Fireplace

[Ellie]

How can you make your fireplace look decent and not like it does by default? I would like to put a mantle around it and make it look more like part of the wall. Any tips would be great!

I have Home Designer Deluxe

[BB boy]

Ellie,if I could figure out how to copy and paste etc, and get the file small enough so you could still see the detail and get it posted here with only 100kb of space, I'd show you one I did with soffits and moldings from Pro 6 . I am surprised that Dee and Bernadette,or Kay haven't jumped in with one. Give em a little time, and you'll be amazed. I bet one of them is working on it as I write!

But basically, I did the surround first by placing two vertical and one horizontal soffit (just as if I was building it in the shop) in fact, I did build it in my shop and it now occupies a place of honor in my home on my fireplace. Impressive if I do say so my self. So, depending on what you're after, I then put the "legs" or pilasters on it by adding two more soffits on the verticals of the surrounds, making them a little narrower, and thicker. Oh yes, for instance, the leg was 10" wide by 40" tall and I made it (experimenting) 1 1/8" thick. Too much detail to explain here, but If I ever learn how to cut and paste and save the correct file extension, and bites- I will show you.

bb

[Deirdre]

I am only going to repeat that you really should be looking through the SEARCH area from BHG Home Page; there is an excellent tutorial on custom fireplaces.

[Ellie]

Oh, and BB, I would still like to see a picture of your fireplace.

[BB boy]

Here's the photo of the mantle, right after I finished the granite . The bloches you see on the granite where from the thin-set mortar drying slowly . There all gone now (almost a year finished) . We've repainted the walls too and that gives the mantle more contrasting features. We used a color called "burlap". I probably need to take another photo since finishing the painting.

I bought the house in the finishing stages, and they had already built the fireplace etc. The mantle they had provided consisted of a "shelf" only and that was pretty "cheap" trashy looking:mad: . The surround was brick veneer, totally out of place with the architecture of the house . Hence, since I have a complete wood working shop and had a little more time then than now, the design and building of the mantle.

BB

[dr0591]

It's lovely, BB -- you do nice work!!

When I first saw the image, I thought it was an HD Pro image! And I thought -- "Man, BB's been holding out on us -- that's an excellent rendering!!" Then I realized it's a photo. A photo of a very nice fireplace. Thanks for sharing!

[Deirdre]

Ellie,

This is just for you to drool over; don't get it too wet, you might put the fire out.

I wanted to share with you a fireplace that I just completed for my current project's dining room.

This is done with, columns, soffits, and cylinders. The body of the fireplace is from following the tutorial - custom fireplace; the rest is my imagination gone wild.


Dee

[Allen42ACJ]

Millwork = mantels..
The library is worth exploring..

[Deirdre]

Allen, I know they are there, I just don't like them. They are too formal for my taste in this project.

[Allen42ACJ]

Dee
Some might not know..I knew I saw them before but had forgotten..
I think the top of yours should be a different material..
But it looks good.

[Deirdre]

I was looking for something that I could create as a half circle for the top; too lazy today to spend the time using soffits. Something quick and dirty, so to speak. The horizontal molding (manipulated vertical molding download) is just a disguise. If I don't have something up there and leave the columns alone, it creates a gap that looks awkward.

Perhaps sometime today I will clean it up with layered soffits. Just not right now.

[bgrant]

At first I thought BB was trying to pull our legs again with that photo and then realized that he wasn't

Certainly looks like something out of a magazine. The whole design and decor is awesome

[BB boy]

Thanks
U-2
Allen
BB

[BB boy]

I had an easier time resizing and posting my fireplace photo than trying to resize and post the original design I did in Suite 7. I don't know why it is so hard. You guy's make posting thumbnails and such look so simple. Like Burnadette, and Dee.

I'm trying to finish a whole house remodel (again as time permits) for my son and his family. Designing on the fly (no pun intended)-so they can see it first, then building as I go. I really want to spend more time with the software.
I did the custom vanity thing for them (I modified a buffet they found) but I couldn't ever get anything out of my search here, or chief. I forget which one of you showed me up with yours. Oh well- I couldn't ever post the drawing I did, but I did get a photo posted. Next thing I know one of you guys posted a custom vanity link. Oh well, about three steps a head of me.

Here I am at another airport, waiting to catch my next flight and my laptop keyboard went crazy. I'm using one of those pay with a credit card jobs at the Airport; So, now I can't even play with the software until I get back home to the PC.

So you guys and gals keep up the "GREAT" work, and I'll putter along!
BB

[Allen42ACJ]

Hi BB
When you save/export a picture chose jpeg,that is a smaller format.
Windows power tools has a picture re-sizer if it is still to big..