apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The problem is that you have 4 different textures, colours and styles on that thing. Simply painting everything in black would already make the fireplace look more unified (I never thought I would prone the "paint the wood in black" solution). Eventually find a small tile to fill in the gap, but if the apartment is a rental it might not be worth doing more.

When you say DIY, does that mean you have basic carpentry skills? If so, I would design a faux cabinet to cover the whole thing, since it's not functional and has so many elements that are working against the modern/clean look you are after. You'd be building a backless cabinet, just tall and deep enough to slide over the whole works. Put working doors on the front and maybe even some narrow shelves inside... turn it into a bar. When you move, the piece could be placed against a wall or you could add a back to it.

First off - The fireplace insert is a coal grate.
These were installed around the beginning of the 20th Century as coal was then commonly used for heating and more available in the cities then cut wood.

If you remove the grate, tile and mantel, sell them to a re-use/vintage home fixture store as someone else is undoubtedly looking for something like this to restore their old Victorian.

And before doing any work to the firebox or facade or making major plans, have a fireplace inspector/chimney sweep come out and let you know if the fireplace really is unusable or not. Your intentions may end up quite different if the fireplace actually turns out to be reparable...

I can understand wanting to make it more modern, but I actually don't mind it as is. It's got a very eclectic, rustic thing going on... and from the photo (although I know they can be misleading) it seems to blend really well with the existing walls/floors. I wouldn't change too much unless making it usable requires doing so- it's quite the conversation piece! I definitely agree with bepsf though- check to make sure you CAN make it usable first! The previous owners thought our fireplace was decorative, but our realtor said nope! Turns out there are special ceramic taylor burners that work in ours... so you never know!

I think it looks great as it is. Don't change a thing. I thougt this was going to be an apartment tour post when I first saw the pic...so you've already got the right stuff. :)

..oh and if you embrace the look in the rest of the space, I think what you've already got going on there is the makings of a great Modern Gothic look. My favorite, rising trend!

Here's a few pics, including one from an apartment tour from AT: http://tiny.cc/R1NkI

And I think painting it black would make it too imposing. I think it has a nice eclectic character on its own (even with different materials). ok. that's it. over and out. :)

i love everything about it except the ugly black surround. i'd find or cut some tiles to size to patch the gaps and hand-paint them to match. that's what we did with our beautiful old fireplace which was also a bit gap-toothed. i really don't know what to suggest about the black. but overall, it looks much more interesting than another bland modern cube; it adds a tonne of character!

wow, i love it the way it is, aside from needing some polish and a few new tiles. i say restore it to it's glory -- it's an amazing foil to your modern furniture and rug.

I love it the way it is. The wood is nice looking and matches your stuff. Would your landlord let you retile it in something simpler? I think that would make the biggest improvement without being too difficult.

I think it looks great with the brick wall.

I think it looks pretty sweet as is. Wish my fireplace looked like that...

I think you should paint the black surround a nice soft terra cotta color to blend with the brick (and wood). Then add molding or another thicker board to the top of the mantle to make it look more architectural. Otherwise I would leave it alone.

Yeah...why do you want to change it? It looks fantastic.

Ask your landlord if you can remove the tiles. Once they've gone, there should be a nice gap between the surround at the grate to insert a piece of plywood wrapped in thin batting and upholstered in leather. Do it yourself if your skills are up to it, or get an upholsterer to do it if not.

Personally I'd just re-tile. A high-gloss translucent green, like you see on some Japanese ceramics, would look great. Or get some stylish feature tiles off etsy and go for a whimsical patchwork effect.

The mantlepiece is fine - it suits the room and it lends it character. Leave it alone.

Shelby, fantastic apartment, and I think the bones of your fireplace will make a great starting point for a little modernization.

My following suggestions are based on the fireplace remaining non-working. I mean seriously, who wants to lug coal?

First, the tile surround clashes with everything, so cover it up! I think ivory or cream-colored microsuede would look contempory without being overpowering. Easy-peasy, just stretch microsuede fabric over a backing board made of 1/4" tempered hardboard (Masonite), cut to the upside-down "U" shape of the tile area, with a 1/2" layer of foam sandwiched in between. Use 3M upholstery spray adhesive to glue it all together, pull the fabric around to the backside, staple, and trim. Most likely the entire facade will stay put with friction, but if not, I'm sure you can figure something out to hold it in place.

For the fireplace opening itself, how about a piece of frosted glass or acrylic that fits within the edges and covers up the grate? Any glass shop can get and cut it for you, or you can buy frosted window film at a home center and apply to clear glass or acrylic, or you can frost your own with clear matte spray paint. I'd go for a mostly-translucent look, so the interior is still just a bit visible.

And, one last thought...behind a translucent panel, an inexpensive LCD monitor playing one of those fireplace DVDs looks pretty much just like a real fire - use the "nothing but fire" track that doesn't show the fireplace surround. I'm just sayin' :-)

I think it's ugly. The problem is its proportions--they are just not pleasing at all. Taking out the insert as bepsf suggests might help--even leaving the box empty might improve the relationship between the outer mantel/frame and the other elements. But I really think all of it might need to come off, and for a simple rough-hewn mantel to be installed in its place (assuming there is continuous brick behind the mantel/frame).

P.S. I love your couch and furniture but I also think the art over the fireplace isn't right as the anchor for the room--it's too muted for that position of prominence, and also too big for the width of the chimney. And the inner black rim of the frame is competing with the existing mantel.

Random literary question for fans of Anton Chekov: Does the gun hanging on the wall go off by the end of the third act?

Oh my God. Please do NOT start covering this with fake suede & adhesive spray, foam, etc. That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.

The posts telling you to just spruce it up a bit are correct. It looks pretty good as is, and the vintage tile is totally appropriate to the architecture of the space. It doesn't "clash" at all. Just do some repairs to the tile and possibly paint the black with something more neutral

Great rug & furniture by the way. Keep going with what you've got, but skip the cheap cover ups. The original is much better.

Am with other posters like kimg924. A bit of elbow grease and it'll look great. Sorry, but I don't think this is a can-of-spray-paint-and-yard-of-Amy-Butler-fabric project.

I'm with Blandwagon. The coal insert is gorgeous (could use a little polishing) and so is the wood mantle. Ask your landlord if you can replace the tile. I think a slate black tile would make the whole thing look more modern and the surround look like less of an afterthought.

Nevermind the fireplace! Where did you find the painting above it? Do you have the name of the artist??

I agree, don't change it. it sickens me when people change fireplaces that are great as is (drywalling, painting brick,etc). That has a lovely rustic appearance. I might change some furniture to match with it better...maybe a more ornate less modern coffee table to tie everything together.

Thanks so much for all of your comments. I am leaning towards just changing the tiles and maybe the black paint on the surround to something lighter. I am glad to hear that a lot of you like it more or less as is.

I am learning to like the coal grate (thanks for the correct term bepsf) and think I will try to clean this up a little. It does add character to the room, that's for sure.

cranny – the art above the fireplace was made by my grandfather in the 60s.

if you do end up changing the tiles you should do some research on them. often those original tiles are worth quite a bit of money.

Love that the artwork is your grandfather's.
Oh, and brindle - before & after or house tour, by any chance?
;)

it's gorgeous, but I guess have fun ruining it to get your "clean, modern" look.