# What to do with a huge curved fireplace??



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Had a fireplace not so far off from yours in the family room of a California house. It had beautiful used brick to the ceiling and no mantle thogh. It had a higher bench that wrapped around it in matching brick. That bench tapered back into the wall. Loved that room. Everybody did. 

I had a custom fireplace screen made for it that made the lines sleeker. It blended in more. It was not outrageously expensive but it got rid of the standing square screen you have now. Granted, in the business, I get things cheaper so send me the dimensions and the curve radius and I will get one in metal of your choice. 

In your case, I think your whole piece of masonry just looks to tall and two big for the space. To me, yours looks a bit like a wedding cake gone bad. So let's see if you like it better just spending $40 on a gallon of paint store---not box store paint, using what you have to start. I want you to take the stack off the top of the cake. 

I want you to try something for this aged color consultant. If you have some of the wall paint left? Just paint everything on top of the mantle that color and see what you think when you walk in the room. Doesn't it look more like a fireplace without doing anything more? Really. People unless all rewired overnight are going to walk into your home and read color and focus on eye level of your mantle. Put some money into making it a bit more special. 

I will send you a check to paint over it if you don't like it. I promise.


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## mrs fix it (Oct 9, 2011)

I've seen them use one inch ruled for this, you should google curved fireplaces and see what you can get.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> I will send you a check to paint over it if you don't like it. I promise.


I already don't like it! So go ahead and send me the check now will ya? I'll PM my address to you.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Bud Cline said:


> I already don't like it! So go ahead and send me the check now will ya? I'll PM my address to you.


Bud, any time you need a check for a gallon of real paint store paint---not box store---you can count on me. Especially if I recommended you try something simple, you did, and it really did not improve the situation. 

Went toy shopping today which I have no reason to do since only cousins' kids are having kids now. I actually do not Christmas shop for any adults I know. They get things, as total surprises, through the year when I find them. Of course I pepper spray if there are 20 other people hoping to grab the same on April 4. I did buy more toys than planned for those Future Famous who may only get one this year. I dropped them off at the fire station for wrapping. Some US Marine will get to play Santa.

I re-read your post. And I know others you plunk. You hoped to nail me for a free gallon of paint didn't you Bud? Shame on you. There are ways of dealing with the likes of you Bubba. Send me the color code you want mixed into the gallon of paint you want from me. 

Trust me. I will have it matched close and delivered. The first coat may not look like the color you expected. The second coat will fix it. Retired now, I use only the Magicolor system for paint matching. Paint it on white and over time it hears, feels, thinks and smells what you have in mind for color.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Anyhow, as Bud continues to try to suck a free gallon of paint out of me. Knowing I am tapped having bought Christmas presents for kids I don't even know?

Design 101 or so. Our eyes will follow linear lines. We are trained and survive this way. However, in the case of this fireplace that looks like a bad stacked wedding cake? Let's cause some confusion and with just paint to start. 

Let's change the visual focus. We have a few seconds to respond to most things. If we were to walk into this room now? We would see a giant white, glob, vertical thing. In a couple more seconds some of us might notice it was made of brick. And painted. Most would not. 

What if, we chopped it down to look like a fireplace. Yes people, with paint to start (3/4 or even 1" roller cover will have this job done in 12-14 labor hours after prep? I do estimates for others now. I know these things!????). Put the mantle, just to start closer to a level our memorize and know as one?

Show me the rule book that says brick fireplaces nice as this one (from a masonry standpoint) have to be painted the same color? All the way up and down.

I sloppy arsed masked and virtually painted the existing situation with a close color but not the same so y'all could see the idea. I will polish it if desired. I would get an installed fire screen and think about color for the rest of the thing other than white. I think the owner will like it once tweaked with just paint. I do not know about the base of the fireplace. I would paint the brick under it darker and toss some festive FIREPROOF accent pillows, sewn to size around and on or in front of it I suppose.

Symmetry is good and comforting but the stuff on the mantle lined up like chess pieces does not work.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Bottom line. I think the masonry in this fireplace you have is really nice. I would not race to cover it over with plaster, stainless steel plate or anything. I don't see any need for tuckpointing or fixing mortar joints.

I hope the California house I mentioned needs no help for its fireplaces. They got, as should happen, their own foundations. Yours did too I suspect. Treasure the hearth as the ancients say. Take care not to change it too much.


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## natwlsn (Dec 13, 2011)

I agree a lot with sdsester .... for one, I like the fireplace and wouldn't mess with it very much....it looks well done and very unique. 

I don't know what your taste, style, and perference is to the rest of your decorating..... I'd consdier the top portion being the color of the wall ... or painting it all black might look nice, considering the rest of the decor would allow such a dark feature in the room..... usually once you change such a large piece of a room dramatically....it leads to changing everything else too .... something to keep in mind.


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## tkh1225 (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice! I do like the thought of painting the top of the fireplace and your example helped me to see just how much it does minimize the overall look of this huge fireplace. Something to think about!!!! Thanks again!


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