” A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body.”
-Margaret Fuller, 1845
I know I should be blogging about Christmas decor right now and that is coming next, but let me just take a moment to throw a mini celebration for completing our Fireside Room!!! The before and after shots are so fun for me. I know you understand.
What is a Fireside Room, you ask? Well, it’s the room that houses our wood stove and the only two purposes of the room are acting as a glorified hallway connecting the kitchen, living room and stairs and being a place to warm up by the fire. Maybe it should be called a “parlor”.
This is where the original family of nine (!) had their dining room, so I suppose we should tack on a third purpose, as well. We planned to build an addition before we moved in that included a glassed in dining room. That was seven years ago. Sniff. We have been serving the kids at the breakfast bar and my husband and I sit in the two recliners to eat our meals. With our feet up. By the fire. Not that I’m complaining. . . Ok, so sometimes I wish we had a table, but the current solution is working just fine.
This room has proved to be the most difficult of all the rooms to remodel. So many awkward issues. I randomly asked Marian at Miss Mustard Seed how she would decorate around a wood stove and she ended up doing the first of her “Decorating Dilemma” posts and a couple of follow ups here and here which was fun. She really got me out of my rut and I am so thankful for her.
The first thing we really did after the initial rewiring, plumbing, sheet rocking and wood floor restoration was to re-design the railing.
Forgive the quality of these before pictures!
Then, we restored the stairs.
The kitchen was a terra cotta orange, which I thought I loved at one point, but in the end it just didn’t flow very well.
The day after Thanksgiving last year we painted the walls white in Benjamin Moore Cloud Nine.
Over the next few months, we built a bookshelf to finish the cabinetry.
It is backed with my favorite 3-D beadboard wallpaper from Lowes and topped with some butcher block from IKEA. We customized the look by routering the edges and finished the counter with a coat of MMS hemp oil.
I slipcovered the recliners in antique hemp sheets and wrote a detailed post on how to slipcover recliners. While I worked on these, my husband finished all the millwork in the kitchen.
There is brick behind the sheet rock when the chimney meets the wall, but it only covers half of the wall. So, we went with a brick veneer and covered the entire wall.
I wanted it to look like that wall had been there for 100 years. The week after we finished a bunch of people came over and no one noticed it until I pointed it out. They said it was so authentic looking that they thought it had always been there! Perfect.
When I was adding the mortar, I hammered in a nail and mortared around it. I’m so glad I did, I love changing out the decor on this wall. The picture light is battery operated and it is one my favorite parts on the room.
The newel post was redesigned from this. . .
to this.
The concrete slab with “EST 1906” stamp was poured for the new hearth.
And, finally, my husband took down the ceiling fan with lights and rewired the ceiling for four recessed lights. The new lighting was a game changer, recessed lighting strategically placed gives a room a museum quality. We found a simple four blade ceiling fan on Craigslist and repainted it to look more industrial.
As for the details, my kids call this corner “the servant’s corner” because I hang their chore charts here. Isn’t that funny?
I decided to paint an old toy box we had and put it at the bottom of the stairs to kind of look like a built in. We keep the gloves, kindling and paper for the fire building in there.
One of the things that I never liked about this wall was the alarm key pad, now the shelf and decor disguise it and it’s not too annoying for anyone using the key pad.
I wanted pillows in the chairs, but everything was crowding the seat too much, until I tried these feather pillows. They compact just enough when someone sits in the chairs, so they were a perfect solution.
I went out to the wood shed and hand selected the prettiest wood I could find. Then, I stacked it next to the wood stove and counted- 15 pieces.
Everyone was solemnly informed that I will be counting that wood pieces frequently to make sure no one has burned the “decorative” wood! My family patiently accepts my idiosyncrasies.
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Now I’m off to decorate this room for Christmas!
Source List
- Benjamin Moore Cloud Nine
- 3-D Wallpaper
- Butcher Block
- Picture Light
- Faux House Plants
- Linen Pillows
- MMS Hemp Oil
- Antique Hemp Sheet
- Blanket
- Corbels
- Lantern
Everything else is a hand-me down or from a thrift store or yard sale.
Related Posts
Customizing Butcher Block Counters
How to Install a Rustic Brick Accent Wall
Sharing at these parties!
I really like everything you’ve done and can’t wait to see it decorated for Christmas!
But I think the best thing was the bookcase and the ‘brick’ wall. It really neatens everything up and makes it more cohesive instead of the backs of cabinets.
Author
Oh, I am so pleased that you like the brick wall and bookcase, it sure makes things cozy in that room. And, I cannot wait to decorate for Christmas either, its our first Christmas with a pretty fireside room!
Love how the space turned out. Great job.!
Author
Thank you, Pamela!! I always love hearing from you. xoxo
What a totally beautiful job!!! And oh my, how I love that white tea pot!! Any clue as to what the brand is or where you got it? You have really transformed everything so perfectly!!
When I first saw your new hearth I thought it needed another black metal “something.” I think the lantern add was a good one… rustic, yet rather refined lines. And the stack of wood repeats the warm feel that a wood stove brings emotionally to any and all who have ever heated with wood. It is a heat like no other, that is for sure. Bone warming. The whole room is dear and inviting. I must say you have inspired me to slipcover a recliner. When I realized it is four basic pieces, or five, as mine has two foot pieces, I thought that I could do it. A good winter project. Thanks for the inspiration. You always take such a mindful approach to each room you tackle, keeping with the integrity of the house, mindful of its past, and making it work for the present.
Author
I am glad you like the lantern and wood pile! And, yes, wood hearth is so comforting. We have a living room, but everybody just wants to be near the fire.:) So, we don’t use the living room very much.
I’m so excited about you making a slipcover for your recliner this winter! Let me know if you have any questions.
Author
Thank you so much, my dear! And I am sorry to say the white tea pot is from a garage sale and there are no marking on the bottom.:( I’m not much help!
You mentioned the dilemma of not having a kitchen table. I have kind of the same problem in my small cottage home, except I do not have a dining room, after having one for so many years. An alternative that I considered was an old drop leaf table in our big gathering room, that could have leaves and sides up for a crowd when needed, but be folded down next to a window or wall for the rest of the time. There have been some lovely smaller drop leaf tables, vintage, on Craigslist in my area that look like they would work in front of your window in your kitchen. It is hard for me to guess-timate your space, but it might be something to consider. It might be you would be able to leave one drop leaf down, next to the window, and for five one side up and the two ends would be enough space for the whole family? Just a thought. Best wishes.
Author
Brenda, you are so sweet to put such thought into a solution for us! I will have to see what I can find like that.
xoxo
Before and after pictures are my favorite! It is really amazing the amount of work you have done in your home. I think one of my favorite changes was painting the kitchen from terra cotta to white! I remember you asking my opinion. 🙂 The slipcovers made a huge change as well. Seriously, every detail is AMAZING! You’ll have to tell your husband that the recessed lights are the best!
Author
Yes, the white walls and slipcovers are my favorites, too!
Amazing and beautiful transformation all around. You and your husband did an exceptional job. Every detail is stellar. I know you are proud of these changes and are enjoying using these spaces. I would call that a morning room or sitting room. 😉 We have a similar space off our kitchen.
Author
Oh, I love that! “Morning room or sitting room”, that is perfect.
What a transformation! You should be so proud of yourself! It is just stunning. The stairway is to die for. I have always dreamt of a stair way that looks just like yours.
Author
Oh, what a sweet thing to say! Well, I hope you get that stairway very soon.
it looks really nice, I remember seeing the beginning of your transformation on Ms Mustard Seed blog!
it is nice to see it all complete, truly inspirational
Author
Oh fun! You remember the befores then, it is so nice to be done and enjoying it.
What an amazing transformation Sarah. The brick wall really makes it look so authentic. Love the bookcase that you’ve added also. Actually I love everything about this project. The way you have set it up makes it look modern but also as if it was meant to be that way. A warm and inviting home. I host a link party every Friday at 11 am est called Sweet Inspiration and would be happy if you would join us.
Author
Thank you, Mary! That means a lot and thank you for the invite, as well. Good job on hosting a link party, it looks like a lot of work.
What a transformation! I remember seeing this room on Marian’s blog and thinking it was such a conundrum of a room. You’ve turned it into a really pretty space now. I love your attention to detail. Well done. 🙂
Author
Thank you, yes, it had some problems, for sure! It is so nice to be done.
I love it all and you all did a terrific job on everything!❤️️❤️️❤️️
Author
Thank you, Kristie, was a sweet thing to say!
Oh Sarah! This is just SO beautiful!!!
Author
That means a lot coming from someone as talented as you! xoxo
I absolutely love your space. It is so warm and inviting. I have to say, I usually frequent blogs focused on modern decor, but I happened across yours and I’m so glad I did. I checked out your home tour– beautiful. I love the shade of blue in your adjoining living room. May I ask the color?
Author
Thank you so much, what a sweet thing to say! I’m so glad you stopped me. The living room color is Moody Blue by Sherwin-Williams.
Wow. I just took your farmhouse tour and I ADORE your home. So many elements that I use and plan/hope to use in my own home – vintage linens as window coverings, silver platters on your walls, your use of mirrors, your choice of vintage artwork, leather furniture, lots of white with plenty of wood tones, white slip covers, your bed in the master – gasp! Plenty of detail but with restraint. (Oh and we had that same rug for several years). YOUR home is the home in the corner of my mind that I hope to achieve some day. ?
Author
Oh my, you are so sweet. Thank you for all you wonderful compliments, you sound like a girl after my own heart. “Detail but with restraint”, I love that!
Can’t believe I missed this Sarah. It’s truly beautiful. Wish I had time to write a longer comment though I’m just blog surfing between housework. It’s really gorgeous!
Author
Kristine!! You have no idea how much I respect you and your work, this means a lot to me. Thank you!