These fun installation pictures are from California. The original stone and brick hearth had some large, square holes in it that were left over from the blower for an old cast iron wood burning fireplace.
The homeowners could have torn out the whole hearth and started over from scratch, but instead they decided to make the most of what they already had and turn the cutouts into focal points by filling them with art tiles in designs that have special significance for their family.
They replaced the wood burner with a modern electric fireplace made by Dimplex, which looks pretty convincing to me!
They also added a fireplace screen to make it look even more like a real fire.
This makes me very happy to see the old and new thoughtfully combined to make something unique and special that will hopefully stand the test of time!
close up of elm tree tile
close up of herons
Above is a close up of the tiles under the mantel. Designs are: acorn, nest, dragonfly, sunflower and oak leaf. Below is a picture of the tiles before they left my studio. Glaze on all the tiles is "Autumn."
Thank you so much, M.M. for including my tiles in your hearth, and for taking the time to document the project so thoroughly. What a thrill to see this fireplace restoration come together so nicely!
