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Mid Century Stone Fireplace Project
We get a chance to see a lot of stacked stone fireplace projects that our clients are working on and every so often one like this comes across our desks that we get really excited about. Even though this space will probably be magazine worthy once fully decorated and styled, we couldn’t help ourselves from writing about this cool Mid Century Modern stacked stone fireplace that used our Standard Series Charcoal Rock Panels. A good Mid-Century Modern Fireplace design is a real show stopper and this featured project is no exception.
Mid Century Modern as a design scheme is currently very much on trend in today’s architecture and design communities. I think the best way to describe the mid century modern movement is to think about current modern design, and introduce more earthier materials and scale back the size a little bit. Mid Century Modern would favor wood over metal and doesn’t mind a low slung ceiling vs a cavernous open ceiling. Mid Century Modern living room designs with their clean white walls and chalk full of architectural details like built in cabinets should be approachable and feel ready to be lived in, whereas some modern living room designs can feel a little more like a museum and less like “home”.
In terms of fireplaces, a mid century stone fireplace is revered for its timeless elegance and enduring aesthetic appeal. The use of natural materials in mid century fireplaces, such as stone, evokes a sense of warmth and connection to the earth, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The clean lines and minimalist design characteristic of mid-century architecture further enhance the allure of these fireplaces, making them a focal point that seamlessly blends modern sophistication with rustic charm. Some of the main components of Mid-Century fireplace design include a static color for the veneer selection of the fireplace and typically nice clean white walls to contrast against.
For a stone fireplace this would include the Charcoal stone used in this week’s featured project, but also popular would be a brick fireplace where the brick itself has very little coloration. Often times you’ll see a brick fireplace where the bricks are painted white or black to homogenize the color scheme and rely just on the subtle texture and linear shaping of the brick from a design standpoint. MCM Fireplace design also would generally include a fireplace mantel that is more aimed at blending in and being sleek and minimal versus a mantel that is more eye catching. As far as the fire box itself, the mid century modern look would generally be a long linear look, sometimes called a ribbon fireplace, that accentuates the clean lines of the design scheme.
From a design standpoint, the sleek, low slung features of the stone fireplace really exude that Mid Century Modern Vibe going on in this space. The cantilevered “floating” hearth that extends beyond the side of the fireplace into the wall column is a real tell tale feature of this brand of design. Coupled with a wide, but not very tall, fireplace insert and a hearth that is below eye level, the whole base set up of this fireplace keeps the focus on the ground, which in turns really allows the charcoal stacked stone to become prominent as it extends all the way up to the high ceilings.
It’s also very unique how the stone and the fireplace are actually inset into the wall. One of the reasons our stacked stone panel system products are so popular for fireplace projects is because our interlocking finger joint corner units are both super easy to easy and look amazing. While most fireplaces stick out from the wall, bringing those outside corners into play, this fireplace is actually inset, which means the entire installation could be accomplished with field units only. The dark grey of the stone fireplace contrast nicely with the white walls it is inset against. The yet to be installed television, will also be inset into the wood paneling on the wall to the viewer’s left, and will help draw a nice design parallel between these two focal points.
The overall color pallete and material selection of the space also hits on the Mid Century Modern design. The darkness of the charcoal stacked stone and the black metal trim of the stone fireplace itself contrast with the stark white walls. The white walls look a little bare on this project at the moment as the space was just completed, but the clean look of white walls are a big part of the mid century modern design vibe. White walls play a pivotal role in mid-century modern design by serving as a canvas that enhances the architectural elements and iconic furniture and architectural details of the era. The use of white walls creates a sense of openness, purity, and simplicity. White walls allow the distinctive shapes, colors, and textures of mid-century architectural features to take center stage and define the overall aesthetic of the space. The cream tones of the floor tile transition nicely across the dark stained baseboards to the white of the walls nicely. A clear focus on natural products in the wood built ins and stacked stone fireplace, as well as shiny and smooth finishes like the mirror polished floor and large glass windows along the back wall are trademarks of this design style.
Speaking of material selection, the liberal use of the dark brown wood grain finish on all of the millwork details in the space is the defining Mid Century Modern characteristics in the eyes of the author. Before wood paneling caught a bad reputation from the less than desirable press board laminates of the 1960s and 1970s, there was the golden era of wood paneling and veneer in interior design, where actual wood was used by skilled carpenters to make beautiful wall and trim details like we see in this space. The dark brown stain also harkens back to the mid century color trends, before interior design skewed more towards lighter colors, especially in areas like baseboards and window and door trim. The dark trim contrasts against the white walls adding to the clean lineal lines of the space.
This looks like the perfect space to sip a Tom Collins, enjoy the ambiance of a beautiful fire against the stacked stone wall, or maybe catch an episode of Mad Men while reclining in an Eames Lounge Chair. The Mid Century Modern style is full of unique, and in many people’s opinion, beautiful design elements. Thanks for taking a look at this cool stacked stone fireplace project with us today. Whatever you’re design, modern, rustic, or anywhere in between, Norstone has natural stone wall veneer products to suit. Learn more about natural stone products on our website and submit our contact form to learn more about our veneers.
