Bricked in fireplace - any ideas?

[medb22]

Our living room has a fireplace that has been bricked in and replastered (by the previous owners). We've just ignored the odd blank chimney breast wall for the last few years :), but now we are planning on building in shelving etc into the alcoves on either side and are stumped about what to do with it. I know the obvious thing would be to knock out the bricks, open it up again and put a wood burning stove or whatever into it, but OH doesn't want to do that - the room is quite small, and he doesn't want to reduce the floor space by putting in a hearth, especially for a wood-burning stove we are never likely to use. We were thinking maybe of putting in an electric fireplace - something like this: www.thegascompany.ie/recessed-electric-fires/970226-built-in-receessed-electric-fire-gazco-studio-electric-1050-designer-electric-inset-wall-fire-1050-x-380mm-w-x-h-970226.html

The price is eyewatering though for something that would mainly be for aesthetic purposes only (we've spent quite a bit on insulation and smart radiators and what have you, and the house is a terrace so it's quite easy to keep heated). Does anyone have a feature electric fire? Was it mental expensive/a big job to fit?

I wonder whether some kind of wood panelling feature might look good - something like the pins here, but only on the chimney breast itself, since the alcoves will have built in storage (though we could do something to tie it in, design wise - the alcove shelving will be custom built): www.pinterest.ie/katyakolibanphotography/living-room-wall-paneling-ideas/

Of course, I've spend the morning googling bricked up fireplaces and reading all sorts of horror stories about what might be lurking behind there.

We took out an electric fire and hearth from our living room a couple of years ago - massive trip hazard with small kids and it was very dated. We now have a blank wall on the chimney breast with a wall mounted tv (and all cables hidden) and we're happy with that. Don't need a replacement fireplace.

Thanks Shelley. Yes, definitely don't want a hearth - space and trip hazard with small kids. The fires we were looking at are built into the hearth, but it just seems like a lot of money for a design feature.

I think I'll just do the alcoves for now and see - it might be fine, as you say. At the moment, we have mismatched furniture in them and the whole room just looks a bit of a mess. Proper furniture might make a big difference. We can't do the TV up there as the room is small and the alcoves aren't symmetrical, so it would make looking at it awkward from the armchair - but a mirror or painting once the alcoves are finished might work ok.

Would you consider having the chimney removed? It's a very messy job though. We had it done, (as a part of a major extension and updating job) as the fireplace was in an inconvenient place. In our case the entire chimney was removed from roof/attic down, which had the advantage of creating more space in one of the bedrooms as well. It was quite amazing how it improved the flow and workable space of the sitting room. We had a free standing multi fuel stove installed in a better position in the room.
I have also had a fireplace opened up. It was quite exciting because the property was over 250 years old, yet there was a 1960s open fireplace in situ in the sitting room. Would there be a beautiful stove/bread oven/beams lurking behind? No such luck. Just masses and masses of rubble and clouds of choking dust! I had to buy a fire basket and had bookcases built into the alcoves either side. But a genuinely filthy job.
Just one other thought if you decide to open up the fireplace aperture. The new electric stoves are very good now (well, I think they are attractive, but I am getting on a bit, so a younger person might think they look a bit fuddy duddy). That wouldn't need a hearth.

You can get fires similar to the one you've seen but that just hang onto the wall. So just drill, hang, plug in. I removed the skirting board and hid the wires behind it.

You could consider trying to reclaim a grate, possibly a bedroom one as they are smaller, and just fit it as a non-functional chimney. You might find that provides the focal point you’re looking for without taking up too much space

I'm not sure we want to go to the lengths of having it removed at this stage - possibly something we should have done when renovating in the first place, but time and money constraints and all that. This is probably not our 'forever house' anyway, so hoping to keep things as simple (and cheap!) as possible I suppose. Pity your job didn't reveal a wonderful feature behind! I love the idea of a freestanding stove - I love the look of stoves in general - but with young kids I don't think it's feasible, as I'd have to get a big guard and that would take up lots of space. Plus I know we would just never use it - my mum has one and the heat from it in her small living room is stifling.

I do think the new electric fireplaces are quite nice - though they look a bit more like pictures than fires, to me! DH is very taken with them after looking online, but he likes all things modern and digital. I'm just not particularly keen to part with the guts of 3K (never mind what might be revealed if it gets opened up!) for what amounts to a pretty picture :)

I like the one in your link.

pinterest have lots of ideas - just search for fireplaces & see what comes up! I googles fake fire places & lots of ideas for electric ones came up some flat ones

Sorry, reply above was to longearedbat - took too long to post!

originalcatlady, that is interesting - I will check them out. Though I have a crazy toddler and worry about any sharp edges at toddler-head-height! Maybe a visit to a showroom is in order to see in person.

foxatthewindow, I like that idea too, though DH is less keen on a 'void' if that makes sense (I tried to get him interested in the empty space filled with candles etc, but no go!).

Parsleypot, yes - DH too! It is, predictably for DH, one of the more expensive ones of that size in the shop.

I meant something like this: images.app.goo.gl/LPXyYMo6BrFVB8136

So there wouldn’t be that much of a void

My office has a fireplace very much like foxatthewindow has linked to, but the carpet goes right up to (and actually under...) the grate. It's never used as a fire. I stick Christmas lights in it. I guess it depends what the rest of your house is like - sleek and modern or victorian/mid century.

I have a void and fill it with battery powered flickering candles. It look really good and makes more space. Took engineered wood floor over hearth and skirted in surround.

Oh I see what you mean, fox - that is lovely, but the style wouldn't work in the house I don't think. It's not sleek and modern, but not Victorian either - bog standard 40s build, no particularly interesting original features :) Also, I think that would be too attractive for my toddler and he'd spend most of his time pulling at it!

Geppili, I love a void - I've seen really cool images online with empty fireplaces filled with logs facing cut side out. But - crazy toddler, and husband is totally against voids (or indeed, opening the fireplace up at all).

Ooh I have exactly the same problem as you! Though ours isn't bricked up fully, just plasterboarded and plastered over (badly) so may not be as difficult to remove if we wanted a fireplace again. I want to get built in cupboards in the alcoves with floating shelves above them, but I'm stuck for what do to with the fireplace wall!

At the moment our best idea has been to buy a fireplace surround, attach it to the wall and put a few shelves in it to make a kind of feature wall, but it could either look alright or an absolute mess, so haven't committed yet! Has anyone done this before with any success?

I'd also love to have a void there and put beautiful candles in it, but husband has vetoed it. We may be stuck with an odd wall for a while!