i want to add a more elaborate wooden mantel to my brick, gas fireplace. it is vented to the outside. i also want to install a tile border around fire box and then install the wood mantel around the tile. i havej just a simple mantle across the top at present. i want to up date and add vertal side pieces to it. i have 6 3/4" on each side to work with and 15 1/4" between bottom of mantle and firebox. where can i find this info.?

My house has an open concept (the living room, dining room, and kitchen is in one big room. I have light peach tile in the entire area. My furniture is dark brown.

What color should I paint the walls, and what color blinds should I look into? I like the wood blinds.

Also, where can I find a cushion for my breakfast nook? It’s probably about 4 feet long.

Does anyone have those electric (or gel fueled) fireplaces? The one you can buy from Home Depot. Pros and Cons?

I have a very 80’s mirror which is above the fireplace. It is very thick and surrounds the fireplace which is sort of on an angle. The mirror goes all the way up to the ceiling which is a vaulted ceiling. I am thinking of selling my home and not sure if I can tile over the mirror or remove the mirror then tile.

The all new wet tile saw COMBI 250VA is manufactured using the latest die cast aluminum fusion technology. This tile saw is very strong, very light, (70lbs) and very accurate. By using the plunge feature, this wet tile saw can cut up to 31" or 26" without using the plunge. Miter cuts are quick, accurate, and easy with just a tilt of the head. You get all this with the tile saw, plus an accessory side table.

Is there a specific kind of paint I need to use, minding the heat when the fireplace is in use? There’s about 10-12 inches of tile between the actual fireplace and the mantel, which sticks out less than an inch from the wall. I’ve got a can of Behr Kitchen and Bath paint and I wonder if I can use that unless someone has any suggestions? Thanks.

Help! I am trying to childproof my fireplace. It’s a dominion built home with a standard fireplace glass door. It’s got two bi-fold glass doors and each door has a handle. It’s surrounded by tile and it has a wooden trim around the tile.
I have put childproofing locks on the handle. But my kids (10 months and 2 years) can still open the doors just enough to get their little fingers caught in the center of the bi-fold. Then, they push the door completely closed again and we have mayhem. Pinched fingers, crying, and more.
I have looked into showcase locks, but I can’t seem to find any that are long enough to reach to the center of the bi-fold. They are all just about 6 inches long and some are based on the "showcase" being a box rather than just one panel of glass.
I hope I’ve been descriptive enough to warrant some responses. Any ideas?

We’re installing our TV over our gas fireplace and we want a more modern look in place of the traditional brick surround. My husband is going to mount our Plasma on the wall and build a larger/sturdier mantle that goes into a shelving unit on the floor to hold our electronic equipment. We want to tile the surround using either glass mosaics or a travertine subway tile. I really want to do the tiling myself and want to surprise my husband by not having to ask for his help. I’d like to leave the brick up and just tile over it…. Not sure if this will work though. Can someone please help me… I can post pictures if necessary.

Thanks!!!!

I live in an 80 year old house that has a fireplace in the living room. It was put in to be purely decorative (YEARS ago, before I owned the house) and I am thinking of putting a gas log in it. How safe is this to do? The floor below it is tile over a wood base floor. The fireplace itself is all brick except for the mantle, which is wooden. The back of the fireplace is one layer of brick thick that lies right up against the wall of my house (which is plaster/wood construction). I just want to make sure this is a safe thing to do…

already with paintings, prints, that I do like.
It’s all the grey that makes them unattractive. One was gift from friend, another is one I won in a church raffle.
None of my rooms have grey in them. One has black iron stair rail, a little black on tiles around the fireplace. The fireplace now has wood-burning stove insert, standing a couple of feet out from wall, so hides areas of fireplace tile.
Is there any way to display them that will make more attractive?
edited: Hmn. Two good answers, thank you. The friend’s gift i am reluctant to part with, so the suggestions give me hope. And I would never have thought of them by self!

We recently bought a house in which the previous owners tiled over the brick surround on the fireplace. It is not in the budget right now to rip it out and start fresh, but – though the tile is pretty ugly – it is in good shape. I am considering painting over the tile, but I am now wondering if I can use spackle on the tile and grout to smooth out the grout lines as well as the texture in the tile to give me a smooth surface to paint. Is this possible? If so, what type of compound do I use?