Fireplace Madness

Thanks so much for your comments and texts this past week regarding Herc.  It meant the world to us.  He goes in tomorrow morning for surgery.  I am praying he makes it through with little to no complications.  He is astoundingly strong.  We have to practically catch him before he attempts to run down the stairs or jump off the bed.  We built a raised feeder as that was one of the suggestions I found while searching for information on tripod dogs.  Steps to get off the bed easier and eventually steps off the back side of the cabin may come later.  We are going to get him home to see exactly what he may need and what may need to change first.  Last thing we want to do is confuse him more by changing a bunch of things all at once. Keep him in your prayers please.

Now, let’s talk fireplace.  If you are reading this then chances are you’ve seen a few pictures of our enormous fireplace.  In the layout of this cabin the fireplace was to initially be in the far corner of the main room and it was very small.  We sacrificed some space for a bigger, bolder fireplace.  We knew we would be having a ton of fires throughout Fall and Winter and boy, were we correct.  The hot tub has definitely taken a back seat these past few months.

Before we start any project we draw out what we each vision to make sure we are both on the same page. Trust me, if we didn’t do this, we’d have a whole lot of, “that’s not what I was thinking” moments.  When we moved in, the fireplace had been constructed but, lacked the mantel, the side hearths and the stone.  We found a great mantel company that makes and ships them right to your door. This was exactly what we needed. We stained them of course.  The stone was purchased from Home Depot.  I wanted to have an outlet installed on one side of the mantel for future decor.  Al removed the plywood from the side to check for wiring purposes and I was amazed at all the room behind there!  This took us down a small rabbit hole.  But, this is one of the reasons I am so glad that we are finishing a lot of the projects ourselves.  Like with the oven vent, we can change it up if we decide to and that is just what we did.  Al installed a small barn door on the side to house our vacuum and floor scrubber. We also installed a wine cabinet with lights.  And, I got my outlet, too,  It hides behind a small rock.  So times when it’s not in use you don’t even know it’s there.

Placing the stone took some time.  Thankfully, Al and I work great as a team.  I love doing puzzles and this was very similar.  I would pick the stones and he would place them onto the wall of mortar.  First, we completed above the mantel, front side only.  Then, we worked below the mantel.  Then, the sides. Al had to practically fold himself in half to fit in the small angled corners.  Lastly, we laid the bricks for the hearth.     Al in all, a lot of work, but, well worth it.  We are so happy with the way it turned out.  I love getting to decorate it every season or holiday.

We also finished out our master bath closet.  My favorite part is the laundry chute.  I have always wanted one! I still smile when throwing laundry down it. The chute created an empty space beside it, so again, we made a small storage compartment there.  It houses cleaning supplies and my hair styling tools. 

I hope you enjoyed reading.  Again, thanks so much for your thought and prayers for our Hercules.

Stay safe,

Elisa