To change or not to change?

[Mcluma]

Been busy with the library and these build ins next to the fire place

Originally we had no intention of changing the fire surround, but my wife has changed her mind and she wants me to change it the light oak, i actually like the dark wood as it also gives a bit of contrast

What is your opinion on this, should i change it?


Fire surround by -mcluma-

 

[Lons]

Personally I prefer things to match so would agree with your wife. (Aren't they always right anyway ? :wink: ). Just individual taste though.

Bob

 

[rafezetter]

By change do you mean remove the colour? Is it Oak underneath? - Depending on how it's coloured that could be a pretty tall task requiring lots of sanding, bleaching and other laborious stuff. While it's not too ornate, getting all the colour from all the edges of the dentil, panels etc will need again more labourious scraping.

Even if just sanding removes the colour - it's still many many hours work.

If by change she means remove and replace with a copy, I'd only do that if it's not an original feature of the house, depending on how much else has been kept.

 

[Mcluma]

Replace means ripping it out

 

[rafezetter]

well if you rip it out - do it carefully if you can - and sell it, lots of people would pay for something like that at, least a couple of hundred £ which would pay for the raw wood to replace it.

 

[M P Hales]

If SHE says light oak go with light oak

For what it's worth it would look better matching , but what would I know I'm only a bloke :!:

Consider the years of "I STILL THINK IT WOULD LOOK BETTER MATCHING" and decide if it's worth the earache against the time spent sorting :!:

M

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I like your units, but sorry, that fire surround is awful. Awful. Get shot of it, and brighten your house up. There's no law that says you have to keep it like the worst of the '20s or what ever age it's from.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Hi Chris, you have a very nice arts and crafts fire surround there and apart from the colour I think it goes very well with the cupboards you have built. The fire surround looks as though it has not got much in the way of finish on it so if you wanted to lighten it to blend it in with the cupboards it should not be too difficult. I think you will find the surround will only be held in with a few mirror brackets and it would be much easier to work on it on a bench if you can get it out, even if it means a bit of touching in of the wall afterwards.
These arts and crafts pieces are often finished with shellac so it might be worth trying a bit of meths and scotch pad to take the finish off. ( don't use wire wool on it ) If that does not work then get some paint stripper onto the job and then a light sanding with 150 grit then 240. It will almost certainly be stained with a spirit dye and so will easily bleach out with oxalic acid. It would be up to you how much of the original finish you take off, you could leave some of the colour in the nooks and crannies, feathering it out. This will give the finished piece more depth and help to retain its antiqueness. But it is your piece and you can lighten it all over and give it the same finish as your cupboards if you like.
Phill. is that P for PHILISTINE???

 

[petermillard]

The boss has spoken - get it replaced! And if it were me, I'd try for something that was a bit more in proportion with the chimney breast - that piece if too wide and too tall,for the space, IHMO.

 

[Mr_P]

that piece if too wide and too tall,for the space, IHMO

+1 on that IMVHO. Rip it out with extreme care and get it flogged.

 

[monkeybiter]

You could darken the cupboards to match the fireplace....

 

[Baldhead]

that piece if too wide and too tall,for the space, IHMO.

+1 replace it with something not as tall

BH

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hi Chris, you have a very nice arts and crafts fire surround there and apart from the colour I think it goes very well with the cupboards you have built. The fire surround looks as though it has not got much in the way of finish on it so if you wanted to lighten it to blend it in with the cupboards it should not be too difficult. I think you will find the surround will only be held in with a few mirror brackets and it would be much easier to work on it on a bench if you can get it out, even if it means a bit of touching in of the wall afterwards.
These arts and crafts pieces are often finished with shellac so it might be worth trying a bit of meths and scotch pad to take the finish off. ( don't use wire wool on it ) If that does not work then get some paint stripper onto the job and then a light sanding with 150 grit then 240. It will almost certainly be stained with a spirit dye and so will easily bleach out with oxalic acid. It would be up to you how much of the original finish you take off, you could leave some of the colour in the nooks and crannies, feathering it out. This will give the finished piece more depth and help to retain its antiqueness. But it is your piece and you can lighten it all over and give it the same finish as your cupboards if you like.
Phill. is that P for PHILISTINE???

Just because it's "arts and crafts" doesn't mean that 1/ it's good. 2/ I have to like it. Each to their own - It doesn't make me a philistine, any more than liking it makes you a person of impeccable taste.

 

[adzeman]

Keep it.

 

[MickCheese]

I really don't like it.

Rip it out and match the new one to the units either side in both colour and style. I agree with whoever said the proportions seem wrong.

Sorry not what you wanted to hear.

As for philistine, I'm sure he was only joking and needed a smilie

Mick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Had it had a smilie I wouldn't have bit.

 

[MickCheese]

Had it had a smilie I wouldn't have bit.

I know.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

The problem with bult ins is, they change the architectural proportions of the room. Once you put yours in, the fire surround was doomed. Even if it were light oak, its proportions work with the room with alcoves, but not with the alcoves filled. The pale strips along the corners of the chimney breast are distracting too. This is just my opinion, of course, but I think a firesurround in light oak, even If is lower and better proportioned might not look quite right, though if it extended the full width of the chimney breast would be better than leaving those distracting stripes. It would look similar in form to a break front bookcase and the like. Ultimately, I think the fire surround wants to be a paint finish, either one you build yourself, or paint over the existing one. This will help it recede, rather than dominate and make your built ins the feature and stop the conflict between all the wood.

If anyone wants to call me a philistine for suggesting painting the original fire surround, then I can take it! It is not precious, you should do with it as you like.

Mike.

 

[Mcluma]

You could darken the cupboards to match the fireplace....

That is not going to happen

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:shock: Quite right too.