My First Working Fireplace

When it comes to having a fireplace, Mike and I have very different upbringings. My family's chimney was damaged in the '89 earthquake and although I remember it being 'fixed,' I have never seen a fire lit in my childhood home. This may have something to do with it being located in the formal living room which might as well not exist with the amount of time we spent in there.

On the other hand, Mike's family lights a fire in their fireplace every chance they get during the cold months. I love how cozy his house is with everyone lounging on the sectional during the holidays with a good fire burning and football on the TV. In my head it totally looks like a cheesy commercial but in reality it's perfect. In his house the TV is above the fireplace (a design choice I realize a lot of people don't prefer) and he always tells me the story of how one winter after the Christmas tree died, they decided to chop it up and burn it and the fire got so hot it actually melted the wiring for the TV.

Lucky for us, we aren't planning on putting the TV above the fireplace, but we are planning to give this awkward little corner some love. Here's what it looks like now.

The fact that the bottom of the mantel is shorter than the width of the stone bothers me to no end, but I am thrilled to have a wood-burning fireplace that actually works! Mike and I both agree that it needs something, but short of a total makeover with a big budget, we weren't sure how we could make it work -- especially with those odd angles. Needless to say, I've been pinning fireplaces like crazy over on my 'new home' Pinterest board which has made me realize just how many different options there are for fireplaces.

If we were going to do a large renovation and completely change this wall, I would opt for a gas fireplace over wood and choose a green option. I really like both of these from Ecosmartfire.com

I realize it's a very modern look, but I feel like it would incorporate well even in a more traditional house. However, since we don't have the funds or courage to start moving walls, I am thinking of a makeover more along the lines of this:

Apartment Therapy

Young House Love

The fireplace makeover YHL did on their old brick fireplace probably tops my list of their most creative, beautiful, and budget friendly DIY projects (which is saying something since they DIY for a living). Although I prefer the tile and pattern in YHL's makeover better than the one above it, I like how the first picture shows what it would look like if I wrapped the mantel around the entire portion that extends from the wall.

This makeover is definitely on the 'to do in the next 6 months' list as far as home improvement projects go but in the mean time, I will have to settle on decorating the too-short mantel. Oh, and dreaming about replacing the granny-esque fireplace cover with this beauty...

Crate and Barrel