What colour would you paint this dated fireplace?

[missrachael]

Navy blue velvet sofa, beigey walls, gold/brass accessories and a mixture of navy blue and ochre cushions

Isn’t it an original feature of the house? I think in a few years you will regret removing it.

I agree with others - the fireplace will look fine without the gas fire and all the pipe work and after a good clean.

It goes better with the windows than any modern version and will not look good with paint on it.

That's an original 1930's fireplace & surround.

Perhaps @missrachael might like to do some research about whether it matches the age of the house and if it does, it would be a crime to get the sledgehammer out.

That looks to be a lovely historic fireplace (even if you hate it, others will pay good money for it; just like some people like LP’s).

I’m pretty certain my parents had a gas fire like that in the 70’s?

I’m in my second or third listed building (and it has been great fun “discovering” things that were boarded over/covered up when things became unfashionable).

Do get a gas installer to remove the fire and look at the state of the fireplace. It looks as if it is in good condition (even if it is not to your taste).

Assuming that you can’t have proper fires, I would look to box around it (or get an architectural reclamation firm to buy it).

Those were sturdy old houses, as long as nobody messed up the cavity wall insulation.

Ah good. Are you insulating under the floorboards?

When they do the electrics make sure to tell them not to take a jigsaw to the floor boards haphazardly if you're going to keep the floor.

I don’t think I want to remove the actual fire surround. That’s why I mentioned painting it, I just think it’s ugly as it is, but maybe it is the gas fire doing that and once we’ve opened it up I’ll feel differently. The house has all its original features which I absolutely fell in love with so I’m trying to keep everything but bring it more upto date

Dh did mention that, we’re keeping the floorboards for now but in a few years once we have some money again lol we will replace the floorboards with new ones. I think it’s pine wood currently

We read that the house was built circa 1910

@barskits Err, I know 🙄 We've owned loads of period houses - everything from Tudor through thatched Georgian to 1850s-with-Arts-&-Crafts makeover.

I wouldn't suggest a sledgehammer in any case, as someone would probably love it...you perhaps 😁

We always sensitively renovate (as we've never bought somewhere that wasn't a project), and are currently restoring a Georgian cottage with absolutely zero original features as they were ripped out last time it was renovated in the mid 1960s. Everything including the skirting has gone, so we're putting it all back as it should look.

However, despite @missrachael having what appear to be some lovely original windows in her new - Edwardian meets Art Deco? - home, and although the fireplace shows an Arts & Crafts period influence, imo the 1920s/30s is just not the most attractive period and - I think - not the loveliest fireplace. I accept I'm probably in the minority thinking this!

I'm probably biased as I grew up with those kind of fugly fireplaces in my parents' (1925) and my grandparents' (late victorian, where the fireplace was obviously a later addition) houses.

We also collect Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau furniture/decorative items (and books on the subject of which I have hundreds), so know a bit about the period.

Of course, @missrachael might decide to keep the fireplace, but personally I would replace it with something more typically Arts & Crafts or Edwardian sourced from a reclamation yard or similar. If the fireplace comes out OK they might be interested in purchasing it. I know we once sold a very similar example (from a Victorian detached villa that had been 'upgraded' in the 1920s or 30s) to someone restoring a 1930s house.

I think you will absolutely adore that fireplace if you live with it for a while. Take the gas burner bit out, obvs - plant for now a good idea. After that it’s neutral earthy and sounds like it will work perfectly well with your room colour plans. Give it a year. I think it’ll be one of your favourite features just as it is. Don’t paint it. You’d lose all the natural texture and colour of the tiles.

remove the gas fire and open the fire up to be a real fire. Don’t paint the fireplace as it’s very unusual and unique. Embrace it.

Thank you, driving myself insane worrying about colours etc but maybe you’re right and the most ugly thing in the house nah turn out to be my favourite. Next door is the same house but a developer has ripped literally all the originality out of the house which is such a shame

It's so subjective though.....

When we owned our Tudor house - which had actually been dismantled and rebuilt in a different location in the 1930s - the main living room had a vaulted ceiling and was a really atmospheric space.

The guy (a master builder, apparently) who'd rebuilt the property in the 30s had added some Arts & Crafts features including his idea of a Tudor fireplace. The house - amazingly - wasn't listed, so after careful consideration we carefully removed the very clunky fireplace, set it aside and replaced it with something reclaimed from a large period house that was being gutted.

When we sold a few years later, our buyers took out 'our' fireplace and put the fugly one back in...as well as - in the corner of this amazing room - a huge oak bar and stools that looked to have come from a pub! We were gobsmacked when we saw the listing photos when they put it up for sale.

@missrachael Whatever you decide, I think the room will look fabulous!

Completely agree.

Would you guys be interested in pics once we’ve removed the gas fire and opened it up? Would be great for some suggestions at that point !

Yes please!

Definitely!!

I think it's beautiful.
I agree it will definitely look different once the fire has gone and the room is decorated.

As a pp said don’t paint it, I really like it! Just get rid of gas fire and put your plant there

If somebody can spare the time off, it is worth having somebody physically there to be explicit about not cutting through the floorboards (bitter experience).

I've got one quite similar but without the flowery embossed tiles, so much plainer. I had the old gas fire taken out and the gas supply closed off. Gave the tiles a good scub and bought a chimney sweep to stop the wind howling down the chimney. I thought about painting it as there was no way I could afford to have it ripped out and then redecorate the whole room and recarpet it. Decided not to pain it as I had a gut feeling it would look worse Put some plants and candles in the fire place and it looks ok, it was the old gas fire that was causing the real ugliness

Neutral, white variation

Remove the fire. Board it at the back. Paint the whole thing a mat black. But candles / basket etc in and to the side of the gap. If you can afford it put a wooden beam on the wall.
TBH I would get rid of it and look for a second hand surround and put a fire grill in. So it looks in keeping with

Please keep the tile surround and don't paint or put stickers on them!!!!!

Once that hideous gas fire is gone you will see how gorgeous they are-don't strip out what makes it a beautiful period property and make it some modern soulless identikit room!!! Embrace the original features.

Yes I live in a Victorian semi 😂