Fireplaces....The Home and Hearth Syndrome

From nearly the beginning of time - okay, when the cavepeople happened to have a lightening strike, and it hit the entrance to the cave where they were huddling, and some wood happened to be there, and it started a fire, and they thought..."Oh Oh, we're in trouble now"..But, then, they noticed that one of their pet wolves (there's a theory about wolves civilizing humans, but I won't go into that right now), snuggled next to the fire and went to sleep, they thought..Hey, I feel warmer (at least on this side)...I figure some cavewoman tossed some more wood on the fire, stuck a piece of mastodon meat on the end of stick, and barbequing was born.  Theory is, there was a keeper of the coals, (no idea how they transported them, but I did read "Clan of the Cave Bears), and woe be to he or she, who let the fire go out...It was probably a long time and a desperate mother, trying to feed the family, before she...pretty sure it was a she, did the rub two sticks together thing, and "viola" (pretty sure she didn't say, "viola", but who knows.
As time progress, and people, hopefully, did as well, structures were made to keep the hot wood and ashes contained - the first firepit...then, hovels, with a fire in the center, and alot of smoke...(put a hole in the roof, dummy)..
So, I could go on-and-on with this, but it's getting boring (for everyone).
I love fireplaces....I love a real fire, as I sit by the fireplace, a good book, a glass of wine, one of my since dear, departed kitties at my feet, I feel safe, secure and sleepy...

Our Texas home had "rattlesnake limestone"...not really rattles in it, but rather, seashells...Notice the builder put a stone shaped like Texas in the face...Not something I would have done, but that's Texans for you...This was a wood-burning fireplace, and I loved it.
(my painting, "Ghost Swimmers" was in the niche)..I know alot of people have their flat-screened tv over the fireplace, but I feel they compete with one another.  I'd prefer two focal points.

I made a faux, tooled leather cushion (with linen on the other side) for our dear, sweet cat, Gussie, who sadly, went blind, and spent five years on that cushion..so, no fires for us.  When we sold our home, she had died, and we buried her out on the property.  The people who bought the house were having strange things happening with regard to lights coming on at three am in the living room (she passed at three am in the living room), and when they would try to light a fire in the fireplace, it wouldn't draw, light, etc. The woman emailed me and said she felt the presence of a cat, (she had no idea of any of this), and I told her that was just Gussie.  She loves animals, and bless her, said Gussie could stay as long as she likes.

I have to go paint the bathroom...so, I am going to post some of the many fireplaces I have designed...It's one of my favorite things in design to do.

It's cold in Wisconsin and gray, a great deal of the time...saturated, warm colors, and fireplaces are necessary..The top one is a Heatolator, and this "keeping room" fireplace actually has a warming oven in it...the rhombus tile is echoed over the stove in the other end of the kitchen.

My client wanted an old-world, French-influenced fireplace, so I designed the coffered ceiling, and the dry-stack floor-to-ceiling fireplace...

No, you are not seeing double; my client's are tv/sports/fanatics...so, I give them what they want...This fireplace is more "PrairieStyle", as in Frank Lloyd Wright, who is very popular in Wisconsin.

This is a "before" fireplace..my client didn't like the stark white..it is also a two-sided fireplace, which I love..the other side faces into the kitchen.  I had slipcovers made for the sofas, white and washable, and I glazed the room (yes, I do specialty finishes)...We changed out some art and accessories, and it took on a whole, new feel.

I still do specialty finishes, but no longer go out on scaffolding, holding glazing brushes in my toes...glazed 1,000 sq. feet. of this living room. Gah!