Today’s blog is about a natural focal point in the living room, a fireplace, and a timeless design worthy of all the attention. There are many styles, shapes and material options to consider but here’s how we made our fireplace design a statement as well as future proof.
It’s important to know how to achieve the right fireplace design for your interior style. We opted for a Bath Stone surround, slate hearth and wood burning stove. It’s all in the detail, so if you’re considering this combination then we’ve done some of the homework for you. Your future cosy self can thank me later.
THE BEFORE
Really, is there anything more special than gathering around the fire with your loved ones? The amenity for providing warmth but also a focal point for creating new memories. However, the fifties gas fire and wood surround we inherited didn’t fit our vision for this room. Therefore, a fireplace had to be our first design touch of architectural elegance within This Home.
Beyond the necessities of rewiring the whole house and installing gas central heating the fireplace was the first decorative project to flex our creative muscle. A one-time investment with a flurry of benefits that included a good cut in energy consumption and electricity bills. But why start with a fireplace? Aha, there was a good reason for this.
The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home but a close second is the living room – lounge, snug, whatever you want to call it. The place you sprawl on the sofa, lay like broccoli and watch telly with a glass of wine whilst the fire dances before you. Yet, with all the renovation works going on, we accepted that our dream open-plan kitchen was off the cards for a while. As it happens, it turned out to be 5 years before it got underway.
Instead, we moved our focus down the priority list and into another hub for gathering. We’d grow our living room into a comfortable and inviting room we could enjoy. To do that, we had to address the linchpin in the room, the fireplace. With the right design and investment the fireplace would define the space for the future. First up, say goodbye to the one we inherited and take it back to brick. All works adhered to building regulations and a lintel added for support.
Back to brick 
Lintel added
THE IN BETWEEN
We actually inherited two fireplaces, one in the living room we were about to transform and another in the dining room we decided to remove. It would have been great to keep both but it wasn’t practical or cost effective to do so. The design was to create a broken plan living space, knocking down the wall between the two rooms and connect them together. As a result, two fireplaces would have been overkill. One main fireplace could sufficiently provide heat flow into the dining room when needed. Equally, we wanted the ability to close down the living room into a more cosy one and retain an element of privacy. We achieved this by inserting doors to open for sociability and reduce for relaxing. I’ll be sharing these rooms, their journey to date, as well as our latest plans in weeks to come. Keep your eyes peeled or subscribe for free to keep up to date on all the latest This Home Grows blog posts.
Now back to the fireplace…
Living room before 
Dining room before
THE SURROUND
The age, style and size of your home are all important factors to consider when choosing a fireplace surround. To us, nothing makes a room look more beautiful than a stone surround and our aim was to add a little old world glamour. It carries that timeless beauty, which was exactly what our fifties house was calling out for. Here are some of the reasons why a Bath Stone surround might be a good choice for you.
APPEARANCE
Stone has been used to create beautiful fireplaces in homes since the 1600’s and to many, Bath Stone is one of the finest building materials used throughout southern England. Its honey-hued beauty gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance.
Using a natural element helped us achieve that timeless fireplace design we were striving for. Combined with a simple design it allows modern and traditional styles to fuse together. It also shows off the depth of colour in the Bath Stone.
The cream tones of the stone complement a natural decorative scheme, which is our preference at This Home Grows. Yet, with no two pieces of stone the same, you know you’re still getting a unique and timeless fireplace design. The strong vein you can see in the mantle adds a natural element, bringing the outside in and rooting the fireplace to this room.
Consider your rooms aesthetic and allow your new fireplace to reflect the personality and style of you.
BUILT TO LAST
Stone lasts a lifetime and Bath Stone embraces that natural, earthy texture making it the perfect choice for a fireplace design, standing timeless.
Bath Stone is a “freestone” meaning its workability allows it to be sawn or squared up in any direction, unlike other rocks with distinct layers. The military discipline in the clean lines and accurate cuts gives the surround a splendid stance to command this living room.
We used a Devon-based stonemason as a way to give the fireplace in This Home a local connection. It was important to us that the person was local and understood how to treat the stone with respect. We think the results speak for themselves.
EASY TO MAINTAIN
A stone fireplace should last as long as the property it’s in. It needs very little maintenance other than an occasional clean. A specialist sealant is applied to the stone as part of the construction and fitting process. If not, your surround will be more susceptible to stains and general moisture damage.
AFFORDABILITY
Believe it or not, a stone fireplace surround can be affordable and, depending on the design, can meet most budgets. It’s one of the less expensive stone options costing around £500-£1000, offering exceptional quality. Ours met the thousand pound mark with surround, hearth and fitting included. This was six years ago so the cost for this kind of craft could have changed. However, stone lasts and because it’s a premium material it can add value to your home.
THE STOVE
Gazing into the dancing amber flames and enjoying the scent of burning wood is our idea of cosy. Stoves add a wonderful eye-pleasing aesthetic to your home but can do so without harming the environment. They provide heat, reducing your reliance for domestic heating, making them a good long term choice for your home. The Country Living website takes a look at the key facts and advice around the Governments plans to phase out the sale of coal and wet wood in England between 2021 and 2023.
Our wood burning stove is from a Devon-based supplier, Westcountry Stoves. It is positioned in the existing fireplace with sufficient space around it. This is called inset which technically means that it allows 80% of the heat output to go back into the room. Too little space and there isn’t enough room for the heat to be released and too much and it is absorbed into the fireplace. I must say, it makes the room and the upstairs master bedroom feel toasty. Fortunately, we’ve got a sustainable supply of wood to keep running costs minimal and to keep an effective and environment friendly burn.
Before you select your stove consider how big and powerful it needs to be. It’s worth answering a few questions about your home to work out how much heat you need to radiate. Useful questions to answer: is it an old property, how big is it, does it have high ceilings, is it insulated, how much glass is there, do you have carpet or bare floors and are the windows single or double glazed? Your stove supplier should help you with the specifics.
KILOWATTS
Before choosing your stove you need to work out the average heat output your room requires. It sounds complicated but it’s actually a simple calculation that gives you your requirements in kilowatts. Simply work out the volume of the room in cubic meters and divide by 14.
FUEL TYPE?
Wood burning stoves exclusively burn wood logs whereas a multi fuel stove can burn wood, manufactured smokeless fuel or natural smokeless fuel.
The Stove Industry Alliance has produced a really interesting animated video which explores some of the common misconceptions around wood burning stoves. It explains the real facts and shows why wood burning stoves are low carbon, sustainable heating solutions that home owners can be proud of.
POSITIONING STYLE
There are three main options for positioning your stove: inset, cassette or freestanding. Inset allows a stove to fit into an existing fireplace. Cassette is similar but can be installed at varying heights. Freestanding stoves are what they sound like and can be positioned anywhere. These can make quite the statement in the centre of an open-plan living room. Of course, there are benefits to all types so it’s worth looking into these once you know the room’s heating requirements.
THE HEARTH
The sight of a stone surround and the right hearth can really elevate a room. Paired with a stone that suits the mantle, the fireplace becomes an honest focal point. Used for centuries in the UK, slate is the perfect choice for a fire hearth. Here are a few of its advantages.
LOOKS STYLISH
The slate hearth adds an element of understated sophistication to the overall design. A fine-grained rock that can be shaped and styled to suit various spaces. It provides a long-lasting hearth for many years of enjoyment. I love its deep muted finish, as it ages slowly over time.
It’s quite a soft stone which gives it flexibility. However, it’s more susceptible to scratches and chips if you’re heavy handed around the hearth. I don’t mind a little rough texture added through use as it adds to its story and grows older with us. It’s more of a reminder to take care.
We also mirrored the use of the slate in our dining room. The removed fireplace left a rectangle space that didn’t marry up with the wooden flooring. Another piece of slate fills the gap perfectly and acts as a stylish platform for our freestanding mirror. It links the two rooms together in style, which I absolutely love.
THERMAL STABILITY
Not only does it look beautiful its natural resistance to heat makes it high in performance and energy efficient. Slate is extremely durable and easy to maintain. I’ve found regular dusting or simply soapy water is enough to keep the slate looking clean.
BESPOKE
The shade of grey was the perfect contrast to the light Bath stone surround. Irrespective of décor you’re sure to find a shade that fits with your interior with so many variations available.
THE NEXT PHASE
Overall, the fireplace looks like it belongs in This Home. The simplicity in the fireplace design injects a timeless elegance and warmth in our living room. I’ll never get enough of the crackling fire from our inset stove and the stone surround brings a sense of luxury with it. It’s also an effective way to brighten up the room, adding softer and natural curves. Introducing many natural elements into the design helps achieve a timeless look. I’m also proud that we’re only burning wood we have sustainably cut and dried.
I feel incredibly passionate about using This Home Grows to show the real stories behind growing a home. It takes time. In fact it can take years to unearth a home’s potential and we should celebrate the process. Read more about our journey in my post, Home Renovation or Germination.
I hope the fireplace story inspires you to think about how you want rooms to feel. By making design decisions early you’re enhancing your home for the future. We let the hearth of our home guide us and an entire overhaul before we got a fireplace fit for This Home. A stand out feature that grows the room and fuels special moments.
Fast forward seven years and we’re about to build the perfect interior around that same fireplace. I’m so glad we created a timeless fireplace as it’s ready for a room design to match all these years later. It’s made many memories already but we can’t wait to add more in its new surroundings. Stay tuned on Instagram and see our living and dining room grow in real time. There’s so many exciting plans to share.
Thanks for reading, happy home growing!
Hols x