Dark gray fireplace mantel with bookshelves
One of our favorite projects is this dark gray electric fireplace, which is flanked by bookshelves on either side, and which has a style that balances perfectly between classical and modern.
We created this custom unit for a condo in downtown Asheville, at the elegant new 55 South Market Street building.
The condos were designed in the latest vogue, with Shaker kitchen cabinets in white and gray, and splendid views of downtown. This concept image from the builder's website gives a good idea of the style.
The walls were painted white and made a perfectly blank canvas, so the new homeowners brought in Leslie Huntley of Roost Interior Design to spice things up.
One of their concerns was that the cool mountain winters here in Asheville would take some getting used to, since they had recently moved north from Florida. They requested a radiant heat source like a fireplace so they could come home on a chilly day and warm right up.
Obviously a real fire wouldn't work... you can't add a new chimney to a condo! And adding a gas fireplace can be tricky as well, since you'd have to run gas lines to the home. They decided on a Simplifire electric fireplace from Willow Creek Hearth, but there was one drawback: the pre-made mantels were designed for a recessed fireplace that slides into a niche.
One of their concerns was that the cool mountain winters here in Asheville would take some getting used to, since they had recently moved north from Florida. They requested a radiant heat source like a fireplace so they could come home on a chilly day and warm right up.
Obviously a real fire wouldn't work... you can't add a new chimney to a condo! And adding a gas fireplace can be tricky as well, since you'd have to run gas lines to the home. They decided on a Simplifire electric fireplace from Willow Creek Hearth, but there was one drawback: the pre-made mantels were designed for a recessed fireplace that slides into a niche.
Of course, the condo wasn't designed with that perfect little nook, so the unit would have to jut out into the room... and since it was eighteen inches deep, it would look out of place if it wasn't treated carefully. That's when Leslie called us in.
Working from her suggestions, we designed a simple mantel to coordinate with the kitchen cabinets, to be painted the same dark gray. She also requested a pair of deep bookcases on either side to disguise the depth of the cabinet housing the electric fireplace.
The wall behind was painted a slightly lighter shade of gray for a quiet "tone-on-tone" effect.
The wall behind was painted a slightly lighter shade of gray for a quiet "tone-on-tone" effect.
Next we got to work behind the scenes. Most of our work happens off-site, which makes the process very easy and streamlined from the homeowner's point of view.
The bookcases are much taller than they seem in most of the pictures, because the ceilings in the condo are fairly high. In fact, they were so tall that we had to work around the tobacco poles in our studio (which used to be an old tobacco barn).
The bookcases are much taller than they seem in most of the pictures, because the ceilings in the condo are fairly high. In fact, they were so tall that we had to work around the tobacco poles in our studio (which used to be an old tobacco barn).
As with all of our projects, free delivery and installation was a part of our service... so back at the condo, the baseboards were carefully removed so that the unit would fit snugly against the wall, and the shelves were caulked and painted into place to look like a continuous part of the room.
The finishing touch was marble-effect tile around the fireplace in a soft gray.
We were pleasantly surprised to see how cozy and realistic the electric fireplace is. And with an energy-efficient 10,000 BTU heater, it definitely puts off a nice warm wave of radiant heat.
A comfortable chair, plus an occasional table and a reading lamp, allow the homeowners to curl up next to the fire with a mug of cocoa and a good book.
An electric fireplace like this can turn any ordinary room into a tranquil retreat from the hubbub of city life. And our furniture is built to last, so it will continue to bring value to the property for years to come.
Call us to get your own cozy library.
Call us to get your own cozy library.
