Faux Fireplace that Fools Everyone - Part 1

Hello friends. ♡ This post has been a long time in the making and I’m so excited about it!

Everyone who sees my fireplace asks whether it’s gas or wood. Everyone thinks it’s real!

Gas or Wood Fireplace

When we met with our builder in December of 2015 (2 years ago!) to pick out our options, we knew a real fireplace was out of the budget. That was heartbreaking. But I had 8 months, living with my parents, while our home was being built to mull this over. How could I build a faux fireplace that gave me the feel of the real thing?

Faux Fireplace

Let’s face it. If you don’t use wood to warm your home then chances are a real fireplace is barely ever used. If you have an electric or gas fireplace, you worry about the cost of using it on a regular basis. But…what if you could have the ambience without the cost?

Fireplace Alternative!

My ‘fireplace’ is the most admired part of my new home. Thank you, Pinterest for so many ideas. Thank you, Craigslist for beautiful mantle options. And thank you, Blesser House for an awesome and inspiring post that got my wheels turning.

I found a Craigslist posting for an 1850’s mantle right around my birthday, which my dad graciously picked up for me. While he was there the seller told him all about the history of the house my mantle came from. The house was a refuge to slaves who escaped the South after traveling on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Beecher Stowe herself visited the home as a guest at one point.

Sometimes while I drink coffee and write in the morning, I sit and wonder, “Did Harriet Beecher Stowe sip tea in front of this mantle while working on her manuscript?”