This before and after shot of a fireplace in Departure Bay, Nanaimo, BC illustrates how a concrete piece can instantly become the striking focal point of a room. One of our "artists in residence", Iain Bruce, added the final artistic touches which lead to the distressed “West Coast” feeling of this fireplace surround.
The result was exactly what the owners had hoped for and reminiscent of the sandstone rock formations visible along the beaches on the East coast of central Vancouver Island.
Fireplace Surround - Click for larger image
Fireplace Surround - Click for larger image
We designed this "picture frame" fireplace surround and mantle to be easily portable to home shows. The one piece surround was poured in two color tones, while the mantle and hearth are each a separate piece. The electric fireplace was supplied by Bj's Heating and Refrigeration in Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island.
J.B.D. Design Group specified a sleek, modern look for this fireplace surround in Nanaimo, B.C. (www.jbddesign.ca) Corners were mitered 45 degrees to give no indication of the concrete panel's thickness.
Fireplace Mantle - Click for larger image
Fireplace Renovation - Click for larger image
A favorite coin adorns the corner of this custom fireplace mantle. Visit our kitchen and vanity pages to see some of the other countertops we created for this home on Cowichan Lake designed by John Gower.
Although made of ceramic tile and not concrete, this fireplace surround demonstrates a design created and installed by Liquid Stone Studios, for a renovation in Victoria, B.C. Wanting to personalize a home they had just purchased, the clients first chose three colors of tiles, each color representing a member of the family, they then chose three other colors, each representing a family value. The final design is composed of groupings of these symbolic colors, and was a lot of fun to come up with.
Fireplace Renovation
Before
After - Click for larger image
These before and after images show how a concrete fireplace surround dramatically transformed this living room in Nanaimo B.C. For three months, the owners had had no luck finding anyone to take on the challenge of finishing their fireplace surround where the installers had left off. With Christmas fast approaching and their hopes of a solution waning, the couple happened upon a newspaper article about Liquid Stone Studios and called.
Where others had seen problems we saw an interesting opportunity to be creative. A full-length mirror and limited backing meant conventional methods for securing a surround would not work in this case. Each of the five pieces that make up the surround were designed and cast in such a way as to interlock and hold themselves together. Metal tabs were cast into the backs of the two vertical upright pieces, allowing them to be affixed to the wall studs with screws, while gravity and friction did the rest (plus construction adhesive for insurance). The job was completed Dec. 22, 2005 and like all our work, is guaranteed.
