Home & Design

Fireplace Makeovers


Patrick Bermingham's terra cotta fireplace.
Photography by Gill Alkin.

Toronto-based artist Patrick Bermingham designed and created this beautiful terra cotta fireplace to add a sense of history to a narrow and otherwise uninteresting room. Decorated with pheasants eating grapes—a Roman symbol of eternity—as well as side figures of a man and a woman, the piece fulfills the homeowners’ desire for a Mediterranean-style fireplace that would warm the room even without a fire. Bermingham is represented by cross mackenzie ceramic arts in Washington, DC.

Lisa Tureson of Faux Creations' painted fireplace surround.
Photography by Stacey Zarin Goldberg.

To combat the feeling of “empty space” left by white built-in cabinetry around the fireplace (inset), Lisa Tureson of Faux Creations, Inc., in Northern Virginia mimicked the look and feel of distressed wood with a decorative-painting technique called “crackling.” The finish makes the mantel look more like furniture, and it also warms up the surrounding room, which the homeowners wanted to be elegant and inviting. Interior design by Gwin Siedlitz, Sage Interiors.

Mt. Rainier, Maryland-based artist Margaret Boozer
created this fireplace surround.

Mt. Rainier, Maryland-based artist Margaret Boozer created this fireplace surround out of fired clay for a couple who wanted a distinctive, functional art piece that would both command attention and fit in with the original character of their late-1800s house. The Mt. Rainier red clay used in the design shrinks and cracks when fired, creating an unusual silhouette and texture that is complemented by a slate hearth and steel mantel. For more information on Boozer, contact cross mackenzie ceramic arts in Washington, DC.


A fireplace by interior designer Nestor Santa-Cruz.
Photography by Ron Solomon.

The standard builder’s mantel that would have come with this house lacked appeal and refinement. Nestor Santa-Cruz of Washington, DC-based SKB Architecture and Design intervened with a remodel in the neoclassical style of Jean Michel Frank. The new mantel, made of blue-gray Turkish limestone, is curvaceous, spare and elegant: the perfect frame for a winter fire in this light-filled room.



Faux polished-steel fireplace design by Skip Sroka.
Photography by Timothy Bell.

While the lines of this mantel are traditional, Skip Sroka of Sroka Design in Bethesda, Maryland, made it the focus of the room with a faux polished-steel finish. While metallic fireplaces can often look cold and uninviting, the warm tones of the room and the paint detail on the wall make this one sophisticated and punchy.


Bethesda-based Studio Nuovo’s Ricardo Ramos &
Sheree Friedman solved the problem of a staid,
fireplace with this redesigned façade.
Photography by Jeanne Modderman.

Bethesda-based Studio Nuovo’s Ricardo Ramos and Sheree Friedman solved the problem of a staid, brick-fronted basement fireplace with this redesigned façade. The warm, natural slate tile was laid in a random pattern to make the ceiling seem higher, and the hearth was brought out into the room for safety. The mantel, which complements the built-in cabinets and architectural woodwork the designers had already added to the room, is the perfect finishing touch.

Inspired Materials


Croco tiles.

These porcelain Croco tiles from Rex’s Matouche line are available at The Mosaic Tile Company. Designed to imitate leather, reptile or elephant skin, the tiles come in a variety of colors and can be used for wall or floor applications. Also have a look at Mosaic Tile Company’s seaside glass tiles, subway bricks and traditional mosaics at one of the company’s design centers in Baltimore and Rockville, Maryland, as well as Fairfax, Lorton and Chantilly, Virginia. Call (301) 881-2520 or visit www.mosaictileco.com.

Wallmica has the glimmer and glow of granite, but it’s actually shaved sheets of silica mica that have been laminated to a sturdy paper backing. These sheets come in practically every color and can make a big impact in small areas such as entryways and powder rooms. Visit www.mayaromanoff.com.

TAMKO’s EverGrain, a composite plastic and wood fiber material, is perfect for decks, railings and boat docks. While the beams are grained to look like real wood planks, the material resists rotting and splitting. Leftover remnants can be used for outdoor doghouses, mailboxes, benches, planters and tables. Visit www.evergrain.com.

This stately Craftsman door comes from Marvin Windows and Doors. Like all of the doors the company carries, this piece is customizable by style and finish, and comes with options in side and top windows. Marvin has showrooms in McLean, Chantilly and Alexandria, Virginia, as well as Rockville, Maryland. Visit www.marvin-showplace.com.

Richlite’s paper-based countertops are better for the environment and your home because, unlike conventional cabinets that are often treated with formaldehyde, they won’t off-gas harmful chemicals. We love that these surfaces are warmer and softer to the touch than granite or quartz—without compromising durability—and we’re also fans of the range of lustrous colors. Visit www.richlite.com.

A Glossy Orange kitchen scheme illustrates the range of colors and finishes available at Porcelanosa in Rockville, Maryland. The showroom offers a huge variety of styles, and each kitchen system is outfitted with handy details like thicker shelves, soft-close systems and full extension drawers with anti-skid interiors. Call (301) 294-8193 or visit www.porcelanosa-usa.com.

Architectural Inspiration is a comprehensive sourcebook on hundreds of building products. Its 528 pages cover architectural and design elements used in exterior and interior projects, from windows and doors to flooring and fixtures. Profiles on featured homes keep the book from reading too much like an encyclopedia. Boston Mill Press, Ontario, Canada, November 2007; $79.95.

As sensory surfaces, computerized interfaces and smart substances become more commonplace in the way we build, Ultra Materials is a useful reference on a wide range of new technology and products. It focuses on such issues as biomimicry and sustainability, and explores the applications of innovative materials in interiors, product design and architecture. Thames & Hudson, New York, NY, November 2007; $75.

 


Wallmica

EverGrain

Marvin Window's Craftsman door

Paper-based countertops by Richlite.

Porcelanosa kitchen

Architectural Inspiration

Ultra Materials
HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

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