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

Ok, to be blunt, that’s horrible. And it looks really weird stuffed with wood. No one stuffs their wood burner with wood. How would you light it?

Honestly if you’re willing to spend some money rip that fire place out, build a proper hearth, put a nice mantle in.

Either that installation is very old or it’s not been done correctly as the hearth isn’t big enough, so I’d have it checked out.

Call a proper stove installation company, they can look at it for you. Make sure they are hetas registered and they will make some recommendations.

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

But he gave you a form certifying it was safe and had been swept and checked? Because you need this for your house insurance.

@Bluntness100

What do you mean "h ok w do you light it?" You put a match in, it is set to be lit. We thought we would light it at Christmas and DH set it up but then it wasn't cold enough to bother.

I will check if I have a safety certificate for the sweeping though.

I mean you can’t light it when it’s full of wood. It’s not set to be lit at all, trust me, I’ve do, and during winter they are used daily.

To light a fire you put a small amount of kindling in, with something to start the fire, like firefighters, once the kindling is burning you add a small log. When that’s going hard, you add another. Then when it’s going properly you turn the air down to keep it burning at the level you wish. A fire needs air.

It’s not set to be lit. It’s used as storage space, sorry. Anyone with a wood burner or even an open fire knows that can’t be lit the way it is now.

That should say I’ve two not I’ve do

Yup sledge hammer I'm afraid. Start again. I think you can do without a mantlepiece with a wood burning stove in a simple (larger recess) but it does need to be centred to make sense for the proportions in the room.

I spoke to my builder he said we won't be able to move the hole to the centre because of where next doors fire is and structurally it isn't designed to have one centralised. He said taking it out is fine but to expect that is could get expensive if it ends up affecting the wall or next door flue. He didn't seem keen on it as a job.

Tiling a lopsided fireplace would look terrible, right?

Ok, could you then remove the hearth, the mantle and the cream painted faux stonework so you’re just left with the chimney breast?

Then stick a flush, fake coal/log fire in the centre of the chimney breast? You can get some nice looking very thin ones.

Loads more shelves above the mantelpiece, full of books? Possibly with doors if you don't like looking at books.