I know I've taken a long vacation from blogging when I have dozens of posts outlined in point form and yet, I have no photos and need to check my Instagram to see if I have any relevant pictures. I think I'll commit to taking a bunch of photos around the house this weekend or next, but I actually did manage to find some fireplace photos on Instagram so I can publish this post now. :)
When we bought our house, we were excited to finally have a wood-burning fireplace! I love the smell of logs burning in the winter and fall and it seems so cozy to me. We rolled the dice and decided not to have a proper fireplace inspection (WETT Inspection) because we knew it wasn't a dealbreaker for us and we figured we'd put the inspection money toward what we assumed would be necessary repairs. We had the fireplace and chimney cleaned after we took possession and were shocked when the company told us it was in great shape! Finally, something in this house that didn't need repairs!
Of course, the fireplace itself wasn't the most attractive but we had some plans for that! We already knew we'd be painting the brick white and leaving the wood mantle to match the ceiling beams.
On the day we took possession of the house, the seller told us the fireplace door had never fit properly and was basically just resting against the brick. Um... thanks. Oh well, it wasn't our taste anyway. What we did discover is that our fireplace is an unusual size so a custom order was necessary.
We ordered a custom door and were excited when it was installed before Christmas. We love our new door and it's secure enough for us not to worry with Rudy and the pets running around. Our favourite thing about it is that instead of the chain mesh curtains that you always need to fuss with, we had the mesh installed as a second set of doors. They're lovely and far more solid than just a curtain. Even better: they're easy to open and close!
Rudy uses the glass doors as her personal mirror and loves to look at her reflection when she's wearing a funny hat... which is basically every evening after school.
And here's a shot to prove that we did manage to get it ready in time for the holidays (and Santa) this year. :)
Here's one last (more recent) photo. We're finally unpacking and hanging art! I'll post some living room before and after photos soon. Not a bad update, right?
