Contemporary Fireplaces

I love fireplaces. To prove it I have several 3-ring binders full of fireplace design ideas pulled from the pages of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Home & Garden, Traditional Home... just to name a few. I had grown quite fond of these two ideas and kept hoping that one day I would meet the perfect client open enough to allow me to replicate these ideas into a custom faux treatment.




Well, I did meet those perfect clients. A contemporary designer that I work with introduced me to a couple who had just built a contemporary home and their 18'H x 11'W fireplace was a blank slate! The designer had given me a brief description of the home before our initial meeting, and I had an idea a treatment simulating wood would look stunning in their home. I didn't have a sample board created, but I had these magazine ideas. When they saw the pictures their eyes lit up and they got a little excited of the possibility of their fireplace really becoming the focal point of their home. It was already going to be the focal point just because of it's size and placement in the home, but it needed to be a FOCAL point.

So here is my blank slate.


It was a project that required scaffolding.


And here it is in all it's glory! It's a plaster treatment that has been glazed and the "grout" lines are Modern Masters silver paint.

The clients were fabulous people! She made me the best lattes, and I recall a fabulous glass of wine with dinner one evening. We never expect clients to be so generous, but we've worked with some of the greatest people. I guess after spending a week in their house swinging from scaffolding you create a bond.

If I may say so, the picture doesn't do it justice because it is such a grand presence when you walk into the home.