Your chimneypiece, a blessing or havoc?

In the majority of London properties, fireplaces are a feature in the home. Placed in the front, where the living room is situated and also above on the first floor, normally where a bedroom is placed, the fireplace is a feature.

A lot of fireplaces have been boxed in to stop draughts. It is a shame, because an exposed fireplace and mantel is one of the few period features left in most of these houses.

Whether boxed up or not, a fireplace creates an indent in the room due to the chimney running up the wall to the roof. The spaces on either side of the chimney piece can be, for some, rather problematic to come up with what to do in those spaces.

If you want a flat wall, then the whole chimney breast can be removed, but this takes time and costs money. It is also always advisable to ask building control for help with any building propositions that could affect the structure of the home. Party wall agreements would usually be needed as well as the chimney breast in the loft then having to be supported by a small RSJ or concrete lintel depending on the load from the chimney. All of that makes removing the chimney breast slower and more expensive than keeping it and doing something with the alcoves either side.

Those alcoves are useful. Bespoke cabinets can be made for them with mouldings that match the room, in a modern or a traditional style.

If you want the flat wall without losing the storage, the cabinet doors can be made flush and handleless so the whole wall reads as one plane.

If your budget does not stretch to create built in cabinets, but you would like to make more of a feature of that area of your room, wallpapering the chimney breast or painting it in a contrasting colour can look very smart.

If you want the fireplace but not the fire, keep the mantel, cap the chimney and treat the opening as a display. Stacked logs, vases, plants or a single object all work.

The fireplace came with the house, so do not ignore it. In most rooms the furniture is arranged around it anyway, which makes it the obvious thing to build the scheme on.

Call us on 020 7731 6841, email info@nuprojects.co.uk, or tell us about the room.