Fireplace Help
By 374 lbsI have a fireplace in my apartment that, until recently, had a brass insert with glass doors. It looked similar to the photo below. I removed it because brass just isn't my style but I need to put something else in its place.
I would like to make something myself and I would like for it to look modern and simplistic. I don't use my fireplace so it doesn't have to be fireproof... I just want to keep the soot in and my cats out while maintaining my personal style. I plan to paint the fireplace fire engine red and the wall behind it a light aqua, so I would like for the fireplace doors to be as strealine possible.
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks! Any help would be much appreciated! A photo of my fireplace is below.
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deejmore
If you still have the old fireplace doors, how about decoupage?.. You can cover the brass with fabric or paper and glue fabric or fancy papers on the inside of the glass or frost it. You can also try using a baby gate.. it will keep the cats out and hold up anything you want to cover the hole.
StevoKinevo
Seal the damper so you will not have any drafts or soot issues, then split enough firewood to stack in the opening and fill it completely. Just leave an inch or so sticking out. That could do the trick!
374 lbs
Good point!
kestrel
Why not simply do a temporary seal to the chimney flue to keep the soot out. A thin sheet of plywood fitted up inside would work. And if a little bit of soot does sneak around the corners I'm sure it would just add mineral content to your plants. lol
Jim
374 lbs
Jim,
That's a great idea but soot periodically falls into my my fireplace and makes a big mess. Since I live in an apartment building I'm not going to have the chimney cleanned. When I buy a house of my own I will definitely give that a try! A fireplace terrarium -- how cool...and ironic!
I think I will try to make something similar to what lilybee and sistergray mentioned. Those are also great ideas!
Maybe mount some aluminum track along the top and base of the opening for a glass panel to slide into? I don't know, I'm still looking for inspiration.
kestrel
I've seen the punched aluminum style one Lilybee mentioned but done with a 1/4" thick plywood panel.
What about getting a flower box, put some legs on it, then plant some ivy or other hanging type plants? Give yourself a living fireplace screen. If your cats tend to nibble on your plants spray a light mixture of liquid dishwasher soap and water on them. The plants that is, not the cats.
Hmmm...not that this would be the most practical but it sure would be cool. Since you don't use the fireplace mount a grow light up inside the chimney and then load the fireplace up with plants. Make a fireplace plant terrarium.
Jim
lilybee
Hi 374! There are a couple of ideas for fireplace cover-ups here, they don't have pictures but they're fairly self explanatory. The punched aluminum might be cool, and would probably work really well with that rather cool tin you've got there.
Or what about some strips of self adhesive Velcro on the tile surround and bit of sturdy, kitty-proof fabric stretched taut across the space?
Whatever you decide to do, do post pictures!
sistergray
If you decide NOT to DIY, this one from Crate and Barrel is pretty inexpensive for what it is.
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=14168&f=30357&q=fire+screen&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1
And this one is pretty nice, but more expensive:
http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?ItemId=54435
You might be able to do something similar with some plexiglass and some sort of...base. I'm not entirely sure how that would work...but as long as the plexi has something to balance on...
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