Aug 2, 2012

My dream fireplace

We've lived in our home in Ohio for 24 years now, and for 23 years, 350 days of that, I've known that the fireplace in our family room was WRONG wrong wrong. It was a huge fireplace that wasn't just the focal point, but just consumed the entire room. Here's a photo:

Old Fireplace Monster

Our house was built in the late 1980's and this is a 1980's style fireplace, for sure. But this fireplace is in a room just 18 x 13. It had no personality, no character and consumed square footage because of the extended hearth.

I'm a New Englander by birth and to the core of my being. I love colonial style and New England farmhouse style. For 23 years, I've had a vision of what this fireplace could be. Then "destiny" (via LivingSocial coupon for painting) put me in touch with the perfect contractors to do the job. Do you remember when I had turned my tiny dining room into a den? I'd found a coupon for painting on LivingSocial and that put me in contact with 1st Choice Home Services in Cincinnati. I cannot recommend them enough.

So, take one last look at my monster fireplace in the photo above, and be prepared. I'll be very quiet as you look, so you can oooooh and awwwww at will.




Oh yeah...

Now it was not all a bed of roses. I am almost over-the-top picky about details (and symmetry - don't even get me started on symmetry) and I had a fairly clear vision of how this fireplace should look. I had a few pictures from magazines to show Ron and Dan, and it gave them a starting point. Then we kind of reviewed and went step by step, day by day. They were absolutely wonderful at listening to my opinion and my wishes. They were always willing to back up and do something over, or add some little thing if I didn't feel the results were "just right". Honestly, they bent over backwards to create the fireplace of my dreams, and the finished product is just a perfect combination of my vision and their cabinetry and carpentry and painting skills. I was bound and determined that these shelving units and the fireplace should look "New England style" and also look as if they were a part of the house, not an addition. Ron and Dan understood what I wanted and delivered beyond my expectations. Again, anyone in the greater Cincinnati area (and probably further if the job was big enough), for whatever your painting, carpentry, installation needs, please feel confident in contacting Ron and Dan at 1st Choice Home Services. Are they the cheapest you'll find? No, probably not. But I found their prices reasonable, and I found their attention to detail and willingness to work with me exceeded my expectations. If you get what you pay for, I underpaid these guys!

No, I'm not receiving any compensation for telling you about their services. But shoot, now that I think about it, I should have asked for a discount for putting info on my blog. LOL Next time! Because they will be back. I'm already talking to them about the next job I need done - ceramic tile flooring in the laundry room and guest bathroom, and some other miscellaneous updating of those rooms.

So meanwhile, back to my gorgeous fireplace...

Hardwood flooring is going in (the entire downstairs, actually) during the last week of August. I've got to decide what color to paint the entire room. I've purchased fabric to make new curtains, and hopefully those will go up sometime this week. I can't fill/decorate the bookshelves until the paint has had 72 hours to dry, so that will be fun.  Can you picture this fireplace decorated for Christmas? I can!! I wish it was December now!

Life is good. In fact, honestly, life could not be any better right at this moment.

Let me know what you think!

6 comments:

Carla said...

Oh Joan How beautiful !! I too can't wait to see it at Christmas time, What a beautiful job they did it is perfect New England <3

Carla said...

Oh Joan it is beautiful you sure hit the mark on the New England look <3 and I too can't wait for Christmas pictures. Just perfect <3

Unknown said...

Joan, the new fireplace - mantel and built-in shelving and cabinets is just stunning! It looks like it's straight out of a magazine! I'm sure you will have lots of fun decorating and updating for the seasons as you always do. I can see the detail in a couple of your photos that shows the beautiful craftsmanship. Enjoy and I'm jealous!

Karen said...

So pretty! It changes the whole room! And very New England!!! Does it make you homesick? I love it! Good job!!!

tag vennard said...

Oooohh Aaaaaaahhhhh
very nice Joan. That should last you another 23 years 350 days!!
beautiful!

tag vennard said...

ooooohh Aaaaahhhhh
very nice!
That should last you 23 years 350 days!
Beautiful!