
Heather's post on Bebop Fireplace Accessories yesterday had us dreaming of a warm, working fireplace in our living room. As long as we were dreaming, we figured we'd check out Au Coin du Feu's site. The Chicago shop has access to 3,000 antique fireplace surrounds that stretch back to the 1600s and escalate to $50k for some of the oldest pieces. (If you've already got an old stone or wooden mantle, treasure it.) Click below to see some of their surrounds...

The shop will help with planning and installation, finding the right fireplace for a particular space. Many of the fireplace surrounds come from old French and European buildings that have been demolished or remodeled. They also have some antique furnishings and fireplace accessories. Shown at top: a Louis XIV Limestone Fireplace (18th Century) on the left and a Renaissance Limestone Fireplace (17th Century) on the right.

Louis XVI Hardstone Fireplace (18th Century) and Directoire Marble Fireplace (Early 19th Century)

Louis XV Marble Fireplace (18th Century) and Louis XVI Stone Fireplace (18th Century)

Regency Wood Gold/Brown Fireplace (20th Century) and Regency Wood White Fireplace (20th Century)
On the other end of the fire container spectrum is the "fireplace" on the series Moonlight. Bluish flames ripple up through a bed of what looks like translucent river stones. I've gotten tired of the series per se, but sometimes I watch for a glimpse of this fire as, perhaps, the vampire sips a flute of blood beside it. . . .
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For those in New York...check out Zaborski's Emporium in Kingston. They have dozens and dozens of them and typically only charge a couple of hundred bucks at best.
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