To rip out a 100yr old beautiful fireplace?

[Adriftat46]

Sorry only posting here for more traffic!

I want to consider the possibility of moving my beautiful original fireplace from its home in the ‘back room’ to the ‘front room’.

The back room will become part of a larger modern open plan extension - think roof lantern and bifolds, tiled floor, etc.

I worry the old fireplace will look out of place.

The front room has (lots of work needed) all the original features except any kind of fireplace. Currently a boarded up hole.

Can I realistically get good builders to somehow take it out of one room and reinstall in another?

It would give me the chance of putting in a modern flame source (gas, electric?) and possibly hanging the tv above it.

The old fireplace has a mantelpiece and large mirror with another shelf above, it takes over the whole wall.

Any thoughts?

Ps of course I will not be ripping out an original feature to dump in a skip!

@Zzelda

Don't go for gas or electricity, they simply aren't ever convincing as a flame source. Get a multi-fuel burner or have an open fire.

Dimplex Optimyst fires look pretty good. If you want electric.More convincing than my old gas "living flame" fire was anyway and some of those aren't too bad.

I was thinking something along the lines of this style.

I’d want to see some in a showroom I think as I don’t know anyone with one.
Plus DH loves the —faffing around with a— log fire so it might take some convincing.

I have had a quick chat with the builders who seem relaxed about moving it. One of them moved something similar in his old house.

I appreciate the chimney sizes may be different so that needs looking into.

I think if you had it stripped and French polished it would look great. It's probably oak.Also refurbish the rest of the fire/fireplace.

Have you thought carefully about moving it ie do you really think it wouldn't look right in your new room?
We have a similar aged fireplace and had a large extension to the room last year, including bifolds, although, admittedly, the room is more in 2 sections rather than one straight room (bit difficult to describe). We have panelling round the fireplace so moving would never have been an option, but it all works very well.

If people don't like period features just ignore. Our neighbour ripped all theirs out which privately baffled me but...their choice.

I live in a house of similar age.
Half the people who move into this area pull out every feature and put in floor tiles throughout, install glass everywhere, install a glossy kitchen and furnish with velvet or rich grey/silver furnishings.

Others carefully preserve the fireplaces, doors, floorboards etc and modernise the houses to extenuate the features.

No right or wrong. I personally love your fireplace and would keep exactly as is!!

I love it and hope it moves safely. I would also like to see the nicer alternatives being mentioned.

It belongs in the house so you absolutely should keep it...and it's lovely, just right and just as it should be.

Our Georgian house had been stripped out and modernised during the Sixties so we had to buy in our reclaimed period fireplaces. We fitted them ourselves (although we had to get a gas fitter in to disconnect the dangerous old gas fires first). On the look out for some Georgian doors and our refurb is then complete.

It's a fine line from decorating in a way that's sympathetic to the period of the house and recreating the Geffrye Museum, so good to mix modern with new in my opinion.

Thanks all.

NewHouse - sounds like you live near me lol.

I am putting in some floor tiles and bifolds but not velvet or grey.

I had to get new internal doors when we did the loft conversion but spent ages and £££ getting fire doors that looked like the old ones we had.

The back room has had all period features taken out already (not by me) except the fireplace. I just feel it will be an orphan out of place.