Extreme Makeover: Fireplace Edition

     There's a window above my fireplace that used to really bug me.  There was never any window covering on it, no great view to see through it, and it always kinda seemed like a weird place for a window anyway.  Plus, I never really liked that adobe-styled mantel/border thingy.

When I took this photo I had no idea that I'd be
posting it on a blog for all the world to see.
If I had, I would've taken more care to remove
that chair and the boys' Hot Wheels tracks, etc.
But you get the idea, right?

     When we embarked on our infamous home remodel last year (I say "infamous" because you wouldn't even believe all the hassles that went along with it), I really wanted to change the fireplace.  My idea was to remove the window completely, raise the fireplace, and add a cozy brick or stone hearth and wood mantel.  But that was not to be.  Doing that was just too cost-prohibitive and would require repair work on the outside of the house as well.

     The final design and remodel of the fireplace cost much less than my original idea, addressed the window covering issue, and satisfied my desire for a more cozy area:

Today's Photo-a-Day Challenge prompt: Window

     We started by tearing out the surrounding drywall and framing and the tile floor in front of the fireplace:

     We then had our contractor line the area above the fireplace with knotty alder and build some faux columns on either side of it:

     The wood was stained to match our staircase, and since I wanted to get rid of the brass accents on the fireplace itself, we had the front painted black.

     Lastly, we had the area surrounding the fireplace tiled to match the backsplash in our kitchen and had shutters installed over the little window that used to bug me so much.

     Quite a change, isn't it?  I ♥ it!