Modern fireplace suggestions?
New Eichler owner. We're painting the house before we move in and our designer wants to bring in colors from the garden into the house, so that there's more continuity.
She doesn't like the fireplace (neither do I) and was thinking of using granite tiles to match the color of a backyard tree that has dark red leaves (sorry, don't know the name of the tree). I would prefer to the keep the MCM aestheic but still want to have something dark like that, preferrably not granite.
I'd be OK w/ brick, something painted, or concrete but thought I'd come here for ideas. There may be brick underneath the granite but that might be a pain to resurrect.
Ideas?
(BTW, the furniture is not ours, it's staged.)
Hello OP,
Congratulations on your new home. I love the height of your ceilings.
Regarding your fireplace, I had my fireplace Venetian glazed with a salmon color put in the pigment.
It took the faux finisher several layers of plaster because of the brick work, and the results were excellent.
With the Venetian plaster, you can match the pigment to anything you want.
Good luck in your decision.
David
Not to pick on anybody's aesthetic choices, but the poster asked about modern fireplaces. Salmon colored Venetian plaster is meant to mimic something that looks several hundred years old and doesn't really address his inquiry for a mid-century modern solution. (And from what I understand, it's not cheap.) Some possibilities:
Check on any books on Richard Neutra homes. He typically used flagstone laid horizontally. You can get veneers that give the same look and attach right over your current fireplace. This would be a good way to bring the outside in.
Raw, grey concrete is another totally modern choice. It would probably look even better polished.
Black slate or soapstone tiles.
Cover it in one-inch glass mosaic tiles.
Stainless steel. The 1950's era Sunset book "How to Plan and Build Your Fireplace" even has one clad in corrugated aluminum panels.
Ceramic subway tiles installed vertically.
It looks like you have cinderblock, which looks way better than the clinker brick Eichler fireplaces. You could try to strip it.
I'm sure there are tons of other choices and I don't think you necessarily have to bring in a color from the yard. Contrasting colors that play up the geometry of your home will likely work better (like black beams against the ceiling). Your bigger challenge may be figuring out to blend the internal look of the fireplace with the external since you have windows on either side of the hearth. Good luck.
If you're looking for concrete solutions, there is a guy that is doing some countertop work for me and he knows and lives in an Eichler. Email me at [email protected] for the name and contact information.
Cheers!
