can report that the fireplace does not put out enough heat to make a difference. Now, if you had an earth stove and were burning hedge, that would be a different story.

Also, I felt moving the TV over the fireplace helped give a focal point. If we kept the TV on the long wall of our home, we would have to turn our furniture away from the fireplace -- and I really do like just kicking back and staring at a nice fire. :)

Hopefully this homeowner feels the same way about his home. :)

I'll agree with the wood-savers as I am an adamant preservationist but it's obvious that the fireplace was not original and was a previous rehab.

Although, I'm not a huge modern furniture lover, this is a home with a great flow, fun colors and a lot of personality (I hadn't seen the House Tour). You guys and your dad did a really good job, I know that it's a lot of hard work and headache to take on projects this big and would be very happy if this was mine. 100 times better than before!

@melissaann Where was this posted months ago? Very curious because these are my personal photos and have never blogged them before, which means they would have been taken from my flickr page without permission.

@ Monochromatic: The fireplace wall was constructed with cement board, not drywall. Drywall would definitely be a fire hazard. The edge of the cement board is trimmed out with steel that was constructed and welded together by Matt's & my father.

@ Puck: We (I lived with matt for two years) did research with our dad about putting a tv on a fireplace too. There is no heat, and the t.v. is fine. Also, I don't think Matt ever uses the fireplace. :)

@jednakasia: The green paint was a color match we had made at Sherwin Williams, so I'm afraid I don't have a swatch name or number for ya. Sorry!

@Urbancricket: the wood was purchased at a local wood salvage place. I think it was part of a beam or something. Maybe Matt will pop in here to answer that one himself!

I remember this house from a house tour (house call?) a while back and remarked on the amazing decor back then. It's nice to get some before/during photos and to now be able to see how much the place was transformed. Well done! And, I guess that you (Amanda and husband) have now moved out/on? You'll have to share photos of your new place, too. :)

I'm also not a fan of the tv mounted above the mantel & I don't get the track lighting. Is it difficult to see the television from the sofa? I do love the color, mantel & fuzzy rug, though. Great remodel.

@ShaSh!! Yeah, the room is rearranged since I moved out. But the awesome thing about the t.v. mount is that it is on a swiveling arm, so it pulls out from the wall and turns to the sofa. :)

I hate, hate, hate TV's above a fireplace! No on wants to sit with their head cocked upward to watch the darn thing!

Why are people obsessing about the television and wood trim? The latter was not particularly beautiful. As for the former, it's clear from the layout of the living room that the television isn't the centerpiece of the whole room and it's very likely the homeowners don't even watch it that often. Why should you care how high they mount their tv?

You might be surprised (because of the tiny Eames replica rocker) that the ceiling in this room are only 7' high. So the top of the television is only about 5' or so high. The point of placing the television there is so that it could be rotated to face the sofa, or the other way to face the dining room table (for game nights and such). I guess I should have explained this in the article. :) But I think the conversations in the comments section can be pretty informative and thought provoking too!

I wouldn't have considered that a built-in given the way it was only connected to the fireplace -- didn't feel like an old built-in like you'd see here in Chicago, plus I agree "ugly is ugly" and that wood was no way valuable to keep. But what frustrates me with the before/after is that the before is a stark boring room with carpet - they should have done the after sans-furniture IMO. Kudos!

I'm big into saving original wood trim and mantles but this stuff was in no way original. I like the big hunk of wood solution.

Do people really have screen savers for their TVs? Sounds like such a fantastic way to waste electricity.

ahhh! that wood trim is wonderful - sad to see it all removed, especially if it was original.

@thorndale haha :) Yeah, usually the television is off. But I thought it would be fun for during picture taking to have "It's a Wonderful Life" playing on the screen. :)

@Alison@mydesigndreams The trim wasn't original at all. It was pretty neo Traditional stuff that three owners ago had installed. The woodwork was donated to the Habitat Restore.

Great transformation! I'd love to see more pictures of your home!

charming.. so happy that hideous trim is painted over and removed... did nothing for the space

Absolutely stunning! Kudos to you for taking on such a large project. I love the accent green wall, it's such a unique shade!

Wow this is an amazing transformation! Even though I can't stand a television over a fireplace that really does look good and the hidden wires was so amazing.

Just, wow!

Apologies to the "original trim" mourners, but those bookshelves look like they are from the 70s. No mourning here. Glad you got rid of them! Good job.

Wow.. that was a difficult venture and a great success, bravo...

decogirlmontreal

Very nice. I love the reclaimed wood mantle, I never would have thought it would look so beautiful and floaty. I also love the yellowish-green color balanced with the warm woods and fresh whites.

That wood was not "80s". Sheesh. It was lovely and irreplaceable and much more attractive than this rather bleak, hotel-like remodel.

Greetings everyone! This is Matt, the homeowner. Thanks for the overall positive feedback. It's always appreciated and encouraging.

Just to clear a few things up... :)

The "original" wood trim was not original, but an economy box store set. Definitely not a built-in. But, everyone has their preference! Mine was to say good-bye! :)

The mantel is indeed a reclaimed railroad tie. I got it from a local salvage shop. They graciously plained one side of it, so I could mount it to the wall. @urbancricket, it is pretty substantial and heavy. I used two very heavy-duty bolts that are anchored to the studs of the green wall. I then used equally heavy-duty hooks that are inset into the plained side of the mantel. This makes the mantel easy to remove if I ever get tired of the green wall :) @EC, that's how you can come steal it!

And finally, the dreaded TV above the fireplace! Yes, I do agree with many of you that I am typically not a fan of that, BUT given the layout of my home, and the fact that I do like to watch TV on occasion, it was the most practical and flexible spot to place it. The height of the TV hasn't been an issue for me or any of my guests. I'd say it's probably at the "not-quite-too-high" height, but "not-quite-just-perfect" height.

Thanks again for all the feedback! Cheers!