Category Archives: Cast Stone Fireplace Surrounds

Increase the value of your home with stone fireplace surrounds from Old World Stoneworks, manufacturers of cast stone fireplace mantels, surrounds, and cast stone range hoods.

Outdoor living space enhanced with a cast stone fireplace

Outdoor Fireplaces and Landscaping

The Reagans have been in the news a lot since the recent passing of former First Lady Nancy. But did you know that former President Ronald Reagan signed an April 1986 proclamation founding a national garden week? It was a victory for the National Garden Bureau. But the National Gardening Association wanted to take it further. In 2003, they managed to get the week extended to a full month.

To celebrate National Garden Month, we at Old World Stoneworks thought about what would get us out to the garden more. Why, an outdoor fireplace, of course! Here are a few ideas about how you can work a fireplace into your outdoor landscape. Continue reading

Springtime mantel decor with cast stone fireplace

Springtime Mantel Decor

It’s official now: Spring has sprung. It’s time to put away the deep colors and introspective mood of winter and to lighten up. At Old World Stoneworks, we like to start by freshening the mantel with a special springtime look. Here are a few of our favorite simple mantel looks for spring. Continue reading

Elegant fireplace design showcase from Old World Stoneworks

Range Hood: Upgrade Your Kitchen

On the one hand, a range hood is a very utilitarian appliance. A fan inside a canopy perches above your stove, removing odors, heat, gasses and steam from your home and releasing them outside. On the other hand, a cast stone range hood adds beauty and sophistication to your kitchen.

At Old World Stoneworks, we embrace both the form and the function of range hoods. Let’s look at a few of the benefits and the beauty this major kitchen upgrade can bring to your abode. Continue reading

Luxury living room with custom cast stone fireplace mantel

Saint Patrick’s Day Mantel Decor

Saint Patrick – birth name Maewyn – is Ireland’s patron saint. But his celebrations were more staid in Ireland. It wasn’t until Irish immigrants started flooding into the US that the parades and parties we now associate with Saint Patrick’s Day were born.

The March 17th  holiday is now celebrated in many parts of the world. In Illinois, 40 pounds of Kelly green dye tint the Chicago River. In Monserrat, West Indies, people combine Saint Patrick’s Day with the commemoration of an attempted slave revolt, and party for an entire week. Flamenco dancers drink Guiness at Cabo Roig, the site of Spain’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade. From Quebec to Tokyo, Moscow to Auckland, everybody wants to be at least a little bit Irish on March 17th.

At Old World Stoneworks, we get in the spirit with special mantel décor. Here are a few ideas for a special Saint Pat’s themed mantel display. Continue reading

Celebrity home with luxurious cast stone fireplace mantel

Celebrity Fireplace Look-a-Likes

Much as we love to sing in the shower or dance while we wait for the microwave to ding, we can’t all be on “American Idol” or “Dancing with the Stars.” But with a little help from Old World Stoneworks, your home’s fireplace can resemble your favorite celebrity fireplace. Let’s peek at a few of our favorite celebrity look-a-like mantels. Continue reading

Cast Stone Small Fireplace

Fireplace Tips and Ideas for Small Spaces

Fireplaces are a great addition to any room, big or small. Since they can be architecturally overwhelming in small rooms, there are ways to incorporate them into a floor plan with minimal square feet. No room should be denied a fireplace and we have tips on how to choose and decorate around fireplaces in small spaces.
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Fireplaces for Your Bathroom

Bathroom fireplaces no longer have to be a rare sight only experienced in upscale hotels. While adding a fireplace to your bathroom will no doubt increase your home’s value (according to the National Association of Home Builders, a fireplace is one of the top three features requested by consumers out to buy new homes), it can add a touch of elegance to a room where you’re meant to relax and cleanse off the day. Not sure how to incorporate a fireplace into your bathroom? Here are a few ideas. Continue reading

Expert Tip: Designing Around Your Fireplace

Your fireplace is the perfect addition to your home’s aesthetic that not only adds to your décor but adds monetary value as well. While it pays off in dividends, why not make it look as attractive to your home’s design as possible? Here are some tips to design around your fireplace. Continue reading

Amhurst Fireplace Old World Stoneworks

White Rooms after Labor Day

Wearing white after Labor Day may be a faux pas in the fashion world but it’s a versatile shade that affords homeowners endless design options in the world of home design. Adding a fireplace in any shade of white can add a timeless and gorgeous touch to any room.

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Ornate cast stone fireplace mantel with intricate details

Different Types of Fireboxes

firebox collage

OWS Laurent Cast Stone Fireplace / OWS Normandy Cast Stone Fireplace / OWS Rothton Cast Stone Fireplace

What exactly is the firebox? The firebox is essentially the heart of your fireplace—where the fire lives. It can come in various sizes and depending on its capacity, can hold different depths of wood or other burning material. Based on the type of fireplace you have, it allows a range of fuels to be used i.e. natural gas, electric etc. The customization of your firebox is what brings additional character to your décor. Use a selection of attractive fireplace surrounds in front of the firebox to complement your décor and the firebox style.
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fremont cast stone fireplace

Fresh Air and Outdoor Fireplaces

Amp up your backyard and anchor your outdoor living room with a fireplace! Bring heat to a cold day or gather around a crackling fire with good friends, close family and a pack of s’mores and some wine for a relaxing night in your backyard. Outdoor fireplaces are a luxurious addition to your home’s aesthetic; here are some tips on how to incorporate a fireplace into your backyard.

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Florentine

Ways to Upgrade a Kitchen

So you’re thinking about updating your kitchen. The upgrade options you have can be as little as changing the light switch plates on your walls to as large as installing a new stone range hood or replacing your sink. Your kitchen is a gathering place for friends and family alike and where you likely spend a lot of your time with loved ones so any change you make should be something both you and your children will love. A small change can make a big difference and a big addition can simply bring a room together. However drastic your makeover, we have some ideas to get your creative senses going. 

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overmantel collage

All About Customizing Your Fireplace

There are several things that go into customizing your fireplace and it starts with knowing the different parts of a fireplace. A fireplace is made of a crown (if you want it), an overmantel, a mantel, legs (if you want them), and a hearth. Those components make up the bare bones of a fireplace but you can add some dimension to it by customizing it with your choice of bricks, stone, tiles and your choice of design like herringbone, running stack bond and more. Let’s work from the top, down.

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wood burning fire place

How to Burn a Wood-Burning Fire in Your Firebox

Cold nights trying to light a fire. Ring a bell? Starting a wood fire outdoors let alone in your own fireplace can be a chore. Because building a wood-burning fire in your firebox may not be as simple as it sounds, we put some tips together to get that flame going. Before we get into the tips, let’s look at how wood burns so you know why you’re doing what you’re doing:

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Designing Your Family Room

Tips on High-End Design and Décor for a Family Room

The family room is aptly named. It’s the place where you get together with your friends, children and loved ones to play games, cozy up to the fireplace and enjoy movie night. Today we’re featuring some of our favorite family room designs and how you can mimic what makes them so luxuriously unique. Make the most of your family room with these tips and truly inspiring designs. Continue reading

capri cast stone mantel

Firebox for Wood Burning Fireplace: Types, Benefits, and Maintenance

You cozy up to your traditional wood-burning fireplace but you may have noticed that it doesn’t feel as warm as your neighbor’s gas burning fireplace. Although the smell of burning wood offers warmth and comfort, it loses more heat than its counterparts. Fireplaces by nature aren’t designed to be completely efficient; they pull warm air out of the room and into the fire. Most fireplace boxes or inserts are designed to increase a fireplace’s efficiency. See if any of these fireplace boxes are right for you.

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The Laurent

A Fireplace Transformation: The Laurent

A fireplace can either be the focal point of a room or unite all the features of one room into a cohesive design. In this New Yorker’s home, the Laurent fireplace mantel managed to do both. Installing a new fireplace or upgrading an older one is a great way to add value to your home and bring life to a room.

On this occasion, the customer was jubilant with how the Laurent fireplace helped upgrade their room and complement luxurious features like their dark cherry wood. The walls around the fireplace were given purpose as much needed storage space. Cabinets and shelves provide a great opportunity to add home décor or offer hideaway space for personal items. Continue reading