What to do about my fireplace/chimney surround?

I'm surprised it is not flush to the mantle. I haven't seen this type of insert for years, is it an old model? I don't think it looks too bad and I don't think you can do anything around it, it gets too hot.

stone?

http://www.omistonework.com/images/stone-fireplace-1-lg.jpg

when done in small sections like this one, simple.. easy.. cheap.. and you can still change your floors around it..

If you look at some pix of Greene and Greene (the GAmble House in Calif), many Arts n Crafts houses had those "bent hearth" fireplaces. I recall that many of thee hearths had massive wooden surrounds alongthe sides and they mortise into a large cross beam that is at the ceiling. Are you or your husband handy? SUch a rough hewn series of beams (bent verticals and rough Ogeed ceiling) can be cut with hand planes and draw knives. Id use oak or ash and you can have the wood "fumed" to give it an authentic ARts n Crafts look. Your house is in the late AnC period, when Sears would sell plans for "rustic Bungalow STyles" . These places had been covered over and "remuddled" in the past and many owners are rediscovering the treasures beneath.
Are those stucco swaths on the plaster?

I've a keen idea but will have to search for the exact link. Besides which it might well not interest you at all. Still, one of my favorite all time fireplaces and could be riffed off of, conceptually.

Taking GW's clue about heat, riffing off of my memory fireplace might involve too much building out with heat amelioration.. not sure, as the build out could be further away..

I guess I'd do a lot of online looking re the period, for starters.

Back if I find my link.

does the fireplace have a damper and smoke shelf into which the insert was shoved? If it has a damper. good.

Here's the fireplace Farmerman mentions. It would be possible (with a lot of money) to build out the wall and enclose the insert. You could have bookcases on either side and of course, you don't need all the detail work:

Here's more of a modern peasant version (I like what you have better):

I kind of like the metal fireplace. You could perhaps put a bigger mantel piece
around it to make it more dramatic. Something like this here...

Theres a taller fireplace that I recall at the Gamble house. It isnt all wood surround. the plaster is used as a white mat and the wood merely frames the whole hearth. The lines that boomer has in the vertical direction should be preserved (IMHO) . I love that Arts and Craft look with vertical massive molding on the hearth. I did my own hearths at my place and (while I bought several mantles from old architectural junkyards) the hearths are all homemade. This work can be done by your own good design sense and some elbow grease (good hand tools are a must)

OK, I've found my source. Heh, it was in an email from a fellow who is an architectural maven re Greene and Greene (don't get me started) - the fireplace in Robert Winter's house (architectural historian). Big favorite for me, a gift from Batchelder.

Lessee if the links work, as to get into the LA Times archives seems to involve money. I'll give an article title anyway.

No, they didn't work.. Aaagg.
Anyway, there is a use of Batchelder's tiles.

Article -

Here's the title -
Set in stone & tile
For decades, historian Robert Winter has preserved a 1909 bungalow in Pasadena that resonates with timeless beauty.
By Dinah Eng, Special to The LA Times

(Might be just a couple of dollars to access, I just get pissy re paying it which I can understand arguments about that.)


Past that, I agree with Farmer re looking up fireplaces re Greene and Greene and other california bungalows. I left my books on all that with the buyer of my last house, but some of the books are very How To -
So, if you have time, I'd go look at Powells or a specifically architectural book store in Portland re the period.

Also, why are you making a fast decision about your fireplace? That is a key part of the house. Don't rush, in my not humble opinion.

Here are some images of Arts & Crafts fireplace designs. There were too many to post:

http://www.craftsmanhome.com/home-design/fireplace.html

Also, I failed to explain - Winter lived in the Batchelder's house, and the gift was from Batchelder to his wife Alice. (Oh, never mind.)

I have the link, the article and the photos. If I didn't, I - even me - might spring for it from the LAT; good article.

Sorry, GW, but yaaaaaack.

I suppose they fit the concept.

The flush, open fireplaces are great (I could maybe use that on the upstairs fireplace, which is indentical but doesn't have the insert) but that isn't going to work down here in the living room because the fireplace juts out.

The stove does have a damper and a blower. It's fantastic -- it has reduced our heating bill by half.

This was not our first choice of insert -- the one we chose was flush -- but after ordering and not having delivery for 12 weeks we gave up, cancelled the order and found something that would fit. We had an odd size to fit -- very deep and tall. We ended up taking what we could get. It might well be an older model.

Mr. B is very handy -- a good carpenter for basic stuff (I'll post the Murphy bed enclosure he built if we ever get the room finished). We have access to LOTS of beautiful wood, including wood for cabinet making.

My idea was to follow the form of the chimney encased in a beautiful walnut or mahogony or similar wood -- something that would accentuate the curves and make the fireplace "pop". Something simple with a rather rustic mantle. Mr. B worries about a mantle when everything kind of pokes out already.

We really can't afford to make a big mistake.

The thing is -- one of the guys who buys from Mr. B owes the company a boatload of money. He's not getting paid so he can't pay Mr. B. He's begging to work off some of the debt. He's really brilliant with wood (flooring, not so much with carpentry) and tile.

We're looking for ways to keep him working instead of forcing him into bankruptcy.

And our house is really not ready for this type of work, next year we could have a million things for him to do. But we kind of have to do it now. That's why I have to make a fast decision and I don't want to make the wrong decision......

My last fireplace was way cool and I never did touch it. Doesn't quite fit yours as it did come into the room about eighteen inches. Good looking redwood mantle and "columns", but the tile at the sides was newer than the house (probably from some fixit when it became a nursing home (!) for a bit. The tile on the floor in front of the fireplace was original. Sort of a medium brown, plain.

Well, I wouldn't have him work on a fireplace until I was sure. Is there some reason the fireplace is a catch all instead of another room or place that you're not ready for dealing with?

At least go look at some books.

Hennessey and Ingalls Art + Architecture bookstore used to have a roomful of books with photos of every damn thing - I could spend untold hours in there and ended up also buying. LA, then, also used to have a bookstore called Building News, very geared to technical. I figure Portland has a place you can peruse useful books at.

Hey, I didn't say I liked them or felt they would work in Boomer's Tudor house. I was just exploring the concept already mentioned.