Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Winnipeg Free Press
I feel extremely fortunate to have acquired a roster of clients who indulge my creative energy. And every once and a while, I’m presented with a renovation project that truly sparks my interest and fires me up!
A short while ago, an ongoing client of mine, Renate Singh, asked if I would be interested in painting the main floor and stairwell of her three-storey house in the Wellington Crescent area. She also wanted to replace the old tiling in both her front and back entry ways. At any rate, Singh chose her paint colours, I prepped the areas and the painting got underway. Nearing the end of the painting process, Singh walked me into the living room and asked what could be done regarding the old fireplace.
I recently asked Singh what had prompted her to consider changing the look of her fireplace. She replied, "After having had my living room painted... the fireplace was begging for an update." Singh was right — the freshly painted space, blended with existing trim, was quite breathtaking. Unfortunately, the old fireplace was looking very antiquated. As such, I obliged her instincts and suggested we give the fireplace a facelift... The question was, how?
From that moment, and while tending to many other reno projects within her home, I began to glare periodically at that old fireplace, until inspiration struck. I described to Singh the design I envisioned, and with a smile she gave me the thumbs up. Singh’s is an older house, with plaster walls and ceilings. There are grand archways leading from room to room, bold casings and baseboards, and many of the ceilings showcase beautifully stained crown moldings and exposed beams.
Here was my plan: I would leave the fireplace mantle, pilasters, trim and apron untouched — these elements perfectly matched the existing trim in the house. I’d focus entirely on the tiled surfaces, and set new tile in a design pattern that would mimic old stone and brick architecture from the early 1900s, at roughly one-quarter scale.
To do this, I chose a 12 x 12-foot faux-slate ceramic tile to emulate stone. I began by removing the old tile from the face of the fireplace and the hearth. I prepped these surfaces with a coat of thinset to even out any imperfections. I then established the centre-point and mounted a custom-cut slate tile above the firebox opening. I then worked from the centre tile to the left, and again to the right, by cutting duplicate tiles to create a mirrored pattern on either side of the centre, along the top edge of the firebox.
In keeping with the architecture of the time, the corner tiles were cut slightly larger than the tiles between each of the corners and the much larger centre tile. I then cut the remaining tiles slightly narrower than the corner tiles to complete either side of the picture framing of the firebox opening.
To mimic the brick at one-quarter size, I found a 12 x 12-foot mosaic tile that offers a random pattern of earth tone colored 1 x 2-foot ceramic tiles — I installed them from top to bottom, cutting any of the individual smaller brick-like tiles that did not exactly fit the existing slate tile pattern.
I then proceeded to use full slate tiles to cover the hearth and firebox base. I of course let the tiles set overnight.
The following day, a dark charcoal grout was sponged into the spacing between every tile — this achieved a bold grout line to serve as faux brick mortar, enhancing the illusion. After a few hours, the grout set and I cleaned off any that remained before polishing the tile surfaces. In keeping with the existing style of the house, the entire room was transformed with thoughtful design and a very modest budget. Ironically, the fireplace looked new again, by using a design that was old-school.
I recall the moment Singh saw the finished product for the first time. She described her reaction: "I lit up with joy at the look of the new fireplace. It completely changed the feel of the house! The tiling was warm, creative and sympathetic to the tone and era of the house. It’s the jewel of my living room now!"
It feels wonderful when a client is happy. I’m certain Singh has enjoyed many an evening by the fire, basking in the warmth while listening to the crackles and pops of the burning wood. And as she watches the flames dance in their choreographed display of sounds and flickering light, I hope she smiles as she did when she gazed at her new fireplace for the first time — that is what warms me up!
BossEnterprise@outlook.com
