Best Fireplace 2022 Winner

Winning Designer: Madison Rees, Rock Solid Renovations

Project Goal Overview

The main goal of the fireplace renovation was to simplify the home’s traditional rustic stone fireplace that overpowered the space, turning it into a focal point that created balance within the space and aligned more with the homeowners’ contemporary style.

In this complete home remodel, Madison Rees, senior designer at Rock Solid Renovations, zeroed in on an opportunity to turn a dated and traditional full scale stone fireplace into an eye-catching, contemporary focal point. “It was really fun to give these homeowners a new fresh bright look,” says Rees. “The fireplace is a great example of how we transformed the whole home.” The homeowners’ tastes were rooted in their love for extravagant hotels, neutral furnishings and their extensive art collection. The team started by removing all the beige and rustic stone from the space, and then reframed the fireplace. “We framed it to make it more streamlined and contemporary,” says Rees. 

Creating a large statement piece in the room with the fireplace was crucial to Rees’s design. “The space had really tall ceilings and I knew the homeowners were bringing in an over-the-top chandelier, so we needed something really eye-catching to balance that out,” says Rees. A beautiful granite slab was selected for the new fireplace surround and hearth. “The final piece that was chosen was a black granite slab with creamy veining,'' says Rees. “It had beautiful movement and blends of gold and sparkle throughout.”

Installing the granite slab was no easy feat. The slab needed to be installed with a lot of attention to detail and required superior craftsmanship in order to not break the slab. “We fabricated the fireplace hearth and surround by using one slab of granite and mitered all the corners of the pieces to meet together perfectly,” says Rees. “The small framing pieces were used to add detail that was a nod to traditional style. The goal was to make the surround looked carved."

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