Our house was built in 1980 which is both good and bad depending on how you look at it. There are some great angles in the house which make it an interesting place to live. It is also very dated looking, so we are slowly giving the place a new face! The fireplace is a perfect example. When we bought the house, it's drywall surround and mantel were painted a dark chocolate brown and it had the expected ceramic fake logs. We painted it a color called "pumpkin spice" to appease us until we could really tear into the thing and give it a proper overhaul. When we finally did, we chose to sheath the entire surface with an Italian porcelain tile that looks like long strips of wood including a stylized but stylish and subtle wood-grain. We went more modern and dumped the mantel entirely and just love the clean look of it. The fake logs were banished and we said "hello" to shiny and reflective glass pieces made just for fireplaces. The light is amazing when the fire is lit!
