What on earth can I do with this awful fireplace??

[2021ishere2021]

We didn't have a huge budget so I made a hole beside the stove to store wood but mostly balance the stove. We painted the brick work a more neutral colour.

I still hate it. What would you do? Happy to spend a bit on it at this stage

[quote 2021ishere2021]@PinkGinny

I love the idea of those tiles. That was my first idea but when we moved in 18 months ago it was too hard to organise with everything else we had to do [/quote]
Still got a few months before you can go out to play so plenty time to try it now

If you are not going to light the stove rip it out add nice tiles a big piece of oak for the mantle. Put a fire grate back it and fill the grate with nice pine cones. Get a much bigger mirror as well
You can probably sell the stove and get enough to pay for the mirror

@BiscuitSewingTin

We do actually have a wooden floor it is a rug you can see. It isn't very nice but I want to get potty training done before I change the rug!

In all honesty I think the mirror, flowers and little house are as much an issue as the fireplace itself. If you dress it with more modern accessories that would really help. Maybe paint the wood on top. Have to say I love the tile idea above. Oh and I think you're mad not to use it! Our log burner is one of my very favourite things about our home.

If you’re not using the logburner, I would remove the mantlepiece/surround entirely and close it off, perhaps wallmount an electric ‘living flame’ style fire in its place. I like what a PP said about using a thick piece of reclaimed timber as the mantle above!

I like the original stone! Mirror needs to be bigger and move the ornaments. I'd replace the rabbit with a set of fire poker/shovel things.. no idea what they are called someone help me out

@Emmelina and @Subordinateclause

Right now we aren't using it because we have toddlers/preschoolers and the safety gate I had for it was very awkward so it is in the attic.

DH doesn't like stoves because of air quality but when the kids are bigger, I would like to use it.

@BeakyWinder

I like the original stone! Mirror needs to be bigger and move the ornaments. I'd replace the rabbit with a set of fire poker/shovel things.. no idea what they are called someone help me out

A companion set @BeakyWinder

@PinkGinny

I admire that you think I could tile a fireplace but that really would be a disaster 😂

@PinkGinny ⭐

I’d get a chimney sweep in now to check the stove and chimney - it looks to me as its not been fitted correctly. It’ll cost you about £70 and will let you know whether it is actually ok to use or needs to be removed.
Then you can decide what to actually do. I’d say there isn’t enough clearance for the stove, Its a fire hazard! A chimney sweep will use CCTV up the chimney to suss out if the flue is ok or not.

Do people think a room looks wrong without a fireplace when there is a chimney Brest in place ?

@Soontobe60

We did actually get the chimney swept (and a grate put on top after a starling came down and ended up in the stove 😱). He didn't say anything about it being unsafe but I didn't actually ask.

Honestly, if you don't use the fire, just take it out and maybe put candles in the hole. You will have more floor space then

theres been loads of good suggestions as to what you could do to make it better , i havent any myself as i havent had a fireplace in the past like that , i just want to say i love your hare ornament , whatever you do keep that , it does look nice on the bottom bit xx

@chaosrabbitland

😂 he is from next. Everyone admired him.

I love it. Sorry. 😂

Rabbit is a hare I think.
No idea what to do with the fireplace though.

Looks a bit like mine which I am about to rip out

I would do what someone else said: dismantle what is there and set the stove in the middle of the original fireplace opening with slate underneath the stove.

If that is too much work or too expensive, I’d paint the fireplace a matt very dark colour, or even Matt black, so that the stove and log hole don’t stand out.

I think there needs to be a much,much bigger, rectangular mirror or painting ( portrait-proportion higher than it is wide) to lead the eye upwards.

Unless it is of great sentimental importance, the little house possibly looks a bit trinkety and it might be better to keep that somewhere else.

I would knock out the whole centre and put the wood stove in the middle. It does look odd like that.

open it right out

@AlwaysLatte

I don't think I can do that because our neighbours open fire is on the other side of the chimney breast (odd I know, I had never ever seen this done)

I’d get a builder in for a quote to discuss what you could do - could you make it larger? Could you move the stove slightly more forward and central if you can’t knock the two holes into one. For me it’s the fact that it’s off centre that is so weird.