Friday, June 11, 2010

Warms My Heart

 

We moved into this house five years and I was never crazy about the fireplace in our den.    So this spring we made a change…out with the old and in with the new look we chose for our fire place.

BEFORE:  The black hole…

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AFTER:

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We chose stacked stone for the fireplace and fieldstone for the hearth.  I’m so happy with the new look.  It seems to brighten up the room.    We also painted the walls  Sherwin Williams Latte.   The mantle is a solid piece of cypress.  I kept it. I sanded it smooth, distressed it and stained it a warmer brown.

The picture above the fireplace is very special to us.  The frame was handmade and designed by Keith’s dad.  He used old barn wood to construct the frame.   His dad passed away over a decade ago, so it is very meaningful to have this.

The art work in the frame is a pheasant painted by Artist Lynn Ash.  Lynn is my mother-in-law’s cousin.    Lynn is a lifelong resident of Tampa, Florida.  He was employed by Busch Garden’s in Tampa as an artist for years and is now retired.  He has painted so many beautiful wildlife pictures as well as the mural below.  The Tampa Bay area is my hometown, but  I haven’t lived there in nearly 20 years.    I have a small copy of the mural below by Lynn.  I just wanted you to see other work he has done.

In 2003, the City of Tampa's Public Art Program commissioned artist Lynn Ash to create a large painting that would weave together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity.  (from Tampagov website)

This is the 4’ x 8’ mural that Lynn painted and is in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building.  To read more detail about this mural you can visit the website above.

story_of_tampa 

You will also notice on the fireplace hearth a chair that is near and dear to my heart.  This chair was handmade approximately 125 years ago and has been in my family all these years.  The seat is made of cowhide.  In a future post I will share pictures of my family dating back to the late 1800 – early 1900s and you will see what possibly is this chair on the front porch of their home. 

Here is a little closer view of the chair.

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So the fireplace in our home is now a focal point of family history and treasured items.  Just the look I was going for.

  Joy

19 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow Joy..... What a difference. I love it... You all picked the perfect stone/rock for the chimney. It just looks awesome. I love that mantel and the picture. That picture is just so special---the frame being made by Keith's father ---and the art work being done by Lynn Ash....

I know you love the new look. I am just so impressed.
Hugs,
Betsy

Tracy P. said...

Wow, I just love it, Joy! How special it all is. That will be your favorite room, now, if it wasn't already. :-)

Betty W said...

I love it Joy! So much history in one place. The new look is really much warmer.
I wish we could re-do our fireplace. BAck when we build it, it was just done out of necessity but now I´d really love to change some things that are not that attractive. Oh well, maybe someday.

Unknown said...

The fireplace looks great! We had a marble surround on the fireplace in our old house and no hearth. I hated that thing! This is a big improvement on the black hole!

Diana Ferguson said...

Love it, Joy! Have a good weekend.

Berni said...

Nice to see part of your home. Love the new look

Melody said...

Very nice. You have such an eye for decoration. Your home is so beautiful because of your talent. :)

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

That's beautiful & what a treasure! I am all about antiques and family heirlooms. You did a fantastic job!!!

'LUSH' said...

Joy, you have a knack for home decorating. You seem to know how to mix and place things. How wonderful it is to have a focal point for family history, and a place where you would gather for warmth. Can't wait to see your future projects, as I do remember how lovely your bath redo turned out!

Susan said...

Fantastic job and what family treasures.

Joanna Jenkins said...

Now THAT is a fabulous difference! Your fireplace is so warm and inviting. Great job.

ANd the artwork is really beautiful. What a gift to have that kind of talent.

Cheers,
jj

Vava (aka Virginia) said...

Joy - what a beautiful transformation. Everything about it is lovely...and the history adds the perfect layer!

Tricia said...

beautiful! love the fireplace and all of the family history that you added.

Julie said...

oh my goodness, that is so great! I love hearing all about your family history... love what you did to the fireplace!

Pamela said...

That looks wonderful Joy! We have granite tiles on our hearth and I hate um. I want to rip um out and put up faux brick tiles. So far hubby and Papa are not on board with me.

Diana Ferguson said...

Thank you for your prayers!

Karena said...

Great transformation Joy!!

I love to see the before and after shots!

Giveaway is on my site I hope you will enter!

Karena
Art by Karena

Web Design said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joanna Jenkins said...

Hi Joy, Just stopping by to say hello. Hope your summer is going great.
jj