Hey there- and welcome to another installment of Pick My Presto!
I read this comment on Monday’s Pick My Presto post…
…and was totally intrigued!
I invited Julie to send me a photo of it, to see if I could come up with anything to help kick start her creative juices. Here’s the photo she sent in…
…and here’s the inspiration drawing I had fun creating for her…
(Move your cursor on and off of the photo below)
(Note: My drawing is for inspirational purposes only, and the ideas shown in it are just that. Spontaneous, totally flexible, just-for-fun, ideas. And since this is a just-for-fun-photo-consultation, and not an actual-and-perfectly-to-scale-virtual-consultation, I have no idea if any of the furniture, ideas or accessories I used in the drawing would actually work in the room. Boom.)
Here’s a still image in case you couldn’t view the presto change-o above…
The idea with this one was to help Julie figure out a way to make the off-center firebox not feel like it was quite so off-center. And I don’t even know if what I came up with is even possible in real life, but it’s what popped into my noggin’ when I was putting it together, so I went with it!
First up, I suggested adding some sort of shallow built-in cabinets, that stick out just a little, so that they’re in line with the brick fireplace facade. I thought doing that would kind of counter balance the visual weight of the brick fireplace, and make it feel more like one big unit. And then maybe the firebox would feel more balanced because of the visual interest created by the items inside the bookcases.
The built in’s could have glass doors, like the ones in my inspiration drawing, or even just be a series of cubbies and/or drawers, like Janice’s from Canadian Cottage…
If there’s a way to do it, the sky’s the limit!
I tied the fireplace and the built-in’s together by spanning a white-painted mantel all the way across the two. To make sure the fireplace stayed the center of attention though, I showed a separate, deeper mantel popping out over just the firebox. Attaching some smooth, thin, luan paneling to the brick above the fireplace mantel, (so that it matches the smoothness of the wall to the right of it) and painting everything from the mantel up to the crown molding the same color, continues to visually tie the two sides together. Again, spreading the same wall color across the entire upper part of that area makes everything feel sort of feel like one big unit, and less like two separate spaces, which helps takes some of the weight off that heavy, off-centered firebox.
You’ll also notice I showed what it might look like to tone down the bricks a bit. Not 100% necessary, but again, it’s just an idea that popped in my noggin, and ever since I read this post, I’ve been sort of obsessed with the whole brick staining process. The post was written by a gal named Elizabeth, and these photos she posted with it had me at hello…
If you’re familiar with the brick staining process and have ever written a blog post about it, please leave a link to it in the comments. We’re dyin’ to see more stained brick before and after photos and hear all about your experience!
Last but not least, here are some of the inspirational elements I plucked from the web to put together my drawing…
(chair, log holder, picture frames, plant pots & fire screen photos- Pottery Barn; yarn-wrapped votives- MyWedding.com; fireplace photo, GrantParkTownhome.com)
Thank you for the opportunity to pick your presto this week, Julie!
I look forward to selecting another one sometime soon!
Wanna submit a photo for our Pick My Presto series?
Send an email to PickMyPresto [at] aol [dot] com titled, “PICK MY PRESTO- Living Room“. (Replace the words Living Room with whatever type of room you’re actually submitting.) In the body of the email, include your name, your blog name (if you have one) your design likes & dislikes, and one photo of the space in question. (No links please.) It should be clear, and measure at least 400 pixels high x 600 pixels wide. (In other words: at least 4″high x 6″ wide) The bigger the better! Make sure it’s a photo you’re comfortable with us showing and writing about on our blog. Then, whenever I’m feelin’ the urge, I’ll randomly select someone’s email and have a little fun creating some traditional or cottage style presto change-o inspiration. Oh, and since I love surprises, I probably won’t email you to let you know I’ve “picked your presto” unless I have a specific question for ya about your space.
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Brick staining?!?! How did I miss this? We have a house full of red brick {blech!} and my husband is 100% anti white brick, so they’ve stayed red.
Off to investigate. Thanks so much for sharing! I love what you’ve done with her fireplace.
Let us know if you decide to do it Catherine! We’re super intrigued by the process!
🙂
Another great Pick My Presto!! Keep ’em coming!
I LOVE it and love all your pick my presto picks!! You are so talented. I totally want to learn how to pick my presto too! Wishing you a beautiful joy filled day Layla!!! 🙂
Thanks Mary Jean! Hope you have a beautiful and joy-filled day too!
😀
Seriously, you never cease to amaze me. Every time I think, “what in the world could she do with that?” and you hit it out of the park every time!!! Beautiful design!
Brilliant!! Never knew of brick staining but what a great solution! You have the eye, my friend. Fantastic….enjoy your weekend!
Great ideas! You’re a very talented lady!! 🙂
Unbelievable! It’s a wonder you can sleep at night with all that creativeness floating around in your head! And I totally agree with Shirley, you never cease to amaze me either!
Many Blessings,
Melissa
Well, thank you Melissa! I’m usually pretty exhausted from renovating and/or looking at the computer screen all day so I just sorta konk out when my head hits the pillow! 😀 LOL!
Love it!
We just whitewashed and built a new mantel for our own off-center fireplace, though I don’t know that it helped with the balance issue!
http://littlemacshack.blogspot.com/2011/04/fireplace-progress.html
Again….AMAZING! I can’t wait to share our before & after pictures with you – you’re an inspiration!!!!! 😀
Bring ’em on, Kristina! 😀
I’m so glad you posted the link about coloring brick. If you learn more, please post about it! I have pink brick on the outside of my house and a light pinkish fireplace. I would love to hear more about how I can de-pink!
Absolutely LOVE your blog! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful, creative thoughts and designs! I just found this little tutorial on brick staining: http://www.dyebrick.com/gallery2/v/Fireplaces/album/
Such a great idea! Wish I would have known about brick staining years ago!
Genius! It’s amazing how that molding pulls it all together!
I may be asking too much here, but what software do you use for these changes? Is it straight photoshop? polyvore? I’m so intrigued!
Photoshop CS3 baby!!!
😀
You are amazing!!
Beautiful job! I really love the cabinets to the side. I need to send you a pic of my living room and dining room, I have to get some new curtains and possibly paint again and am stuck!
Beautiful! I will be submiting my photo of my living room that I have done over 5 times and can’t seem to get it right. You are amazing!
Is it horribly sad or hilarious (or both) that I log in to my computer each morning and the FIRST thing I do is go check to see if you’ve done another PMP! You are amazing.
I am seriously hooked on The Lettered Cottage! I’m in the final stages of buying my first home and I can’t wait to start decorating and making it my own!! You’re SUCH an inspiration.
Looks UH-MAZING. Talk about a total transformation. I don’t know how you do all that on photoshop, I have yet to even figure the basics out. Maybe one of these days, you could give us a few tips!
I saw those comments and wondered how you could fix an off centered fireplace-amazing job!
I’ve also been thinking of you a lot since all the MOWA drama is happening…I do hope for a quick process for your family. Our daughter came home last summer from ET, her orphanage name was Layla House. Have you heard of it? Anyway, if you didn’t know, Layla in Amharic is Swimming. So it makes NO sense for an orphanage name, but it stuck. 🙂
happy Friday,
k.
GORGE!! I hope that Julie is able to implement some of your ideas.
I have GOT to send you a picture of my front room. It’s a hodge podge of horrible spaces that are not cohesive, and I hate it. I think cleaning it up a little and getting a picture of it needs to be #1 on my To Do list this weekend!!
love the presto’s!! that was so sweet of you to help her out! thanks for sharing your talent with us! =)
Oh… it’s so on… I’m submitting pictures of the single-wide room. by. room.
yep.
LOVE what came out of your noggin’!!!!!
;-D robelyn
I, too, am very intrigued by this brick staining – I sent you a picture of our living room with it’s ugly dark brick with a dark brown mortar. I need to investigate this process now! I have to find a way to get rid of the little man who is staring at me from one of the bricks – that’s right, it’s a brick that has what looks like a little man just leering at me. Been the bane of my existance for 10 years now! It’s begging to be a focal point and one day it will be! Thanks for the inspiration!
🙂 Kim in Iowa
Layla,
Beautiful solution to a seemingly “un-“fixable “problem”.
A LOT of things are off-center in our home – makes me NUTty.
I mutter the words “visual balance” a lot – you’ve achieved that in this
Pick My Presto – you amaze once again!
Layla- you have amazing design talent! The ideas you have for this off-center fireplace are gorgeous! I love the ida of the brick staining…the last fireplace in my house (that we haven’t re-done) is dark red brick. I am going to check into the staining process! Thanks so much! 🙂
This is awesome! I do have another idea, though – – – what about hanging a small white painted door in that dead space to the right of the firebox (just above where you placed the wood)? Just a thought, to fake a built-in cabinet there. It would need to be small scale, as if covering a niche. ??
That would look great, too!
The first brick fireplace was a WOW. Now this one is a SUPER WOW!!!!! Your are one gifted girl, Layla!!!
I think this is the perfect solution for her fireplace. It looks great!
It looks great. Amazing how a little tweaking and paint can change the look without any major changes.
We love your before and after pictures! Check out your shout out on our blog http://www.studiobcreativejuice.blogspot.com!
Amazing of course!! I am hoarding all this pics. We are looking at houses in our new city and I am pretty sure we will end up with a brick one and I have also seen a lot of off centered ones!!
As usual thanks for all teh great inspiration!!
Jennifer
Built in’s are awesome, but if you’re not handy AND want the glass front doors, look into IKEA’s upper kitchen cabinets. We used the shorter ones (the ones you put over a stove fan or refrig.) and made a built in banquette and topped it with their inexpensive butcher block.
Hey Kelly! I actually thought about those when I was drawing! We can never figure out how to attach ’em, but those things are so awesome and inpensive!
I read that post the other day and was curious….I’m so glad you blogged it so quickly =) Love your decorating style!!
Okay…looks like we’re all addicted to your PMPs now! I stopped before scrolling down to see what I thought could be done and I was just shaking my head, so hats off to you…again! 🙂
Ok, again with the wand waving thing – beautiful!!!
I’m loving those cabinets with the glass doors. I love what you did, Layla! Great ideas.
I love, love it! You are brilliant. Do you have any ideas for Apartment spaces? I have a horrible time trying to decorate on walls that I cannot paint.
I’ll have to see what I can drum up for ya Tanya!
You speak my language! I’m hooked.
This is completelly amazing and jaw dropping!! Between yesterday’s and today’s post, I’m geared up to tackle the ugly brick fireplace wall in my bedroom. Thank you for sharing these prestos!
I love your style! I need to submit some pics for you…are you willing to do a whole house??? LOL
LOL! My wrist would probably be shot by the time I finished, but man does that sound like a fun challenge!
love love love love love!
LOVE it!! For easier-than-built-in bookcases that could be trimmed up with some molding and a mantel, try the Billy bookcases from Ikea. Hmmmm…. I think Maillardville Manor did something like that in their library in their new house? (Blog bloat in my head but I know I’ve seen it someplace!) 🙂 GREAT look on this one, Layla! 🙂
I’ve really enjoyed seeing what you’ve done with fireplaces, and you’ve given me some wonderful ideas. I just painted our hearth white (and should have done it long ago!) It really brightened up a corner of the house. So, while it looks prettier, I still don’t know what to do with the wood burning stove that’s sitting ON the hearth in the corner of my family room. Very cute, and we do use it in the winter. But I spend most of my energy trying to keep the kids from knocking out their teeth or crashing heads on the hearth instead of decorating it. Have you any ideas for a CORNER fireplace?? Love your style!!
Send me a pic Jen! I’d love to check it out!
🙂
Okay, I sent one to you! Enjoy! =)
Love it! The last one was spot on perfect as well! You always have the best ideas 🙂
Swoon! Fantastic job. Yet again!
Amazing! Love it so much. Makes me want an off centered fireplace so I could have those lovely built-ins next to it too!
You are a genius! I really want to learn how to do my own presto-chango’s in photoshop. I love digital scrapbooking, but so far, I haven’t figured out how to recolor a wall in my kitchen photo. 🙂 Love your work!
If you’re going to put up some sort of panelling on the top half, why not just continue it down the right side? Then the fireplace would be centered in the brick that’s left. I think that would look really nice.
You’ve got such talent for this!! Awesome!
Whoa, either I really wasn’t paying attention or you’re just that darn good…I didn’t even notice the firebox was off centered. I re-read the comment and was thinking ” what hole is not centered?” Duh! I guess a beautiful design can definately make a flaw less noticable. I’ve definately got to send you a picture of my kitchen. Fantastic!