Crappy fireplace with log burner (photo included) - is this quote to improve it realistic?

[hmcAsWas]

"reduce height of the chamber, build with brick arch, lay brick around the chamber to match existing bricks and refit stove. Plaster where needed over arch" £2,760 inc VAT. Fair price?

Seems quite a lot but perhaps its a lot of work...?

What's wrong with it??

The fireplace? Height of chamber too high, bit of a fugly finish (just render).

Just wondered if the quote to make it look better (above - brick surround, reduce height of aperture, arch finish etc) seemed reasonable or pricey

Can you not just jazz it up a bit? Some funky tiles in the fireplace and a nice log holder to one side with a set of fire tools on the other? That's an awfully high price for very little to be honest.

Yes, I thought it was a bit steep too Doreen...

Is there an actual problem? Ie. Is it extra draughty?

If not then I think you can improve it with a tin of Chalk Paint and a gorgeous basket or leather log holder.

Tiles would be amazing on the inside, I'm thinking Moroccan style ones. Or lower the front with a 10 inch deep piece of beam as a mantel piece - ie. attach a deep piece of oak.

There's also room for a couple of narrow shelves inside the cubby.

It's really lovely and unless there's a giant draught I'd just froof it. Or Joosh it.

Like this beam

This is painted grey inside with a beam

Beautiful blue tiles plus surround - which you can attach lower down without having to actually lower the brick

Oak beam across lowering the height of the opening would be the cheapest solution but maybe just check building regs distances for the proposed beam plus existing walls distances and hearth construction details as not convinced from photo that it would currently comply.

Way too expensive imo. The beam would look great.

Yes like Lauries first picture.

Wow, thanks LaurieFairyCake!

For that kind of money it would be cheaper to get a bigger stove to fit the opening better!
I would jazz it up and get a nice oak beam across the mantle, some logs in a wicker basket and maybe tile or paint the opening

That does seem a bit high OP We transformed the inglenook fireplace opening at our last house - kept the existing woodburner, although it's hard to tell from the pic but I can't find a better one, sorry - by squaring off the opening, hanging wallpaper and fitting a reclaimed oak surround. DH built a recess cupboard to hide some of our masses of crap that disguised the butt ugly arched thing.

The 'original' as seen in my first pic was actually the creation of our previous owner who wanted to turn the house into some kind of Disney-fied cottage. He built the whole thing, including adding the rather lovely curved beam - very clever, but overall extremely fugly imho and definitely not to our taste......

We did the work ourselves - no alterations to actual woodburner though - and it cost less than £500 all in.

This is my stove, I love it!

I know Raphaella - its a ridiculously high aperture (new build house - builder was a bit of a corner cutting twunt) and looks proper silly in RL

Good job on your fireplace btw!

I think it's too high. Excluding lining the chimney and the cost of a new stove we paid less than a grand to completely restore a fireplace that had been badly bricked up and had a collapsed arch - see pics.

How high is it? I agree that you can do something yourself there. Just get on Pinterest.

nice - although quite dramatic

Another one

That looks great OTheHuge - less than a grand for complete restoration? My quote clearly excessive then!

It might also be worth looking at reclaimed 1930s/Arts and Crafts fire surrounds. Assuming it wouldn't argue too much with the rest of the style of your house, lots of them have a tall upper section including shelves/mirrors and the like.

Here's one

The aperture is 130 cms high, the height of the stove is 54 cms high, and the height of the visible pipe / vent (sorry - don't know the terminology) is 76 cms, so seriously unbalanced I think SwedishEdith

Good idea OTheHugeManatee - new house, so décor of the house is neutral at the moment

If you give us dimensions we can help you look

(Can you tell I spend a lot of time doing research for our renovations?)

Well that's an offer that can't be refused OTheHugeManatee!

Most of the dimensions are as a couple of posts above. In addition, width of the aperture is 99 cms and depth is 58 cms

This one looks like it'd be tall enough, but probably too wide at the sides. But you could always add a decorative tile border up the sides, then screw a backing piece of wood/MDF just below the horizontal and tile that too, so it looks like the tiles run inside all three sides of the mantelpiece. iyswim.