If you happen to’ve adopted alongside for a when you’ve seen our bed room hearth get a number of updates over on Instagram Stories, however in the present day we’re telling the entire sordid story of how our replace concepts lately veered off-course (and the way we ended up at Plan B when Plan A went bust). Final time you noticed it on the weblog, it appeared a bit of one thing like this:
However we should always rewind for a second. It was fairly bleak trying once we first began Operation Revive The Fire. There was a bunch of dried glue and gunk leftover from some tiles that had as soon as coated the encompass (to not point out a rusty display screen and basic grime). However Sherry had that look in her eye that mentioned “don’t second guess me, that is going to work” and after practically a decade and a half of marriage I’ve realized to not query this look.
The objective was to have some fuel logs put in since we acquired a lot use out of the set in our final lounge (solely twist right here is that this chimney isn’t correctly vented, so we’d must do ventless logs right here as a substitute of vented ones). So we acquired on the fuel firm’s calendar to have a line run to our hearth, and whereas we waited not so patiently, Sherry used a straight razor to take away the outdated glue clumps from the steel encompass.
With the floor trying so much smoother (albeit nonetheless scratched up), Sherry broke out a can of black high heat paint to not solely make it look higher, but additionally get it prepared to resist any warmth from the fuel logs.
It nonetheless wanted some trim across the black steel half for a cleaner look – and we thought we’d add some form of mantel down the road – but it surely already appeared so much higher. Plus Sherry added a fern. As one does.
Now it’s possible you’ll be considering: “Why do you want a fuel hearth in Florida?” Sure, Northern FL is heat more often than not, however we nonetheless get a light winter that positively qualifies as hearth climate (based on Google the typical January low right here is 46°). It additionally bears mentioning that my spouse’s most well-liked physique temperature is “floor of the solar” so when this home got here with a hearth in our bed room, she very excitedly made plans to get it functioning once more. And the excellent news was that we might get the entire thing carried out by way of our native fuel utility firm. They not solely got here out to cite the road, however they even promote the logs themselves on their web site – you simply choose them out and purchase them on-line & they arrive set up them in your service date.
Welp. Then the massive day rolled round and about ten minutes into prepping for the set up, a supervisor confirmed up and mentioned “Wait, this can be a bed room! These logs are ventless! Ventless logs aren’t to code in a bed room! You may solely do vented logs in right here!”
There have been most likely fewer precise exclamations in his voice, however these phrases actually hit us with some drive. At this level I believe Sherry’s face was frozen in horror at this information, and she or he slipped someplace between denial and negotiating: “However the one that quoted this famous it was in a bed room and he jogged my memory 4 occasions to order ventless logs, not vented ones. It mentioned all of this on the work order…”
Sadly, no quantity of dialogue might change the truth that it was only a easy oversight however positively not one thing that was gonna fly. The one who got here out simply didn’t know the little element that, out of an abundance of warning, the constructing code in our space doesn’t enable ventless fuel logs in bedrooms (I assume they don’t need folks placing them on in a single day whereas they sleep). The fuel firm was very apologetic and shortly refunded the cash we had already paid for the service name, the ventless logs we purchased on-line, and many others.
To Sherry’s credit score, she took it higher than I anticipated… though, the best way that she pivoted was a shock even to me. You would possibly assume we’d pivot to getting the hearth correctly vented, however nope – that’s not an interesting answer to us (we’d must put a giant tall chimney proper by way of our higher deck – proper the place our outside eating desk is or we’d must vent out the wall… which might put an unattractive field on the entrance wall of our home). So as a substitute she pivoted from fuel logs to… WAIT FOR IT…
Crystals.
Sure, I mentioned crystals.
Right here’s how we acquired there. Sherry’s first step was Googling fireplaces stuffed with candles as a result of she figured if we couldn’t have an actual huge flame at the least we might have some actual little ones to take pleasure in (we all know some folks love an electrical insert however there’s nothing like watching an actual flame flicker and glow within the night to us). One way or the other her search turned up some photos of fancy designer fireplaces with glass logs that form of seem like big crystals in them. No concept how as a result of they’re not candles, however google is a fickle beast. Being ever the shiny rock aficionado, the image of the glass logs stopped Sherry in her tracks and she or he mentioned that they instantly reminded her of some smaller sticks of selenite crystal that she owns. And effectively… you may see the place that is headed…
Invigorated by the prospect of getting a hearth stuffed with crystals, Sherry started the hunt for some big ones that may resemble logs – and figured that incorporating candles someway within the combine would scratch the “small dancing flames among the many crystals” itch that solely Sherry might have. Destiny led her to the Pottery Barn web site, the place they inexplicably had been promoting (on clearance for 50% off!) these massive selenite crystal tealight holders. They’re meant for use as desk centerpieces, however conveniently additionally they occur to be the approximate measurement of a hearth log.
I used to be primarily like “WUT?” at this level, however Sherry made a powerful case that (to my shock) didn’t relaxation totally on “buttttt they’re CRYSTAAALLLLS!!“
Her key factors the place (1) the sale value meant we might get a bunch of logs and nonetheless spend lower than half of the worth of the fuel logs we had purchased and returned (not counting set up charges & ongoing fuel utility payments, which might add as much as rather more). And (2) this is able to be a beachy crystalline spin on these birch logs that individuals typically stack in an unused hearth. Additionally (3) they’re crystalllllsssssss. So right here we’re:
I’ll hand it to her, the ultimate result’s fairly darn good – as bizarre as it’s to say that about flaming crystals stacked in a hearth. Perhaps I would like to put in writing a ebook referred to as Crystals & Candles: The Mixture I By no means Knew I’d Be Into – However My Spouse Was Fairly Sure It Would Be Superior The Entire Time.
It’s important to watch the video we product of them burning that’s a bit of additional down on this submit to get a a lot better visible of what it’s like after they’re lit (they appear so much much less like thrilling within the nonetheless photos – most likely as a result of there’s no flickering, which is the mesmerizing half). Is it an equivalent substitute for an precise working hearth? No. However for the reason that fuel firm closed the door on that choice, we’re extraordinarily proud of the place we ended up. We are able to get that glowy ambiance once we gentle the candles, and nonetheless take pleasure in a light-weight & beachy feeling hearth the remainder of the time – even after they’re not lit.
Right here’s a more in-depth shot. They actually do look form of “glimmery” in individual even after they’re not lit. They usually’re further particular after they’re flickering within the night after the youngsters are in mattress (these are the clean burning beeswax tealights we acquired for them).
I simply realized that the candles + crystals + furry rug = some form of romance novel scene (perhaps it needs to be the duvet of my ebook??). You need to know that Burger REALLY likes sleeping on that fluffy rug – a lot in order that he couldn’t even keep away whereas we had been taking the photographs for this submit.
As beforehand talked about, right here’s our fast video that exhibits a few of this undertaking in motion (together with our tragic first try at “filling” the hearth with candles, which is hilariously pathetic). Additionally there’s nothing like seeing the candles flicker within the firebox on video, versus being all static and fundamental within the photos of this submit. Yeah I mentioned it. These non-moving flame pics are fundamental.
Be aware: If the embedded video above doesn’t load, you too can watch it here on YouTube.
You’ll additionally see within the video that we painted the within of the firebox earlier than including the crystal logs. Sherry tried scrubbing the bricks with baking soda to take away the soot and that’s once we realized these weren’t bricks in any respect – they’re a skinny steel insert on all three sides that appears like brick.
Scrubbing it didn’t get the soot stains out, however we knew the logs would look higher and brighter with a lighter background behind them. Fortunately the fake brick steel panels took paint rather well, so we placed on two coats of Almondine by Sherwin Williams in a satin end on them and in about half-hour they appeared like new.
It’s a light-weight sand shade that ties into the tones in our flooring and the artwork above the hearth. Plus it makes the firebox much less of a “black gap” when the candles aren’t lit. And as soon as we really add that mantle and/our trim encompass I believe it’ll end issues off properly.
We’re additionally gearing up so as to add built-in cupboards on both facet of the hearth below the home windows (as a result of sure, that tiny white finish desk is method too small for that spot). Extra particulars to return… as soon as we determine them out.
P.S. IN LAST WEEK’S POST ABOUT OUR KITCHEN STORAGE WE GOT SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THE FOOD IS. The freestanding shelving system to the precise of the fridge with 4 further broad drawers is our “pantry” (that information was written within the submit, simply not pictured) and you’ll see Sherry pull it open on video again in this older submit.
P.P.S. You may see our whole Florida home reno proper right here. From our household room/workplace to our youngsters rooms & the kitchen (and our solely rest room), you may get all caught up shortly (there aren’t that many posts as a result of this home doesn’t have that many rooms).
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