Happy Wednesday, my friends! Guess what? We FINALLY finished our outdoor stone fireplace at our lake house! Would you like to see? Come on over and check it out!
To say that we are totally in love with our new deck and outdoor stone fireplace would be an understatement. It’s been months in the making and we are so happy to finally have it complete! So, just so you can appreciate how far we’ve come, let me show you where we began at the end of February. This is the back of Happy Hill (our lake house) as seen from the lake. There was a HUGE tree which grew in the middle of the deck. And although it was very old and beautiful, it was messy and leaned precariously over the house. Plus, part of the tree had become diseased. Sadly, it had to come down.
The removal of this tree was a massive undertaking. We wouldn’t trust this job to anyone except my baby brother and his crew of tree professionals! (If you are in the Lake Norman/Charlotte area you can find him at Ed Brooks Tree Service.)
Then this was all that remained. Next came the removal of the old, rotted deck. We hired this out as well. But, do you see this angle? Just beyond the stump will be the future fireplace!
The new deck was installed in just a few days. It’s amazing what a large construction crew can accomplish!
Once the deck surface was complete, then came the construction of the fireplace. It took over 1200 cinder blocks! This baby will be here for centuries!
This photo was taken during the construction of the fireplace, but you can see how it’s all taking shape!
Once the fireplace structure was finished, it was completely functional. So, we enjoyed it for several months until we decided on a stone facade and installer. We chose a stacked stone of various sizes and shapes from a stone company located in Charlotte.
Once the stone was delivered, it took about a week for the stone mason and his partner to install the stone. And here it is, complete with stone, corbels, and a makeshift mantle.
We took the stump from the original tree (which was in the middle of the old deck) to a lumber yard and had it cut into several large slabs. The largest slab still needs to dry out so it’s not so heavy, so for now we put up a thinner piece of the stump to use as a temporary mantle.. This one has a cool, live edge and I love how it looks. Plus, it was much lighter and easier for just my husband and me to lift into place.
Here is the covered porch, all decked out for July 4th! Naturally I insist upon leaving the chandelier on 24/7. After all, I had this beauty in my stash for 7 years just waiting for this opportunity! (The light bulbs are LED so they don’t attract bugs, which is helpful.) The next step is to have the entire exterior of the house repainted. We will leave the siding gray but all of the vertical surfaces, such as the columns and railings, will be painted white to match the trim.
And here’s a quick before and after picture. We are so thrilled with how the deck and fireplace turned out! Now we’ve doubled our entertaining and living space and can enjoy it, rain or shine for years and years to come!
Later I’ll share more details about exactly which stone we chose, etc. But I just couldn’t wait to share our progress thus far! I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you as always for stopping by and supporting my little blog! Much love, Dell
2 comments
It’s is absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much Audrey! You’ll have to come see it in person soon! xoxo