An in-wall fireplace brings comfort to this elegant white living area.
Bringing warmth to the room
During their home renovation, Eleesha and Brock made a contemporary built-in wood heater the star of their large living area. While it might not get particularly cold on the Central Queensland coast during winter, an open fire adds immeasurably to a home’s feel. “Whether on or not, a
fireplace has a presence in a room,” says Eleesha. “It draws people in and encourages them to gather around. And when we do get chilly days and nights here and it warms the house, you can’t imagine how you lived without one!”
Out with the old fireplace, in with the new
Before the renovation, the old wood-burner had a flue that the couple’s young daughters could potentially reach from the stairs above. As a safety consideration, the new fireplace was fitted into a central wall. This also improved the overall look of the room. “The original fireplace got lost, so I wanted a modern in-wall style that was large enough to heat the space,” says Eleesha.
She found the perfect built-in fireplace solution in a
Scandia Styliste 10, which has a stylish design but also provides an alluring open fire feel. “We opted for real wood so we could enjoy the whole experience – the smell of wood burning and crackling.”
After considering a stone-clad option, the couple decided to box out an existing wall to house the wood heater, which sits in a curved, fluted surround. “It added an architectural feel with wow factor and was much more affordable,” says Eleesha.
Adding the finishing touches
Once the wall was boxed out by licensed builders and the wood heater and flues professionally installed by a gas fitter, Eleesha and Brock set to work on the rest of the living area. They used non-combustible fibre cement lining panels to make a feature wall behind the fireplace. For the surround and mantel, pine framing was secured to a top panel of MDF sheet cut with rounded edges.
“To achieve a curved surface at the ends to attach the timber moulding to, we wet a piece of 3mm ply to make it pliable and we bent, nailed and glued it into position,” explains Eleesha. “The concave timber moulding pieces were then cut to size and nailed and glued in place.”
To match the rest of the room, the wall and fireplace surround were
painted in Dulux ‘Natural White’. The finishing touch was the D.I.Y. hearth, formed with framing timber and clad in fibre cement sheeting with a flameproof coating. Porter’s Paints Eggshell Finish in ‘Half Wood Smoke’ gives it a rendered-concrete appearance. “Logistically and skill-wise, this was far easier than using real concrete,” says Eleesha.
Keep in mind…
- Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.
- Wood heaters should comply with local council regulations and be installed by a licensed professional to manufacturer’s specifications and Australian safety standards.
- Only burn dry, well-seasoned and chemically untreated wood (not painted, stained or treated with preservative) and do not burn garbage or plastic.
- Supervise children and pets around fires at all times.
- Paint colours may vary on application.
Looking for other ways to stay warm in winter?
Check out these ideas to
heat up your home in the colder months.
Photo Credit: Louise Roche and Inge Jabara
