Fireplace and hearth

[Hobbes8]

Does anyone want to help me pick an option for my hearth

We're having our living room redecorated and yesterday we ripped out our old hideous fake marble fire surround and hearth (although since its been on the driveway we've had two enquiries about it, so maybe it's more fashionable than I thought?).

We've picked a very modern looking inset fire, which will be flush with wall and have a glass front. This one:
www.hotprice.co.uk/utils/ProductImage.aspx?ProductID=6537&code=2

We're having our floorboards sanded, and I was expecting to have floorboards to the wall and no hearth at all. Unfortunately when we took up the old hearth and laminate flooring, there's a bare concrete patch in front of the old fire.

So that will need covering, but with what? I was looking at hearths, tiles or patio slabs, but I can't picture what it would look like without going into the fireplace itself.

Ideally I would like something unfussy and flush with the floor. Has anyone seen anything like this they can share with me? I don't know what to search for on Pinterest etc!

Help gratefully received. We're spending a lot on the fireplace and I don't want to spoil the look with something a bit plonked.

This isn't a very helpful post but I think it would be a mistake to put a fireplace like that one in a period home (it sounds like pre-War as it has fireplaces and floorboards). I think those sorts of fireplaces are already looking quite dated so I would go with a period fireplace from a salvage yard that can accommodate a traditional hearth. Sorry.

It's a 1960s bungalow. I would love a period home with a cast iron fireplace, but that's not where I live. I don't like old looking stuff that isn't old, and I don't particularly like the 60s look, so we've gone modern.

Thanks for your post though.

Can the hearth not be removed. I cant imagine any hearth going with that fire in the wall really.

Having looked at it a bit longer, if you cant remove existing cement, what about the same metal on the floor as a hearth.

Can you dig up the cement and lay reclaimed floorboards to match the existing ones?

I think you would have to take up the concrete foundation and lay new floor board, or at least fill it in with board (which would look funny). You will have to work out what to do with the skirting boards too.

That sort of raised fireplace was sort of fashionable in the late 60s/early 70s when they started to get creative with gas and electric fires and people were getting rid of the dirty coal fires. It usually went with shag pile carpets and sheepskin rugs. Our glamorous next door neighbours did this when I was 6

I would get a piece of slate and a fire surround to go with it.

Hmm well we've just had to chuck out a rug because it had blueberries and vomit from our two preschoolers (and possibly red wine - oops) and was really beyond cleaning. So I'm not sure I'll be embracing the whole 60s vibe until I have older children (and a less clumsy me). Perhaps I'll buy a lava lamp as a nod to it?

The other option is to buy a new wooden floor and cover everything up, but it seems like such an expensive option for a couple of square feet.

The skirting board is being taken from another part of the room which is hidden by a TV bench, so it will match.

Isnt polished concrete a thing? Any chance I can make a feature of this hideousness?

Metal on the floor might be a solution because at least it would be thin and therefore flush-ish with the boards.

I also thought metal the same as the fire box would look nice Hobbes8. Would match and in keeping with the minimalism of the rest of the lounge.

What about this idea - a sort of seating block.

Ooh that's an interesting idea. It might work, but it might have to be a bit wide to cover the whole concrete. I'll have to see once all of the laminate is up.

Or something like this might work, to blend the hearth in with the wall a bit more:
www.fireplacegalleryfiresshop.co.uk/catalog/product/gallery/id/811/image/1292/

I have a friend with a similar fire, looks wise, although it is a log burner. She has a slate hearth underneath. Looks a bit like the one in the 3rd picture here. It looks beautiful.

stovesaver.co.uk/product/stovax-riva-studio-1-cassette-wood-burning/

Thanks! That looks lovely. I think I was convinced it would look odd because the hearth would be up against a skirting board, but with no skirting board it looks quite nice.