Remember the giant fireplace in the family room? I need to cover it up, the kids keep playing in it and getting totally filthy. We aren't going to be using it as a fireplace anytime in the near future because my boys, well, can't be trusted within 1 mile of a fire. So I thought, bookshelf! Add some extra storage, cover the hole, should look cute? Right? Wrong. Take a look.
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| Bookshelf |
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| No Bookshelf |
What do you think bookshelf or no bookshelf?
Link Parties~
No wonder you were so excited to add shelves to your dining room! I think you'll be happier with a screen that can be secured in place. Just have to keep looking! Plus it frees up the shelves for your dining room project! Liz
ReplyDeleteGood thought, but like you said, didn't quite work out. On the other hand, if it keeps your kids out of there until you find something better, I'd leave the shelf in there for a while. Keep in mind this advice comes from a woman whose fireplace is currently covered in cardboard with a markered on stencil to 'disguise' it!
ReplyDeleteNo no I love the white. But you could try to have the book shelves raised on wheels (or make custom ones), so you can roll them aside like doors on days you want a fire going. You'd have to raise them thouggh and maybe have them with backs that fit flush against the wall over top the mantle?
ReplyDeleteHave a good one! x http://xNTA.blogspot.com
Can you cut a piece of wood to fit in the fireplace and do some type of decorative treatment to it? If you drilled some holes into the grout area inside the fireplace, you would be attached the wood to keep it secured. You could paint all sorts of things there then. The possibilities are endless!
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
I like the no bookshelf. Wonder if you could paint them a dark color and it would look better? But, hey functionality has to be #1 when you have kiddos!
ReplyDeleteLiz: I know, right?? I think I am going to have to order a screen:( It will have to be a custom one and they are SOOOOOOO expensive. But until then this will have to do. I have a feeling the screen will be ordered shortly before the bookshelves need to move to their permanent home:)
ReplyDeleteBTW you guys have some great ideas! Now I'm gonna have to check out your living rooms.
ReplyDeletei like the no bookshelf, does the fire place actually work? it's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWhat about blackboard painted plywood cut to fit?...temporary, fun solution...Not sure how formal your room is but could be a neat idea. Maybe it could be framed out with rustic wood to match your mantel.
ReplyDeleteWhen I toured some older homes in the past they had covered up the fireplace holes in the kid's rooms with a chalkboard which looked so good. You could get a piece of plywood cut to fit the hole and paint it with chalkboard paint and let the kids play away until they grow up. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteBummer, I hate it when that happens to me. I am sure you will come up with something that will work.
ReplyDeletei love the fireplace i wish i had one. i would keep it and maybe add the screen.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted a fireplace but I think the bookshelf looks great!
ReplyDeleteI'm your newest follower and would love for you to stop by and follow me back!
Bridget from Being Frugal & Making It Work!
Can you make the bookshelves larger or add another bookshelf? If they came up to the bottom of the mantel and also reached the ends of the fireplace they would look more built in. Anyway that you could cheat them out and I think they really might work.
ReplyDeleteI say bookshelf, but that's because I think every family room should have lots of books. I'm in desperate need of my own bookshelves, so who am I to talk?
ReplyDeleteOh how would love to have that mantel! I think it works, keep it until they get older or another great DIY hits you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and following....following you back...love the pics..I love mantels...
ReplyDeleteI don't mind it at all! I'm not sure why you don't like it because I think it looks great!
ReplyDeleteI say keep the fireplace open as it is a beautiful focal point, clean it out and stack books in it.. and maybe a candlebra, make it too fru fru for them to play in. Maybe start with a vintage suitcase and some coffee table books on top? this idea was in country living. Your room is pretty and has awesome potential!
ReplyDeleteI like the look of your fireplace with your furnishings but I understand the need to keep tiny hands off. There are so many beautiful screens available-or you could whip up your own, you're a creative girl!
ReplyDeleteI really like it with the shelves. I am all for more storage. Thank you for following The Squeaky Grocery Cart. I am one of your newest followers. Good luck with whatever you decide, it will look beautiful
ReplyDeleteis that a hugh beam at the top of the room? how cool!! your fireplace tranformation is GREAT!! we have the same fireplace-but our bricks were not as cool as yours--we had the 70's color baby poop brown...have painted them 2 times.....going to go thru your blog see more pics!! great job!
ReplyDeletechris
i think it looks great both ways, but maybe try darker wood shelves?
ReplyDeletei wish i had creative home decorating ideas!!
well, shoot...not sure if my comment worked or not. Anywho- I like the bookcase maybe just taller. Thanks for stopping by my "Mom-dom". Can't wait to get to know you better.
ReplyDelete(visiting from Magic Monday hop)
ReplyDeleteI have 3 boys, too. Luckily for me we did not have a fireplace when they were little.
maybe a full screen you can secure in place?
Darker wood would be good, too.
Thanks for the follow, I've been following you. Hope you'll come back soon. I will! BJ
ReplyDeleteThat's a really beautiful rustic looking fireplace. You could just fill it up with chopped wood? Also very rustic and textural....But would that still be a problem for those little hands? Vanna
ReplyDeletePaint the brick white or build a (white) wooden cover - bead board would be nice. Put a piece of art on the brick to break it up. Add molding on the around the inserted bookshelves and I think you'll be happy. You had the right idea but you didn't take it quite far enough.
ReplyDeleteif you could build a bookshelf that would fit perfectly in there, i think that would be great, so it could be nested in. and i think i would keep it dark to blend more. hmmm... we don't have a fireplace period, so i don't know!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great fireplace, but I know the desire of wanting to cover it because of the child factor. When we first moved into our house, I put my globe collection in my fireplace, but my son, then 1, thought those were just big balls and basically destroyed them one by one... now I have a graduating collection of vintage suitcases (one that actually once belonged to my grandmother) and that has kept him out of the fireplace and I think it looks cute too. Yours is so big you could use a trunk... (: Lots of storage there.
ReplyDeleteI think that the mantle should be painted white and there is a space between the mantle and the bookcase. That needs to be covered. I like it though.
ReplyDeletecome visit
cindy@stitches
aww, this happens to me all the time, you dream it up in your head, i go so far as to sketch pictures of my dreams and then try it with complete failure
ReplyDeleteit is always so hard to see something you dreamed about to come out not as you hoped
I have to agree it does look better as a hole...but it will come to you, just don't force it.
Best of luck
Amy
i think it looks pretty good, actually. i like the white shelves unless it looks totally different in real life.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and following my blog.
I think it looks good with the bookshelves. However, if I were doing it I would try making the bookshelves taller. It is hard for me to say for sure, though, as it is a picture.
Have a great day!
Crystal
http://kennedymomandwife.blogspot.com
I like the white shelves - maybe you could add some extra wood pieces and moulding so the entire area looks like a built in. I like the idea of painting the fireplace white too if you can. Since we live in a rental house, I just had a piece of wood cut to fit the fireplace opening, my husband framed it and it fits in the space. I had plans to paint some kind of cool sign on it, but haven't decided yet. Right now I just have white urns filled with plants and some garden finials on each side of the wood panel & it looks pretty good. I wish I could either paint the dark brick white or cover the whole thing in beadboard, but I think our landlord would not be too happy with us!!
ReplyDeleteOh those boys!! I remember when mine were little. They can be a handful but the grow up so fast. I liked the bookcase there but agree it needed to be raised just a little. Then I would recommend either painting the inside back a color to go with your room or make the fabric/paper covered foam board to put inside the back. That would give it the pop of color but still have the white to go with the chairs. Good luck with whatever you decide!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all the other comments, but I think they would work if they were higher bookshelves so they compeltely covered the opening and maybe even the mantel.
ReplyDeleteWe have a non-working FP, and in spring-summer I fill it with florals, then in colder months I put in a large candle arrangement. Maybe that would work for you?
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(¸.*´ (¸.*´* Lori Lynn *
PS: I'm having a 400th post giveaway!!
The bookshelves are fine. Replace the three pictures with something in a larger scale.
ReplyDeleteRosemary
Yup, I agree with Rosemary. Larger pics above the bookcase along with a large bucket with flowers in it on top of the bookcase. Have fun playing with it all ~ and Happy WW!
ReplyDeletexoxo laurie
So many ideas come to mind - raise the shelves up, OR get a beautiful decorative and semi-permanent screen OR install doors on it that that have a secure clasp that locks OR just live with the bookcase a while til you figure it all out...you didn't fail, you just aren't finished with this particular brainstorm yet!
ReplyDeleteI think the bookshelf would have worked if the two towers weren't built ins. Can you try some sort of fireplace screen to keep the kids out of it?
ReplyDeleteI would like 3 separate size shelves at different heights. It would be unique enough to work.
ReplyDeleteLuis
http://fireplacetown.com/