im sorry to say, but i LOVE the fireplace. the whole house is great!

oh but i would add a large white mantle to it

Absolutely, tear it down, get rid of the hearth that goes from corner to corner. Do something vertical to bring the ceiling ht up visually!

I wonder if there is an "original" fireplace underneath all of that. But, covering with a thin facade might be a solution. You'd still have to break off those large pieces, and maybe remove the ultra-deep base...
http://www.realstonesystems.com/stone-veneer-uses-fireplace-stone.php

Nice house! I agree, this fireplace looks like a later add-on. For a Craftsman look, consider a tile fireplace and a nice chunky, simple mantel in quarter-sawn oak or ash. Grainy wood will add some dimension and help it stand out from the existing trimwork. That hearth is oddly deep. Keep a raised hearth, but make it much smaller. Also give some breathing room at the sides between the fireplace and windows. It's worth getting it right if you can afford to.

I have same problem - with a small wooden mantel/shelf I hate. I got used to the fireplace, tho it looked odd to me at the begining. Need to give it a scrub this spring and it looks good. Dying to redo the mantel to something substantial (probably in white to match the molding).

If you really hate it, tear it down and replace with the stand alone one like: http://nagrzewnice-sklep.pl/files/Image/kominki/Koza_K4%20mako%20maly.jpg

Wow, I think it's gorgeous, but I can see what you mean about it not necessarily fitting in with the rest of the house.

I suppose the real question is whether it will fit with your decor. In an empty room, yes, it jumps out at you as the glaring aberration of the room. But when the house is filled with your things, will it bother you as much as it does now?

Tear it down. Install a cast concrete surround: http://www.solusdecor.com/fi_block.html

Do you have a brick chimney on the outside of the house? If that's an original fireplace in a 1920's home then the stone is just a facade and pretty simple to remove. You may find that the fireplace you want is just hiding underneath.

You're new house is super cute! I think that if you don't like something you should replace it with something you do like. Why live in a house and deal with something, especially something large like a fireplace, that you don't love? Tear it down and go with what you want in terms of redo-ing it.

I love it... but I'm from Minnesota, and big, bold fireplaces fit into the decor around here as easily as a classy armchair.

If your walls were a little darker, it would fit in perfectly. I think it really grounds the room to have that hearth... though I don't know where you'd put a TV or a Christmas tree in that room (my rubrics of interior design).

It would be nice to know how you're decorating the rest of your house. I mean, if you're geologists and have lots of cool rocks from your travels, then yeah, a stone fireplace fits right in to your life. But if you have a lot of clean-lined modern or contemporary furniture, then it might not fit. The exception is if you have a lot of Mission-style items - which would match the fireplace, and the home.

Okay, I'm stopping now. But I'm with @akay - Maybe try moving your stuff in and see how you like it in a full room instead of an empty one.

I agree with everyone who recommends tearing it down. I like the cast concrete idea. All by themselves the stone fireplace and hearth aren't bad, but they are so of proportion to the room, and inappropriate to the house.
What a sweet place! Congratulations on your new home.

I meant OUT of proportion to the room!

I like the fireplace but you can lose it, and I wouldn't be able to convince you to like it, and I might hate it in person. Since I have yet to receive a house warming invite I won't hold my breath.
I wouldn't put a thin facade on this particular fireplace, It's already big enough. It has to come down. Hopefully it wasn't constructed well. Get a big hammer, a big chisel and big muscles. Chisel the mortar holding it together, not the rocks. Hopefully it isn't as thick as it looks but don't be surprised if someone had the original fireplace covered with a facade, then someone else covered that facade with another facade. It's like when you remove paint you see all the different eras of colors.

Also beautiful house, Congratulations!

I can't tell how far it sticks out into the room so this may not be a good idea, but what about tearing out the stone above what would be a natural mantel point, installing a mantel and simply install drywall above the mantel. I like stone around a fireplace so I'm prejudiced.

A friend with a beautiful old arts and crafts home purchased classic A&C tiles for the face and the mantel was a very clean almost modern piece that tapered down to the sides of the fireplace. Hard to describe but it was lovely. If you're going to tear the whole thing out then why not go for something you really love to look at. Here's a great resource for tiles -

http://www.tileheritage.org/

I like it. I guess my only question is where do you live? California, I presume, because you said "California bungalow."

I think the only thing I don't like about it is the large riser/platform/bench in front of the actual pit. It seems to be taking up a lot of room. Unless you live in a cold winter climate and find yourself needing to dry off a lot of shoes/boots/socks/gloves in front of the fireplace, maybe just make that less obtrusive.

You could also consider painting the stones white, or like others said, check and see if your chimney is brick. That might just be a thin facade.

Cast concrete is cool--but if the owner wants something "in style with" a 1920's bungalow, the cast concrete is even further off the mark than the stone.

I agree with HeritageWoodWorks that you probably have a brick fireplace hiding under the stone veneer. Take down the stone, clean up the brick and paint it white.

This tile company is a personal favorite. I have a small collection of his work.

http://www.sligocreek.com/index.asp

Before you tear it out, you should have at least one karaoke party or similar on the stage.

But yes, tear it out.

I agree that the fireplace and surround are both out of scale and out of style with the space. Unfortunately it also appears that someone oversprayed the stone with white paint while painting the ceiling and that the hearth surface tiles are misalligned. In addition, the hearth area alone appears to eat up 3-5 feet of precious floorspace in the room. Before doing anything with the fireplace however, I would very carefully examine the conglomeration for options.

Starting at the bottom, evaluate how the hearth is connected to the floor. Is it sitting on the existing floor surface or does the floor butt against it? If the floor abuts the front face of the hearth, ripping it out will involve some floorboard jointery and restoration. If the hearth is built on top of the floor, removing it may only necessitate a floor refinishing.

Examine the edges of firebox to see if the stone is a veneer overlaying the original surface. Assuming it's an overlay, you may wish to test how strongly the stone is adhered to the chimney by chiseling out a test piece in an inconspicuous location.

Any overlay or veneering over of the existing stone should be very carefully considered. With the chimney proportions already out of scale with the room, an overlay could make a bad situation worse, especially given the apparent bulk of the stone. The stone also abuts your window frame mouldings, meaning that an overlay will likely require reshaping your window woodwork to accommodate the "plumper" chimney.

Examine your chimney, hearth and firebox and both sides of your floor and walls carefully and have a plan with alternative options designed before embarking on any DIY or contractor involved renovation. Otherwise you could find yourself mired in an expensive, messy, frustrating project.

Good Luck!

I think it's out of scale with the rest of the house. It would fit great in my rustic house, but a Craftsman style mantel, hearth & chimney breast would be in keeping with your charming house. If those are big pieces of slate, keep them intact for landscape or other use.

Your house is beautiful, and I love the fireplace! But hey, maybe it looks worse in person.

The concrete fireplace works in some homes, but I don't think it would fit in with your 1920's bungalow look. Not really a fan of brick fireplaces either, unless you paint it white - perhaps that not be such a stark contrast to the rest of the room?

Sell it on craigslist, or give it free if they take it down...

Rounded river rock and built-in cabinetry suits the style of the house better than brick.

And it may appear out of scale with the rest of the house *now* (when the room is empty), but I doubt that will be the case when the room is furnished, and upholstered pieces balance out the weight of the room.

I say move in, decorate, live with it, then see how you feel.

A huge pale abstract canvas on the face of the rock will already tame the beast.

LOVE the FIREPLACE !!!!

It gives a soul to whole area.

Think a little "out of box" .... and work your design AROUND it ....

Look at the answers - lots of people were impressed and liked it, too.

Try to live a while in it .... after the rooms will be filled with a furniture - it will look different to you, too.

To DESTROY unusual thing - any barbarian can do ...

... DO NOT BE one !!!

Xandra

No! not brick. Tile!! Go get a book on bungalows and take a look at their fireplaces, and then replace yours with something you love that's in keeping with the houses's style. I'm with you. Needs to go.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/2-27-08fireplace1.jpg
http://www.claysquared.com/images/castle-fireplace_001.jpg
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/2008-03-05-livingpic.jpg
http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2009/apr/fairmont-bungalow-fireplace.jpg
http://www.renovationdesigngroup.com/images/portfolio/06/Misc%20-%20After.jpg

I LOVE IT! I would just get rid of that slate surround at the bottom.

Doesn't have to be a mantel. If you take the stone veneer off, you can have a nice clean look in concrete panels, while maintaining the natural material feel.

http://www.solusdecor.com/fireplace_tiles_gallery.html

ah i love your house!!!!

i say live with it for a little and then get it out. I know that is a pain because you will be there during the mess... but I am glad I did the same with some features of my home that I didn't like before paint and some time with them.

Normally I love stone fireplaces, but this is the first one I've seen that I do not like - it just does not work, the rocks are too big for the scale of the room. What's with those weird large pieces sticking out? And the hearth looks like crap. No wonder you don't like it.

As previous posters have suggested, do investigate the removal process. If there isn't already a brick fireplace underneath this monstrosity, research period materials from the era the house was built, those will most likely work best, and you can always add a modern twist to if you choose.

Good luck and all the best. The house is fab. Would love to see after photos.

I love the fireplace and agree with patrick (the other one) that the fireplace will look more proportional with furntiure in the room. I think the fireplace just needs a good scrub.

I had a somewhat similar predicament... used a chisel and a crowbar and worked very carefully, slowly... almost all the rock just lifted right off, revealing very dirty and very smelly tile underneath... cleaned it up and it's good as new. If that rock is overlaid you really might be able to just remove it with a chisel and crowbar (and as someone said in these posts, chisel the mortar, not the stone.)

Oh yes: take out that whole ledge that's been built onto the floor. Way too massive. Just take *the whole thing* out; don't leave a bit of it; set a simple tile area in front of the fireplace. You'll seriously open up the room.

First, that room is amazing! Love the architectural details and gorgeous wood floors. Lucky you! I agree with the poster that said the hearth is oddly deep, BUT I actually like how long it is. I guess it depends on how yyou use the room, but I like being able to sit on the hearth by the fireplace, esp. when there are guests and several people can sit there.

I think a wood mantel (white or dark brown) with a tile surround is best in this kind of home. Go with small to medium subway tiles in a glossy green (dark or light), black, gray or cream. I wouldn't use tiny square tiles because it doesn't match the style of the home and definitely not those big standard porcelain tiles.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/travertine_floor/2265297107/

If you go with stone, I recommend something more like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29661745@N04/3808476551/

Oh, I love the fireplace! The only thing I'd do is trim down the hearth to just the fireplace column and try to save the front facade to add back on when you get it down to the size you want. It'd be much less dominant and imposing that way.

A nice L-shaped sectional (bones like this with a right arm) tucked up under the window, a TV on the opposite wall (if glare isn't a problem), a lovely rug, coffee table, and a nice chair in the far corner. Perhaps a small bookshelf in one of the unoccupied nooks, and you'd have a nice little living room. Same idea without the TV and more chairs, a welcoming sitting room.

As for the styles not matching, I really enjoy the surprise of it after walking through the door. Then again, I'm a fan of rustic juxtaposed with more modern lines. If that's not your style, do what makes you happy.

If you extend the ledge out a bit, it will be much easier for the band to set up with a full drum kt.

Please, do a little research before you do ANYTHING. I recommend the book Inside the Bungalow America's Arts & Crafts Interior by Paul Duchscherer and Douglas Keister. It will be an excellent starting point. You'll see some great examples of *original* stone fireplaces. If you determine that yours was an add-on, or you decide that you still hate it after living with it for awhile, then take it down. But don't be hasty, or you might be really sorry later.

Your house is absolutely gorgeous, by the way.

paint the rocks! same white as the walls!

I love the fireplace but agree that the hearth is way too deep. I think a lot of people here have the right idea. Live with it for awhile & do a lot of research before tearing into it. And I also think that a mantel would help.

Beautiful house! I wonder what is lurking under that stone?

If you loose the fireplace and start over the hearth would have to go too and how will you address the floors if they don't continue up the fireplace? You would need to get the same species of wood floors and stain the same color that might be harder then you think.

As far as what materials I don't think concrete is such a bad idea, you can concrete the floors where the hearth is if the hardwood floors are not under there. The shape and design will be pending on what is behind the stone.

Cast concrete is beautiful-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solusdecor/4128916359/

Many California bungalows have tiles with a wood mantel which would look beautiful too. I am not crazy about brick.

Glass subway tiles and wood mantel like this would be nice-
http://www.susanjablonmosaics.com/glass-tile/ninelewis-subway-fireplace.html

It will probably look something like this underneath http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Fireplace-roadhouse.jpg. That's what my fireplace looked like in my Arts & Crafts style home in San Francisco. If the original fireplace is for some reason not there I would follow other reader's suggestions to put in a tile faced mantle. The Craftsman Home has some good examples: http://www.craftsmanhome.com/home-design/fireplace.html

Scale is a matter of taste. And if you don't like the fireplace, by all means change it.

But in terms of Bungalow or Arts & Crafts style, know that material from the local area aligns. So if that's local stone, it is "California Bungalow." Brick ordinarily would not be "authentic" unless you have a brick factory in the area -- unlikely in California where brick is not a good material in earthquake prone areas.

I agree with those who suggest tile. There are numerous companies that make reproduction Arts & Crafts tiles. And you can search out antique tiles if the spirit moves you.

Normally I would be the first in line to yell "A stone fireplace? Oh keep it, keep it!"

But what on earth... why does it have random, completely sideways projections all over it? That thing was not made by any traditional stone worker. That's a mess that's been propped up on the wall with cement. Euck. If you've got the money for it, I would definitely take it down.

I agree that lovely tile would be much more in keeping with the style than brick.

LoriSF, OMG that last pic you posted (SusanJablon's) is one I was searching all over Flickr for to give as an example of what they should do! You read my mind! Glad you remembered the source. I just think something like that would look great in this room.

oh my goodness! i love the fireplace! congratulations on such a beautiful home!

I love love love the fireplace - though a thick white mantel might update it some without losing its beauty.

I gotta say I LOVE IT! ....maybe you can live with it for a while and see if you fall in love with it...
With some gorgeous pillows on either side and a basket with some birch firewood... beautiful!

Wow, what a mess. On the bright side, you can do anything you want in updating the fireplace.

Perhaps a craftsman style tiled fireplace with your own twist.

Here is a website where you can get ideas. If you hire a professional the cost will start at $3,000.00 and go up from there.

Good luck!
http://www.sandiegofireplaces.com/photosfireplaces/batchelder/index.html

if the fireplace burns well, draws well functions well, you are very fortunate so don't mess with it other than to cover it.

it's not a large front room, so brick may oppress as much as the stone (you're right: it's HIDEOUS)

craftsman, hmmm.... why not panel it in wood in a craftsman style... paint it white, keep it light.

Since I'm Scandinavian I have to suggest our answer to ANY interior question: Paint it white!

We had the same problem at our house. We HATED the 1970s stone fireplace with huge amounts of grout holding it together. The long fireplace "bench" didn't help either. We took out the bench and tiled over the stone on the bottom half and sheetrocked over the stone on the upper half. Then we bought a new mantle and it now looks great.

Fantastic house! The rocks are too heavy and harsh looking for the rest of the house.

I have a similar fireplace that is totally out of scale and style to my house with a large elevated hearth, though not as wide as yours looks.

I painted mine the same colour as the walls and it worked wonders to make it blend in better (but I used semi gloss latex for the stones) It will buy you some time until you decide if you want to reface or replace.

If you can hang a basket chair, that might look kind of cool in one of the corners, then again maybe not.

I'd try doing something with the base and maybe adding a nice big shelf to match the trim. I love the stone work myself, so I'd hate to see it covered up.

you can also look at www.motawi.com. they have gorgeous tiles that would work with the theme of your home. they also have an in house designer that can help you put something together...good luck!

TEAR IT OUT!!

tear out the hearth, you can always find a few pieces of flooring to match. then you can cover top half mdf and the other half with either marble or slate, or just paint it, that will surely give it a modern twist to it. that is what i did to my ugly fireplace. just use liquid nails for the mdf.

Once you DO decide to do it (I still vote for "making it work" for now), I really think the side spaces should be a combination of built-in wooden storage and hearth-side seating, creating the same basic footprint so the flooring won't be an issue.

And I'd still do smaller scale river rock above the mantle line.

I'd sooooooo love to decorate that room!!!

I think the fireplace would look pretty cool with my furniture, so I'd keep it at least for a while if I was lucky enough to own this house. I would NOT paint it - tear it out before you paint. Those random pieces would, I think, look even weirder.

Using available materials was actually very 1920's. Using brick was very bad 1960's decor. The rocks in your fireplace may very well have been unearthed while they were laying the foundation for your house.

I personally love your fireplace. I think it would be a shame to replace it with brick. I also don't think it will do much for the resale value. You can have a mantle (preferably white) mounted. It will break up the expanse, and allow a place for chatkas. You might also hang a picture over the mantle. Do you plan to use the fireplace, therefore heating the rocks? It will be throwing off quite a bit of heat.

It's a free country. You can do as you wish, but I wonder why you bought a house when you so dislike it's main focal point.

As I said, I'd keep it. Maybe over time you will see the beauty in it. Bricks are bricks. They line them up and then go away to do it again somewhere else. What you have is an original. There is no other like it.

Those are so not unearthed rocks. They are 60's/70's rock veneer. I think the same "rock" the Bradys had. The same era as "lava rock." This was a DIY retrofit of a much more recent vintage than the house itself.

Thank GOD you looked past that changeable feature. The space is gorgeous, and the house is adorable.

I agree with you that it's totally out of proportion with the room and needs to go. Those strange projections and the way the stone interfaces with the ceiling show that it isn't the quality stone work some people here think it is, either. Still, it's quite an undertaking and could mean a floor redo for much of the house as well. John H's exploration advice is great. I agree with patrick(the other one) that you could mitigate this flooring issue with attractive built-in cabinets, shelves, and seating on either side of the hearth, and you could extend tile that would normally go in front of the hearth to be the entire length. I wold recommend tile with a craftsman-style wooden mantle, like some of the beautiful pictures that have been posted. Even if you just removed the top portion of the stone with the horrid protrusions, topped it with a beefy mantle, and clad the upper chimney in gyp board, it would be a vast improvement. We would like to see when you're done!

Nuke it 'till it glows then shoot it in the dark.

I like it too! I think you can totally make it work. Obviously depends what colour you plan on painting the walls, what kind of furniture you have....

I did this. I took out a whole wall of stone and a hearth, it was hard work but well worth it. Just take a jack hammer to the area, after clean up, reframe any bad studs and drywall. Have fun.