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Living + Dining Room, The Mod House Project 12

Pt 1: Fireplace Makeover – The Death Trap

By Sabrina @pinklilnotebook · On October 29, 2015

From the very beginning, it was pretty evident that this corner fireplace needed a major redo. I remember my thought process clearly: 

“Yikes, black, pink, brass and beige?? Hmm…not really a fan of the corner location. What’s with the giant mirror?  Oh well, at least there’s a fireplace”.

Although I really disliked the appearance of this fireplace, I knew it would be easy enough for us to make a few cosmetic changes that could drastically change this fireplace into a focal point.

FireplaceBeforePrime_PLN

With time, we finally began our transformation. And as soon as we started, everything came to an abrupt halt.

This project went much deeper than a cosmetic facelift—we had some major issues with the gas fireplace.

FireplaceBefore2_PLN

Besides the obvious worn out interior, the fireplace struggled to function properly.  I experienced everything from loud explosion-like noises, to awful fumes, to the whole unit shutting on and off. It did crazy things. I had a gut feeling a quick fix by a service guy wasn’t going to cut it.

So I decided to dig a little deeper.  I took the model number and did a Google search. I discovered a TSSA ban on these particular fireplace series. As the company no longer exist (cough, cough..Insta-Flame), retrofit kits were not available for purchase. It states “to cease all use and dispose of immediately”.

At this point, I frantically realized our fireplace is a safety hazard. My dreams of cuddling on the couch in front of my fire, drinking hot chocolate are gone! Who knew they could even ban a gas fireplace to begin with?

hotchocolate1

After my initial shock wore off, I started thinking, “there must be a way to replace this 20-year-old death trap of a fireplace with something current”. I needed something similar in size with the same venting options. I wanted to avoid the costly route of ripping everything out and starting from scratch.

As I began looking at replacement options, I knew Napoleon was my top choice.  Back in January, both the hubby and I attended the Interior Design Show were we happen to stumble upon the Napoleon booth. We were so impressed with everything from the technology right down to the style and function.

Heck at the time, we didn’t even know we needed a new fireplace; we were just mesmerized by the all the beautiful flickering flames.

NapoleonFireplace
photo credit

These fireplaces come in every single style you can imagine.  On top of that, you can further customize your options with add on features to really tailor the look and feel.

What caught my attention the most was that Napoleon has one of the highest heater rating efficiency on the market. Let’s also not forget the advance burner technology, which only gives you the most realistic flames in the industry!

900x630-product-gallery-b36-logs-zen-prrp

With some research and the help of Napoleon staff, I found a fireplace that will work as a replacement for my old unit. Meet the Ascent™ 36 vented gas fireplace.  It’s identical in height and width to my old unit (34 1/16″h x 35″w), which means I can still reuse my existing mantel. It will accommodate the rear venting so no new holes need to be made in the exterior wall. It also meets my natural gas requirements. It’s a win-win situation! And guest what! I’m even more excited to say that Napoleon decided to collaborate with us on this project *insert happy dance here* I’m always psyched to partner with a brand I love and trust.

We currently have a lot of work ahead that we plan to accomplish in a very short time period.  We removed our mantel and we have hired a certified pro to install our new gas fireplace. Now in order to avoid a super long post, I’m going to stop here.  I have decided to break this makeover into three parts since I do have a ton of info to share.  Get ready for the fun stuff next week as we say goodbye to our death trap and hello to the new Ascent™ 36 model.

DismantelFireplace4_PLN

Stay tuned!

SabrinaPLN_15

You may also like. . .

Part 1: Fireplace Makeover – The Death Trap
Part 2: We’ve Got a New Fireplace! Napoleon Ascent 36
Part 3: Fireplace Makeover Before & After
Before & After: Family Room Reveal

 

B36 Firpeplacecorner fireplace makeoverDIYfireplace makeoverGas fireplace replacementGas Vented FireplaceNapoleon Ascent 36pink little notebookThe Mod House Project
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Sabrina

Sabrina is the design enthusiast behind the blog, Pink Little Notebook, where she explores her creativity through home décor, thrift store finds, DIY projects and her ever growing love to paint everything in sight! She is indeed a storyteller of style and has an extensive mixture of artistic skills and abilities which include everything from make-up art, graphic designing, painting, drawing, and even self-taught photography, just to name a few. Through her blog Sabrina combines everything she has learned over the years and hopes to inspire others along the way!

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12 Comments

  • Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says: October 29, 2015 at 10:34 am

    I totally wish we had a fireplace in our house!! Love all of these photos.

    Reply
  • Angie says: October 29, 2015 at 11:10 am

    Looks good so far! I wish I had a fireplace… I’d love a mantle and also my house is freezing.

    Reply
    • Sabrina says: October 30, 2015 at 9:15 am

      Thanks Angie! I’m one of those people who are cold all the time so a warm fireplace in the winter makes me the happiest girl ever 🙂

      Reply
  • Casey @Waffling says: October 29, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    We used to have a really old (circa 50s or 60s) gas fireplace in our basement that turned on with a giant key! It was pretty cool but a few years ago it started smelling weird when being used. Then when my dad gutted the basement he had the gas man come by and shut off the line and just put in an electric one. Always nice to have a fireplace, but not worth a gas risk! Good thing you are replacing it and doing it right!

    Reply
    • Sabrina says: October 30, 2015 at 9:12 am

      Wow! A giant key?! Now that’s something to see! You’re definitely right, anything that is a potential risk to your health is never worth it. It’s scary to think that sometimes these things go undetected for the longest time! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  • Bri says: October 29, 2015 at 4:44 pm

    Ohhh! I can’t wait to see the final!

    Reply
  • The Southern Thing says: October 29, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    How pretty! I can’t wait to see the finished result!

    Reply
  • Adriana says: October 30, 2015 at 12:55 am

    This is gonna look great!!! I love fireplaces, they’re such a statement piece so re-doing it and making it to your liking is so important! I can’t wait to see the rest!!!
    xo Adriana – Daily Dose of Design

    Reply
    • Sabrina says: October 30, 2015 at 9:18 am

      I couldn’t agree more Adriana! Fireplaces have style + function. . .what more can you ask for 🙂

      Reply
  • Patranila says: October 30, 2015 at 1:28 am

    There’s nothing like doing some research and discovering that you must immediately dispose of something or risk major harm!

    Reply
  • Chel says: November 1, 2015 at 8:49 am

    Stinks that you have to gut the whole project, but hey now you have something newer and safer. <3 Can't wait to see the finished project.

    Reply
  • Stella Lee@ Purfylle says: November 6, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    We have an old gas heater too. It seems to work fine thankfully but it makes yours look beautiful. I’m off to read part 2 now.

    Reply
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