One of the many mysteries we haven't been able to figure out is where was the fireplace in this house? A house built in 1880 would have to have a fireplace - right? The house has two chimneys, but neither one has a fireplace attached to it (now that we've opened up the walls, it's obvious there wasn't one in the house) So maybe they used some sort of pot belly stove for heating and cooking?
When we bought the house, one chimney was used for the boiler. And the other one was for a pellet stove in the basement. The pellet stove appears to have had little use. Maybe it didn't work as well as they had hoped?
To my mind, an old house has to have a fireplace. It's a big cost, but I'm sure the new owners will appreciate it. And since the house already has natural gas installed, we can add a nice gas unit.
There is a closet that was located between the living room and dining room that provides a great spot for the new fireplace.
Once I had those dimensions figured out, I started my quest for a vintage fireplace mantle. And I found the perfect one at Old House Parts in Kennebunk, ME. Since this house doesn't have a lot of ornate Victorian flourishes, I wanted something a bit simple, that would work for both the wall location and the fireplace insert dimensions.
![]() |
It's tricky to find an antique mantle that has the right dimensions and style for this 1880 house |
And while I love the mantle, I'm even more excited about the fireplace I found at Embers, our local stove shop. It's a reproduction Victorian unit with a heavy, cast iron front. The guys got it installed this week and it's pretty amazing!
They briefly opened up the cast iron front so I could see what it will look like, but for now, they didn't add the rest of the firebox surround. We will wrap it back up for safekeeping until we're doing final finishes.
Of course it will be months from now before we can see it all finished, but I can't wait. It's going to be a real 'wow' when you walk in the living room and it will create such a cozy space on a cold Maine winter day!Pin It
No comments:
Post a Comment