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Living for Pretty

Celebrating all things pretty, happy and inspiring. From renovation stories, to recipes, decorating, parties and little life lessons, you’ll find a little bit of everything here.

faux fireplace fancies



November 5, 2013

Remember when I mentioned we had to remove our chimney for safety reasons and lose our fireplace? It was a sad day. For a couple weeks we thought we could afford to rebuild, but after a budget conversation with our contractor we immediately crossed it off the list (it saved us 8 thousand and put us back in the black). Maybe someday we’ll have a beautiful place to have a roaring fire, but until then, we are going to fake it. I’ve been on the lookout for a beautiful mantle for months. I dreamed of marble ones with fancy details ala the prettiest house ever but those are mind boggling expensive. We thought about building one (my father-in-law guaranteed us it was a piece of cake), and probably would have if we hadn’t found the one below for a screaming deal on craigslist (Thanks to my brother who made the swoop before someone else took it and to my parents for the transport – and birthday gift!). It is made out of a teak, has a curved opening (something I had been insistent on) and lovely details. I am just so excited to have it and looking forward to decorating it for the coming holiday season.

Our recently installed, but unfinished fireplace surround – isn’t that detailing gorgeous? We have an angled wall it works perfect on. Right now we’re figuring out how to finish it.

I love what Kristin did with her faux fireplace at the Hunted Interior. I think the texture of the logs and contrast is just gorgeous. 
This is a beautiful fireplace surround in general; I love the black interior and typography details – it could easily be translated to a faux fireplace. Lucas Allen in Real Simple
Probably one of the biggest “duh” ideas. If you can’t have a roaring fire, how bout a whole bunch of itty bitty fires? Emily Schuman from Cupcakes and Cashmere fills the room with candlelight and uses pretty tile below to catch wax drips.

I just love the idea of a book shelf in Yvonne and Boris‘s home. It makes it beautiful and functional. Another stacked log idea in the same house that’s a little less permanent. 

Kate Spade’s pop up shop in London two years ago featured not one but two awesome ideas for non-working fireplaces (red mirror and left book). I think our fireplace is just deep enough for some stacked paper books (Nancy Drew anyone?). And a mirror is a simple, slender solution. The right is from Apartment Therapy.

We may have to try out a few ideas before we decide… what do you think? 

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2 Comments CATEGORIES / General

Comments

  1. Karen Reid-Mogford says

    November 5, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Thanks for finding my little blog! So kind!
    I think you are lucky you don't need real fire! It's sooooo cold in England, our is on already 🙁
    Love all the ideas! X

    Reply
  2. Life of a Little Songbird says

    November 8, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    I love all of these ideas! How adorable! & it will be extra fun to decorate for the holidays! 🙂

    Reply

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Decor and home with a little bit of daydreaming and real life sprinked in. My husband and I are slowly updating our 1900 Dutch Colonial. I love hunting for vintage and flying the pacific northwest and the world with my aviator husband.
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