Georgian fireplace insert for bedroom

[lissu]

Hi, been browsing around the forums here for a while and picking up lots of useful information for very long term renovation project! We have an old parish manse in Scotland, built around 1797 and it's definitely in need of some TLC. I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding a bedroom fireplace that we are hoping to open back up in the property. None of the original fireplaces remain so it's a bit difficult to know exactly what would have been there and I'm really not sure what style we would be looking at for when the house was built. The mantel is still in place so we are looking to get a cast iron insert, either reproduction or reclaimed. I had originally been looking at fairly plain inserts but most of these appear to be Victorian and are obviously a bit late for the house. Does anyone have any examples they could show me of Georgian fireplaces from that time? The opening is around 83cm wide by 91cm high (I think, don't have the exact measurements with me at the moment...)

Thanks in advance!

 

[MdB]

Welcome Lissu,

I can't help but this bump might get a reply from those that can. Pics may help also.

 

[lissu]

Thanks MdB! I'll get some pics up when I get home later (must try to remember!)

 

[LadyArowana]

Dining room rather than bedroom...

 

[lissu]

Thanks for the replies Did look at the hob grates but not sure if that would be suitable for a bedroom.... does anyone know if they were just in dining rooms/kitchens?

Finally remembered to take a picture - not the best quality but gives you an idea!

 

[JoceAndChris]

That's a nice surround. Wonder what's under that cream paint.

Here are my original little bedroom fireplaces of the same period.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Thanks for the replies Did look at the hob grates but not sure if that would be suitable for a bedroom.... does anyone know if they were just in dining rooms/kitchens?

Finally remembered to take a picture - not the best quality but gives you an idea!

That's a nice surround but unless Scottish fireplace traditions were very different I'd say it was closer to 1900 than 1800 - the intermediate shelf has a late-Victorian or Edwardian look too me, so an insert of similar vintage would be appropriate.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That's interesting Gareth, I wondered why Lissu's surround was so very different to my ultra-plain ones.

Lissu- do listen to Gareth rather than me - he really does know what he's talking about!

 

[lissu]

Thanks for the replies Did look at the hob grates but not sure if that would be suitable for a bedroom.... does anyone know if they were just in dining rooms/kitchens?

Finally remembered to take a picture - not the best quality but gives you an idea!

That's a nice surround but unless Scottish fireplace traditions were very different I'd say it was closer to 1900 than 1800 - the intermediate shelf has a late-Victorian or Edwardian look too me, so an insert of similar vintage would be appropriate.

Thanks Gareth and thanks Joce for the pictures! I had been looking at Victorian inserts but thought that with the house being Georgian I should attempt to get something from that period but makes sense to match it to the period of the surround. Is it possible that the Scottish fireplaces were that different? Haven't really been able to find much online... A lot has changed in the house over the years so wouldn't really be any surprise that it's not original surround.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I suppose to get the answer on Scottish traditions you'd have to get some books out or visit some 18 th and 19 th C stately homes - paying attention to the servanty bits for the little fireplaces - but I can't make any recommendations, sorry. My hunch is that traditions weren't wildly different.

You might like to keep an eye on this website, see if there's anything that would fit. Edwardian blends ever so well with Georgian in my opinion, they liked the same classical lines. I can't afford Georgian, so am furnishing largely with Edwardian and Hollywood Regency, which is just fun. Victorian can be far too gloppy and flowery and carved for restrained Georgian buildings.

http://www.britainsheritage.co.uk/antique-fireplaces/antique-hob-grates.htm

 

[Delta]

Lissu,

Excuse my late arrival, just catching up on some posts.

Have you taken of what looks like some board held on with tape? That would be intersting to see behind and may well offer clues.

I've noticed that often fireplaces get upgraded, generally getting filled in and made smaller each time - more efficient as a rule.

The following pictures illustrate this quite well. You can see the gray tiles which cover the modern brick infill. The bricks just looked modern, and sticking your head up the chimney it was obvious how they sat within the orginal aperture. Ignore the loose bricks around the nasty brass grate, that was an interim solution to take the chill off!






The bedroom had a simpler surround, and the remains of brickwork and plaster consistent with a hob grate having been hacked out -





For the pictures above the house is c1800.

There are plenty of places that stock orginal fire places, but the older pieces are harder to come by. Generally I'd say hob grate for Georgian, but avoid the common Victorian arched inserts that you'll see a lot of, too late even for Regency I think, but only my opinion. Higher baskets, generally means older too (and less effecient!).

 

[LadyArowana]

That last picture reminded me that we do have one small original fireplace on the top floor. House is 1767, room would have been for children and or nanny when the place was built. It is almost identical with the higher basket and decorated metal surround. At some point it would be nice to strip off the horrid paint and restore it properly. If anyone is wondering how I could forget that I had a fireplace, I can only say in my defense that it's well over two years since I have been in the house as it is rented out now while we live in the palm tree place. My restoration efforts on it so far were limited to de-Georgianing the colour scheme ( tenants don't want a green dining room and a blue master bedroom and a bright custard drawing room ) upgrading the electrics and boiler, and putting in tough cheap carpet........Oh and lots of cleaning, lots and lots of cleaning.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Lovely fireplaces, all!

Delta- looks like you did a great job there, and LadyA, when you do move in will be time enough to strip that nice little hob grate.

 

[lissu]

Thanks Delta and LadyArowana for the pictures! Great to get some inspiration I hadn't been sure about the hob grates for a bedroom as for some reason thought they were more perhaps for kitchen/dining room but they look great. I'm a still bit confused with what to do with the insert since the surround looks Victorian. Do we match the surround or do we match the period of the house....?

I haven't taken off the board yet but we can see behind it and does look to have been bricked up to the smaller hole. Getting the chimney swept and smoke tested in a couple of weeks so need to keep my eye out for a suitable insert so we can get things moving.

Thanks for all the comments - much appreciated!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Personally, I don't think it matters all that much whether you go for a Georgian hob grate or a Victorian insert. If it were mine, I'd go for a Victorian insert to go with the surround - as simple as I could. However, if I were planning a very Georgian style bedroom (antiques and paintings of the period, or a delicate Chinoiserie room), then I might remove it altogether and replace with a whole fireplace of 1800ish.

 

[lissu]

Well how disappointing... had the chimney smoke tested today and it definitely needs to be lined The chimney pot has been removed too and blocked over which we didn't realise before, not a major issue but obviously adds to the cost. Unfortunately looks to be the same story in the other bedroom opposite as well which we were also hoping to do this year. Adding so much extra cost in to getting a working fireplace in the bedroom looks as though it is a luxury we are going to have to without at the moment, especially with so many other things needing done in the house! Ah well, think it's going to have to be an insert for cosmetic purposes only for the moment and hopefully a working fireplace at a later date.

In terms of the cast iron insert, what is the general consensus on how big they should be in relation to the surround? I think I just manage to fit a 40 inch square one in that takes it right up to the existing surround but I have been eyeing up some that are only 32 inches wide by 36 inches tall which would require some plastering to be done either side (the existing hole is 36 inches wide by 37 inches tall). Does it look better with the insert coming right up to the mantel do you think? Been having a look around at pictures and can't quite make up my mind...

 

[CliffordPope]

Bedroom fireplaces seem to have closeable flaps so that you can shut out the draught, not so common downstairs?