Our new fireplace

The recent cold weather made us realize wanted a fireplace in our living room so we called in Edgar and his assistant, Jose Louis.  We decided to put it on the end wall where the light well is.

Edgar carefully sketched out the arc of the fireplace opening and then started on the brick and cement hearth.  My favorite part was when we come home and heard them laughing; they had managed to knock a brick in the back wall into the empty lot next door.

 

I thanked them for the new "window" and they patched it up with another brick and a firebrick lining.

Once the fireplace was done, we needed a mantle to complete it so we drove to Dolores Hildago, about 40 minutes away, where there are several shops that specialize in reclaimed wood.  This is where doors and other scraps and rusty things come to find a new life.

We selected the piece of wood that was aged just right and they cut it to our mantle specifications and delivered it. 

 And now we have a welcome new gas log fireplace.

The light above the fireplace is made of backlit handmade paper with cutout designs. We bought it in a suburb of Guadajalara called Tonola on our last trip there.  The ladder was made so we can light the water heater which is hidden above it in the lightwell.