This Good Question came up last week and we thought we'd share our own fireplace before and after (thus far). We're still looking for a new back leg for our ancient Wedgewood baby...suggestions are welcome! Jump below for the after...

after
We primed the brick facade then painted it glossy white to match the living room window trim. The glossy makes it easy to wipe up spilled ashes and firewood debris. As you can see, we're still missing that back leg!

Eventually we'll add some trim or baseboard to soften up the transition from the brick platform to the wood floors. Until then, we're pretty pleased....


Comments (14)
It looks great! Good job!
Much Better!
maybe if you painted the thing acting as the back leg the same color as the brick it might not be so noticeable.
If you have asthma or other respiratory problems this is really not good for you to have. Its has been found that homes where combustion of solid fuels is used for indoor heating there are higher rates of carbon monoxide poisoning, asthma, upper respiratory infections etc and generally lowers indoor air quality.
Its not to say dont have this stove/fireplace in your home but rather proceed at your own risk. Also you can take steps to mitigate your indoor air quality by using air filters and opening the windows alot etc
looks beautiful though...
Looks great. I would grab a used ornate bath tub leg for $5 if you can't find the real thing.
Good for you!!!! Looks great!
Oooh I am very jealous as I have the same situation & DH won't let me paint the brick! Looks lovely, just what I want. Maybe your photos will help him see the light...
you have totally inspired me to paint our red-brick hearth! just the nudge i needed. any special kind of primer? did you use oil-based paint?
thanks everyone for your sweet comments!
tanneradair- i also had to resort to photos and magazine tears to win my case for painting! good luck...
pinko- we just used the regular primer that we used in the rest of the house. same for the paint, just regular old latex...we did the "flood" method with a roller.
I'll bet you could get someone to make a leg like that. No joking. Meanwhile, the difference in what you did is like the difference between tragic and magic. Congratulations!
Beautiful. Is the chimney/pipe (??) a replacement or did the original clean up that much? I think the steel look pairs nicely with the glossy white.
Try calling Ohmega Salvage - they probably don't have the leg, but probably can give you the names of some places that might - as I recall they have a good binder of resources.
Is there a chimney pipe?