kitchen fire surround

[plasticpigeon]

Hello. I have an large opening in my kitchen chimney breast. I know there would have been a range in there at one time, but I feel lucky just to have the brickwork intact. I do not want to reinstate a coal range, but want to put a gas range cooker in there. However I still want a surround that is vaguely period. I've made up something out of scrap floor boards which i think is ok. I wish I could have made the jambs wider but the right hand side brick jamb is only 4.5" so this is the best I could come up with. I went for a curve on the lintel section to hide a very badly made and nowhere near symmetrical brick arch underneath. I will add a couple of brackets on the jambs to hold up the shelf. Is there anything else I could add do people think???

 

[Zebra]

Ooh, very nice. I think it looks great. I can't comment on it's "authenticity" or otherwise but hope someone will come along soon with more knowledge. You'll cut the shelf off on the left to the same width as on the right, will you?
PS want to come make some doors for me out of scrap floorboards?!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

That looks pretty good to me!

 

[LadyArowana]

Looks pretty good to me too, once you get a few elephants on the mantle shelf it will be perfect :wink:

 

[Feltwell]

Looks very nice. I suspect whatever range was there originally would have had a cast iron, black slate or perhaps painted wooden surround. But you've no idea what was there and what you've put in looks good.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Thanks for the votes of confidence. Yes I have no idea what was there. The only clue was that there were a couple of horizontal wooden wedges in the mortar joints in each brick pier either side of the opening, so something was nailed there. The surround is just leaning against the opening right now in 4 pieces so can be changed or modified. I was wondering if a keystone type piece of ornamentation might look nice in the centre of the lintel bit. I'm just not sure.

Zebra with all the great work you have done on your place I'm surprised you haven't tackled making a door, it must be an easy task compared to the pointing, damp proof course, and insulation work you've done so far. I have some plans for a stable door in an old joinery book, I'd be happy to scan them if you're interested.

 

[88v8]

In our previous house the old kitchen stove opening was used for a cupboard I built, and above it I put the first gas ch boiler, then that got moved to the bathroom and I made a small cupboard in the boiler's place, but ... to come to the point... above the opening where a shelf might have been, instead the original owner had built a cupboard, which we kept.

Ivor

 

[Zebra]

I was wondering if a keystone type piece of ornamentation might look nice in the centre of the lintel bit. I'm just not sure.

You could make a piece and try it, but perhaps best to keep it simple, I don't know.

Zebra with all the great work you have done on your place I'm surprised you haven't tackled making a door, it must be an easy task compared to the pointing, damp proof course, and insulation work you've done so far. I have some plans for a stable door in an old joinery book, I'd be happy to scan them if you're interested.

Actually I am planning to make two doors out of some second hand oak floorboards that I've got, and I hope they look half as good as your fire surround. One for the cupboard under the stairs, and one for the broom cupboard, but it has to wait until I've laid the floor because of the height, which has to wait until I've put the central heating pipes in, which has to wait until I've plastered the walls so that I can position the radiators, which has to wait until I've finished the internal boarding, which I'm doing now. Thanks for the offer of the plans of the door. I won't tackle making my own external door, but I would be interested to see the plans, if you have time, thank you very much.