This story takes you back to a beautiful time of year in southwest Florida. It was December 1, 2020 and believe it or not, it was most definitely fireplace season. Many of the days were brisk in the morning, warming up to the 70s or so during the day, and then cooling off considerably again in the evening.
After I arrived at our new clients’ lovely home, I immediately saw their dilemma. They had this one bare, boring wall filled with a coat of paint, light switches, a thermostat, and not much else. The wall just sort of existed. It almost dared them to do something, anything, about it. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had that one room at one time or another. Or that massive plain Jane wall. For whatever reason, try as you might, you cannot seem to find the cure for its boringness.
However, our new clients knew the cure, but just didn’t know how to pull it off. As the long nights set in and temperatures dropped our new clients wanted to turn their blank wall into something amazing. John and Jane longed for an electric fireplace, along with a show-stopping focal point for their living room. There was something about shiplap that called out to them. So, Jane went on the lookout. She did some online research and found some inspirations for a beautiful electric fireplace surrounded with shiplap. She found some great inspirations that she fell in love with. That’s when her mind started to envision what this might look like in their home.
They wanted the lights and sights of a warm fireplace without generating hazardous carbon monoxide. Did you know that? Well, the interesting thing is that electric fireplaces do not generate carbon monoxide, and as such they have a major advantage over conventional fireplaces. Because conventional fireplaces can generate odorless gas that can build up silently without residents of the home realizing it. This can lead to serious health effects and even death. So an electric fireplace got John and Jane’s vote.
Shiplap is commonly used for accent walls and ceilings. The other thing that’s interesting is that shiplap is perfectly safe to install on your fireplace surround, if you follow the correct safety codes.
As I mentioned earlier, a massive plain Jane wall can be daunting, that’s why Just Counters & other stuff is here to help out. So, I got to work designing the new fireplace based on our discussion, and inspiration photos provided by Jane. Just like with all my other design projects, it’s always been extremely helpful for our clients to be able to see the plans and 3D renderings so they know just how the finished space will look. While the clients were open to suggestions from our team, they had wanted a new fireplace for a while, so they had a pretty good idea of what they wanted. The concept was to have a massive, show-stopping, shiplap wall as the focal point of the living room, complete with a horizontal contemporary fireplace. They also wanted to flank built-in shelving and storage on both sides of the fireplace.
After my presentation, John and Jane were beyond excited to finally get this renovation done. They put their trust and confidence in our team.
First things first, Just Counter’s extremely intelligent, creative, and hardworking crew of craftsmen and professional carpenters needed to make a list of what they needed to get started The actual time to build the fireplace, include painting, didn’t take very long. But that didn’t include all the time they spent measuring, shopping for supplies, and hashing out what they were going to do. Jeff Reed, Aaron Shaffer, Ed Burlison, Tommy McCaffrey, and Sam Zwack were not only craftsmen, but they were also artists. A lot of labor went into this project. They ensured that everything was completed successfully, with utmost attention to detail. They also relocated the light switches and thermostat, to clear the wall space for the gorgeous built-ins.
The completed fireplace not only turned out perfect but it is also stunning! It truly is the jaw-dropping focal point the clients had envisioned. Jane told me that they have some upcoming trips planned. They plan to buy some mementos for the sparse shelves. They are also looking for the perfect piece to hang above the fireplace.
I’m infatuated with this wall! I just love the simple way it makes the room feel cozy and warm. I can’t get over how different it looks! This wall steals the show, in my opinion.
Well, thank you so much for stopping by the blog to see this living room wall transformation. I hope this gives you a few ideas for your own home! See you next week.
Clean and Stunning! Nicely done one and all!!!
Thank you for the compliment. There’s no scientific explanation for why a fireplace is so romantic. But I definitely felt a calm, relaxed feeling when I sat in front of that fireplace glow.