Ideas for this fireplace? Help please!

16 years ago

I just can't decide what to do with this fireplace! We already have some $ into it, and so I can't do something really expensive. The fireplace is part of an extensive remodel including a shed dormer in the living room to raise the ceiling height. The fireplace was painted white when we bought the house and we sandblasted it back to stone. I was hoping the stone would be prettier, but alas! The contractor patched in the niche which I think looks much better (hence the different grouts), but I'm still worried about the grey cast to the stone. The outside of the house is the same stone, but in warmer tones and I was hoping the fireplace would be the same.

So my question is--would you keep this stone and extend the fireplace up with the same stone (we have access to some), or tear the stone out and do something completely different? Also, is there some type of enhancer we might be able to use to bring out the warmer tones in the stone? I do think different grout in a warmer tone would help too. I also want to add a wood mantle, I think.

Thanks for all of your ideas!

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Comments (7)

michellenicole10
16 years ago
i dont know much about fireplaces, but the present stone on there is very nice and it would be a shame to see it all torn down, especially when you have acces to more to finsish it all. The two different colours f grout looks odd, i would find a way to make it all the same....

astheically it is a very nice stone!
ventupete
16 years ago
It's not bad looking, but that's all a matter of personal taste. You could try a stone enhancer on a scrap piece to see if it brings out the color. As far as the grout goes, you will have to do something as the patch really stands out. Re-grouting is very time consuming as the existing grout has to be ground out first. There are many other choices, from river rock and cultured stone, to a more formal look like polished marble or granite tiles.
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oldalgebra
16 years ago
Just out of curisoity, why did the contractor use different grout?
houscrzy
Original Author
16 years ago
They just filled in the niche one day to my great surprise. The grout in general is a mess with missing areas and holes, so I think it has to be fixed throughout.

Thanks for the general vote of confidence on the stone. I'm really trying hard to like it as it does seem wasteful to pull it all down.
ventupete
16 years ago
It may be somewhat wasteful to pull it down, but it really isn't that much stone, and if it's going to bother you the whole time you live there, then IMHO you should bite the bullet and put up what you really like (especially since this is the focal point of your room).
houscrzy
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the help. We sprayed it down with water today to mimic an enhancer, and that improved things a fair amount. I think we'll keep it, enhance it, repair the grout using a sandier color grout and add a fir mantle and we'll be okay. What do you think?
leesa49221
16 years ago
The stone around the fireplace is very nice but the grout should be the same.If the contracter is responsable for the 2 diff colors he should make it right.The brick above should be covered in the same stone as below.