BYO iron hearth-thingy

[Zakk]

I'm trying to follow the advice of this decorator we hired (had to, the wife and I totally suck at decorating, big time).  So one bit I'm working on is the big iron fireplace-gate thingy for the living room.  What's there now is a huge brick wall with a huge mantle and two "fireplaces" cut into it, one for the fireplace and one for the wood storage.  Now it's a gas fireplace, so the two holes just drive me crazy.  She said to fix it my buying a big iron gate to cover the whole thing, and accent the sides with these crazy cutains (hey curtains and fireplaces are a great mix I figure).  Now since I wouldn't have a clue where to get a 6' X 4' custom gate, I figure, what the hell I'll make one.

Sooo.... anyone have any cool ideas or links for something like that?  I'm not going mideivel or anything, it has to look somewhat contemporary, but you are a bunch of creative guys, and just thought you might come up with a crazy idea.  Anyone?? 

[Trimoor]

Use an iron fireplace curtain and make subtle references to Berlin.  Weld a few swords and shields to it.  Other than that, I have no idea what you're trying to do.  Pics will help.

[Zakk]

Hmm, nazi sword theme.  Wouldn't have thought of that.

Okay, here's the fireplace...and below that is a reeeeal rough photoshop of what is proposed.  I just don't know if it will work, or if I should maybe just get iron doors for the empty slot and cap it over.

[Jabba]

That looks good but looks like a lot of work! I guess tearing down the brick work and centering the fireplace in the wall would certainly solve the problem, and allow you to buy a hearth that is more common, and prolly more cost effectively too! Not sure if you would need a gas contractor in there to move the line for ya...

You could always cover up the hole with some sleek Arcade stained glass

[Trimoor]

I was referring to the Berlin wall (Iron curtain).
If it were me, I would build a long horizontal walk-in fireplace, the kind found in medevial castles.

I'll stop writing now.

[DrewKaree]

You could do something like a craftsman style thingy (it'd be WAY easy to weld something up yourself, they liked clean straight lines with that style, dunno if it'd work for your room, though).

The biggest problem, which this broad (sorry, pocket-emptier decorator) doesn't seem to be seeing is that you'll have to get a screen that BLACKS OUT the empty unused hole, otherwise, every time you run the fireplace, you'll notice the big fat empty hole, and it'll grate on you like nails on a chalkboard. 

Fix the fireplace.  Center it.  They may have to rebuild your stack, flue, whatever it's called, but you can also at that time de-collossolize the sheer hulking mass of that fireplace (or leave it, after all, it's your house, and I'm sure whatever you decide to do will look good from my house ) and center your fireplace, or just center it and make the stuff look "right". 

That big friggen hole isn't something you can "hide" with a screen, since the fireplace itself is off center.

Is your OCD making your hand shake whenever you look at it?  Is that tic making it hard to see straight?  Glad to have pressed every floor on your elevator!

[Xiaou2]

 Ugg... that black curtain of metal really darkens the room.. and just dosnt fit well Imop.

  I see you have a dvd collection near the hole.    Maybe instead of covering the hole... put a nice wooden frame in there and build a nice dvd/media holder rack into it.   (if its not too hot there)

 If its too hot... then you could make a fake or real swinging door set there... which could be used to house something that dosnt mind the heat - or just keep it closed and empty as a decoration door.

 

[Crazy Cooter]

Why not just put wood in there?  You've got fake wood in the gas fireplace to make it look "real", why not continue the mirage?  Otherwise, I'd go with the media racks.  I don't think it would look good all screened off, makes the room look waaay smaller.

[Zakk]

Yeah, good suggestions guys.  The fireplace can't be 'fixed' since the chimney is only behind the actual fireplace (not the center).  I'm not sold on the damn drape idea, and my wife hates the idea of the movies being in there (heat is not a problem since it is solid brick and a gas insert in the old fireplace).

I think the best solution is to get an iron set of doors for the hole, and cap it off, and maybe put the movies in behind that...  I couldn't get a design to work for the iron 'gate' and yeah, it makes the room small.

Oh.  And I am not OCD, but wipe your feet 13 times before you come in the door and have a beer by the fire

[shmokes]

Why don't you put bars up and lock a badger in there?

[Zakk]

Where am I going to get a badger this time of night? 

[shmokes]

Oh yeah....and I'm no carpenter, but I would guess that the only hard part about moving that fireplace would be rearranging the brick on the inside.  You could just route the exhaust pipe over to the existing chimney once the fireplace was moved.

If you were going to do that, though, I'd tear out that whole thing.  It's too big for the room and the bricks aren't particularly decorative.

All this would depend on finances of course, but I digress...

[shmokes]

Where am I going to get a badger this time of night? 

You could buy a midget instead...

[Zakk]

hehe carpenters do woodwork, I'd need a bricklayer I think.

[DrewKaree]

hehe carpenters do woodwork, I'd need a bricklayer I think.

Mason....mason...de...definitely a maaaason....dad let's me drive in the driveway....KMART!

If you made it bigger, you could cook actual carcasses inside, instead of going outside to throw it on puny metal racks like the rest of the masses!

Drapes by the fireplace is what firemen like to call a "Recipe For Disaster".  Add 2 parts flammable material to 1 part flaming area, let simmer for days, weeks, months, years...and VOILA!  I think the name of that dish is called Heartbreak Due To Nonsensicalness....might be called different things depending on the region it's cooked in.

[sodapopinski]

a metal locking door on the front.
call it the isolation booth.

[Zakk]

hehe carpenters do woodwork, I'd need a bricklayer I think.

Mason....mason...de...definitely a maaaason....dad let's me drive in the driveway....KMART!

If you made it bigger, you could cook actual carcasses inside, instead of going outside to throw it on puny metal racks like the rest of the masses!

Drapes by the fireplace is what firemen like to call a "Recipe For Disaster".

[Zakk]

a metal locking door on the front.
call it the isolation booth.

We have one, aka 'the cold cellar'.  I set up a little cot in there and everything.  Oddly enough, the kids started behaving after they saw it and I haven't had the need for it yet.  (dang!)

[shmokes]

hehe carpenters do woodwork, I'd need a bricklayer...

um....would you believe that I was referring to the wooden mantle that you were going to replace the briks with...   

[DrewKaree]

hehe carpenters do woodwork, I'd need a bricklayer I think.

Mason....mason...de...definitely a maaaason....dad let's me drive in the driveway....KMART!

If you made it bigger, you could cook actual carcasses inside, instead of going outside to throw it on puny metal racks like the rest of the masses!

Drapes by the fireplace is what firemen like to call a "Recipe For Disaster".  Add 2 parts flammable material to 1 part flaming area, let simmer for days, weeks, months, years...and VOILA!  I think the name of that dish is called Heartbreak Due To Nonsensicalness....might be called different things depending on the region it's cooked in.

Damn, and I had the fortune to run into a mason the other day, I should have had him come over!!! http://www.americanmason.com/

Ya know, I was gonna reply with that as a joke, and you beat me to my own punchline!  I guess I'll have to go with great minds something something aboot something something eh?