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Going Mod With A Traditional Fireplace - Designed In A Click Q and A

October 25, 2017 in E-Design, Reader Advice, Q&A, Remodeling

These homeowners have been remodeling their traditional home to get it to a more modern style. They've done a great job so far but were stumped on how to address the fireplace. They had a few ideas and wanted to run them by someone and see where to go from here.

After a glimpse at their images, I knew this would be a fun Q and A.

I loved the blue sofas, their mod lighting, and the consoles in that room. Their wood-look tile looked great in the herringbone pattern and the white paint just freshened everything up. 

Here were the BEFORE pics of the house, when they bought it a few years ago.

Big change, no?

They were considering some 3-dimensional fiber wallcoverings to cover the wall area of the fireplace, after removing the mantle. They thought the granite tile should stay and couldn't figure out how to transition the materials or where to apply the wallcovering on this fireplace wall.

Here were some of the wallcoverings they were considering. 

 

This fireplace is right off the entry to their home and makes a big style statement. Fireplaces often do that in a home and I love to customize them in my remodels.

 

How to go mod with this traditional fireplace?

Here's what I advised.

I love the direction you've gone here, I especially love those sofas.

I've gotta say, I would rip that black tile off there so fast and clad the whole fireplace in tile.

Here's the deal. If you are tearing off the mantel, the tile should come off with a similar amount of disruption/demo as well. Sometimes we leave the mantle and just demo the tile.

Now, it'll go down to the studs, and they'll put up a backer board that is sturdier than sheetrock for tiling, but we do this all the time. It's not that big of a deal. This is a big style statement in your room. Redoing that whole section would make a big difference and set the tone for your style.

Here were my tile suggestions, these from Walker Zanger's Studio Moderne Collection:

These below are from Fireclay, similar look.

The tile itself is kinda pricey with those two, but it is an investment statement you are making and one you want to be happy with.

If you want to go lower price, then even doing some kind of square or rectangular tiles in a modern pattern could create a similar look.

I wouldn't break up the visual there with a lower section and a higher. I would do it all one tile top to bottom and then turn the sides to die into the wall behind.

I would remove the crown at the top, you can then piece the crown at the sides with leftovers that you've removed to die the crown into the fireplace wall sides.

(Additional Tips Below)

I would also recommend painting the crown the color of the wall. I feel like the line around the room in the contrasting color is distracting from your big statement sofas. I mean, that traditional crown is not something you really want to highlight stylistically now anyway, right? It will just visually go away if you paint it to match the walls/ceiling.

Is the floor a tile? If so, hopefully you have some additional left over and you can just tile up to the fireplace and not worry about a hearth. If you do want a hearth, consider a slab of some kind of natural material, like a white marble or something, just to contrast. You could perhaps find a remnant somewhere.

Then, eventually, get some professionally made drapery panels. They would make a huge difference in the quality level of the room.

You've done a great job, love the floor and your furnishings. All you have to do is finish it up.

I sent her a link to these posts, below, that highlighted what I had mentioned in my recommendations. They delve into the ideas a bit further and help explain my comments.

Featured
Your Fireplace Wall's Finish: Consider This Important Detail With Tile Or Stone Cladding
Apr 19, 2023
Your Fireplace Wall's Finish: Consider This Important Detail With Tile Or Stone Cladding
Apr 19, 2023

One of the most popular elements for remodeling I have found is a fireplace mantel and surround. If you are planning to clad your fireplace wall element in tile or stone, this tip is crucial to make it look intentional and well designed.

Apr 19, 2023
Mouldings Can Be A Beautiful Thing, Except For When They're Not
Feb 2, 2022
Mouldings Can Be A Beautiful Thing, Except For When They're Not
Feb 2, 2022

Mouldings can be a beautiful thing. However, many times they’re not. Sometimes they’re bulky or puny, cheaply done, outside of the contextual style of the house, and really just don’t make sense.

Feb 2, 2022
Think Again Before You DIY Your Window Treatments! Here's Why...
May 18, 2019
Think Again Before You DIY Your Window Treatments! Here's Why...
May 18, 2019

You can get away with going retail on beautiful pillows if you buy the right size and fill; however, finding that perfect fabric, treatment, hardware and fabric combination for the room is like finding a needle in a haystack.

May 18, 2019

See how this Designed in a Click, Q & A service can help get a homeowner unstuck if they are hung up on a particular problem? This might be the service just for you. Click HERE to find out more.


If you are a designer and want to provide a similar service to clients, I've got just the info for you right here. I've finely tuned my service offering after years of doing these myself and have some great tips, advice, and methods to share with you.

Want a little more info about what's in store in this package? Have a listen to my interview on LuAnn Nigara's, A Well Designed Business, podcast. We discuss this at some length.

Did you like this article?

Tags: fireplace, fireplace mantle, fireplace mantel, fireplace surround, modern home, mid-century modern, mid-century decor, mid-century style, fireplace cladding, window treatments, curtain panels, drapery panels, draperies, consultation example, designed in a click session
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CARLA ASTON
Bold * Livable * Fresh Interior Designer & Design Blogger
Carla Aston

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