A Replacement Wood-Burning Fireplace Highlights This Family Room

This was a special project for us. John and Lynn have been clients of ours for 20 years. We have completed projects in almost every room of the house. They engaged us to finish our work with the last two remaining projects; the family room and fireplace replacement. They decided it was finally time to get rid of the old, builder-grade, inefficient wood-burning fireplace and outdated shelving. They were ready to complete these last two projects so the space could look as good as the rest of the house. Our solution was to upgrade and update the family room and give them a high-efficiency wood-burning fireplace replacement and custom shelving designed around the TV to include their treasured vintage audio components.

Creating the Perfect Family Room Design

The existing family room was typical in two-story homes built in this era. It sits in the back of the house, behind the garage. The home featured a cheap, inefficient wood-burning fireplace centered in the room with a pair of small bookshelves on either side. The problem with the original design was that there was no good location for TV viewing. Additionally, the base cabinet and fireplace hearth stuck out too far into the room, and the overall design was tired and needed an upgrade.

The solution was precisely planned. The homeowners wanted to find the perfect fireplace. After visiting three showrooms and looking at dozens of models, they picked out a very special high-end wood-burning fireplace. The Regency Alterra CF780 wood-burning fireplace features a guillotine glass front. Instead of doors that are bi-fold or open on a hinge, the fireplace glass retracts upward into the unit, hidden behind the mantle and the stone. The fireplace can be burned with the glass open, but for the highest efficiency burning, the glass is lowered to cover the opening. This ensures the maximum heat possible is reflected out into the room.

Making Room for the Larger Fireplace

The new fireplace unit is huge! Despite its size, we reduced the footprint to make the room slightly bigger. The chimney bump out was not sized for the larger unit. A tiny additional bump out made room to recess the fireplace as far back as possible, providing the hearth and making the room several inches bigger. We coordinated the new layout with the depth of the bookshelves on the other side.

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The shelving needed to accommodate the TV components and the homeowner's treasured vintage audio equipment. The beautifully designed bookshelf has the perfect amount of open space beneath the TV, and three shelves are tastefully decorated with books and decorator items.

It is the balanced asymmetry of our design that makes it all work. The fireplace sits where it needs to and leaves plenty of room to the side for kindling and firewood storage, with the beefy mantle unifying the aesthetic. The mantle brings in style and texture and is in keeping with the rest of the home; it isn't just a rustic slab of timber that is trendy today. This timeless element fits in perfectly with the rest of the home design and decor.

Updating the Dated Family Room

We updated the family room with the perfect paint colors that tie in perfectly with the fon du lac natural stone veneer on the fireplace, the carpet, and York Wallcovering textured wallpaper behind the bookshelves.

Finally, we addressed the half-walls and the step between the dinette and the family room. While the half-walls are a dated design element, the dinette is well-used by John and Lynn. A wide step across the entire room was not the right design choice. The solution was to install much-needed bookshelves in place of the half walls. From the family room side, the bookshelves have a tall baseboard that encompasses the height of the step. The dining room side provides the perfect spot for Lynn's many cookbooks.

The opposite bookshelf faces the family room instead, leaving the back panel available for a vintage heirloom piece of furniture in the dinette.

The Grand Finale Of This Home's 20-year Journey

John and Lynn no longer have a mass-produced home they have the custom Degnan Design-Build-Remodel home they've always wanted!

If you're considering a family room remodel and live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can help you to take your home to the next level of comfort and function! If you'd like to know more, we're always happy to answer your questions.