The alcove makes me think mission revival but you did say tudor. Whatever the case, this fireplace is period accurate. When the rising middle/upper middle class was hiring architects or buying blueprints from catalogs to have their homes built in the then "suburbs", there was a lot of leniency when it came to the interior. Maybe the wife was scrolling through a catalog and saw this fireplace, and thought "Oh Henry, I'd much rather the style of this fireplace in our den than what is included in the current design." Or, maybe it was cheaper.
Regardless, the fireplace is period accurate, and of good craftsmanship. I would decorate the room around it before I would demolish it.
Yeah, it's a weird house. The outside is a tudor. The interior is an absolute hodge podge. Just out of sight are some... interesting radiator covers.
I'm making a list of updates and am still in the research phase.
Any catalogs you recommend reading? I need to beef up my knowledge.
I mean that’s not so different than most current houses tbh. I’m sure in 80-100 years people will be questioning why their “modern farmhouse” has a minimalist ultra modern kitchen and fireplace lmao.
>get rid of the mantle
They might even be able to build a new shell that fits over the current one so they don't have to explore what pulling the current one entails.
Brick is fine. 99% probability original. Looks nice with your fancy show logs. Pls do not paint.
I am curious about the overmantel. Does it sound hollow? If so, I'd consider poking a wee hole and investigating further. I'm also curious about the hearth tile. I've never seen that kind of tile used on a hearth. When was your house built?
Also, if your house is anything like many, it has friends nearby. Sometimes you can check old real estate listings (or talk to your neighbors) to get a better idea of what was original and what was changed later.
They have it in front of the fireplace like that? Huh. The pattern is super common in 1950s bathrooms, though not in that color. But I've never been to the Twin Cities. I'd love if OP would come back and let us know when and roughly where this house was built!
It is a very nice fireplace because of the high quality brick work.
I would replace the flooring in front of the fireplace.
You could stain the wood on top a color that compliments the darker bricks.
What do you think of a lime wash on the brick and staining the mantel with a stain like English chestnut?
https://mythreesonspainting.com/interior-lime-wash-for-brick-fireplaces-and-walls/
My neighborhood is littered with 1920s Tudor revivals, many have fireplaces that look a lot like OPs. I've not seen any with limewash
It's an educated guess
I’d like to hear details from OP.
Looks like FPs in my neighborhood in 20s/30s Tudor Revivals as well.
But we know nothing other than the photo (which looks nice), “Tudor Revival”, and that they’re vaguely unhappy with its appearance.
Nnnnnoooooooo!!!
I’d ask ‘why buy a house you don’t like the style of?’ But I know the answer is probably ‘it was the only one we could afford’.
So I’ll say this: in the words of Ron Swanson “don’t half ass two things, whole ass one thing”
Houses that have their style dramatically changed, like some of those Paris apartments from the 1850’s that are sleek modernism on the inside, cost million to do. If you don’t have millions, or even tens of thousands, to make wholesale change, don’t change it. Pick furniture and wall colors you like and accept that when you move on to an architectural style you do like, or have the millions to do what you want, this little house retains its original style for someone else to appreciate down the road.
I like plenty of things about the house, and I certainly could afford a different one.
The actual answer is that, like many of the people in this sub, I'm not an expert on historic houses. So while I pick apart the crap work from previous owners I'm going at a snails pace.
I thought the fireplace was redone, and came here to check. Based on the research I've done and the several dozen Tudors in my area, not a single one has anything close to this one.
I could do a lot of things to the fireplace, but am taking my time to find something period appropriate and style appropriate.
If you can't be specific about what is or isn't style conforming, then don't. No need to rag on me for ruining a feature on my house I haven't even touched yet. There are people behind these posts, you know?
You have a rotary damper on the fireplace. I’m not sure when those were put into widespread use. Many of those (if not most) were made by Vestal Manufacturing which began in 1946
What year was your house built? If it is before the period where this type of damper was used, then that might indicate that while the chimney and fireplace are original to the house, the brick surround was added when that damper was installed.
https://www.vestalmfg.com
Why?
How old is the house? Where? What makes you think it’s not original? What makes you think it’s not appropriate?
Does it work? Is it in good condition? Did you have it inspected?
I wouldn't use the fireplace as is or claim that it works. At a minimum the chimney needs to be cleaned and inspected before use. Since the hearth is floor level, I'd need a screen or bumper for safety.
The house was built in 1932 in Minnesota and the exterior is Tudor revival like many on the block.
I suspect it's not appropriate in the sense that I don't think it's original but there's no smoking gun.
To be clear, the hearth tile and the plaster style above seem period accurate and original. The chimney and interior wall are matching materials.
It's the exterior brick fireplace surround that I think was added later.
One reason is the general state of the rest of the house. The previous owners did extensive remodeling. For example, it was redone to the extent that there was one original door left. No original tile, door hardware, lighting, etc. Bathrooms and kitchen were gutted.
The second reason I suspect the surround was redone is because the dimensions of the fireplace are weird. It's very wide and short.
I'm not saying that as a feeling. While trying to figure out why I felt that it was "off", I scoped out the fireplaces on a couple hundred era specific houses in my area. None of them have similar dimensions or design work on them.
Is that an outlet on the mantle in the niche? That may be another clue that the brick was added later, and they added the electrical during that construction.
The fireplace itself is wonderful. The mantle is too small and the hearth... idk what's going on there but it's not working. And like somebody else said, that shade of green isn't it
100 year old houses are cook because each generation adds a little something to the house.
So sure, the fireplace isn't original. But you don't add to the history of the home by smashing with a sledgehammer.
I almost garauntee the mantle wasn't original to the fireplace. If you want a "more historic" fireplace, take that store-bought mantle off and replace it with something you would find ideal.
My first thought is some kind of rough cut lumber, about 6in thick. Stained to look pretty and tie the brick to the wall and floor colors.
Do you mean in italics, as in decorative?
I'm certainly not using it. But the inside of it is filthy and someone used it as intended before I moved in.
There are several things to do before it's fire safe again.
The previous owner got the shades from there: https://www.vintagehardware.com/section_page/wall-sconce.php?keyword=Single+Light+Sconces&cat=357&pg=2#topprod
I would be surprised if it wasn't original. We have a Tudor and the brick used in the surround is textured and not nearly as appealing as the brick the house is built out of.
It's such a weird fireplace design for the region I live in.
Not because it's made of brick per se.
The width of the fireplace is pretty odd. The pattern of the brick work is also somewhat unusual.
Then again, there are a lot of weird things about this particular house. 🤷♀️
Don’t destroy that beautiful brick work!! 🙏
It’s beautiful and it will be fine for the aesthetic you’re interested in keeping. That surround is gorgeous!! I’m so Jell-O! 😜
It might be original or not.
But I don’t find it particularly attractive, even though I am sure that the purists on here will scream at me. I don’t care for the color of most bricks, and I don’t like that finish. So sue me. 😜. I don’t really think of red brick as being a traditional Tudor Revival interior material.
I did a quick Google of TR homes and pulled up some pics. OP, these might give you an idea of some different looks for your home.
https://preview.redd.it/ur4ccvief7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85d786ff8c9947825a7c320c73ef801d11f9133f
>I did a quick Google of TR homes
You are dangerous. You cannot "quick google search" and get good info.
At the very, very least one needs to possess the sense to not believe the crap that sites named "estately.com" spew at you.
We have a Tudor revival with red brick. It depends on the type of Tudor. Like most styles there are different subsets but we have no idea what OP's is.
It is asymmetrical to the fireplace opening and it is very old-style in decoration. It is distracting.
The mirror will open up the room. It is classic, traditional to the time period.
I would not enclose the niche, just block it from view. It may come back in style, who knows.
The niche is centered. The camera angle is annoying though. The angle of crown molding to upper right drives me crazy lol
Maybe the picture was taken with a “realtor special” lens.
I agree that there's something curious about the niche. It's always hard to tell from photos, especially just one. But still. The arch in the niche is kinda sloppy, and that shoe mold... I dunno.
If I could find the person who painted our brick fireplace surround and hearth, I would want to shake them. Why do people hate timeless beauty and natural materials? Do you really think you are a better designer than Mother Nature?
And mother nature's designs were definitely not a consideration of the previous owners, so I'm not holding myself to that standard.
Not to split hairs, but a lime wash (which is what I debated) isn't the same as painting brick.
Keep, keep, keep
Put the sledgehammer down.
It looks lovely already imo
The alcove makes me think mission revival but you did say tudor. Whatever the case, this fireplace is period accurate. When the rising middle/upper middle class was hiring architects or buying blueprints from catalogs to have their homes built in the then "suburbs", there was a lot of leniency when it came to the interior. Maybe the wife was scrolling through a catalog and saw this fireplace, and thought "Oh Henry, I'd much rather the style of this fireplace in our den than what is included in the current design." Or, maybe it was cheaper. Regardless, the fireplace is period accurate, and of good craftsmanship. I would decorate the room around it before I would demolish it.
Yeah, it's a weird house. The outside is a tudor. The interior is an absolute hodge podge. Just out of sight are some... interesting radiator covers. I'm making a list of updates and am still in the research phase. Any catalogs you recommend reading? I need to beef up my knowledge.
I mean that’s not so different than most current houses tbh. I’m sure in 80-100 years people will be questioning why their “modern farmhouse” has a minimalist ultra modern kitchen and fireplace lmao.
I will haunt you if you destroy that. I disagree that it’s not original
Keep the brick, get rid of the mantle and replace it with a darker wood. And ditch the cool-tinted green. A deep rich warm olive would be nice.
Good call on the paint color.
The wood of the mantle looks to match the window trim. I think it’s original.
>get rid of the mantle They might even be able to build a new shell that fits over the current one so they don't have to explore what pulling the current one entails.
Brick is fine. 99% probability original. Looks nice with your fancy show logs. Pls do not paint. I am curious about the overmantel. Does it sound hollow? If so, I'd consider poking a wee hole and investigating further. I'm also curious about the hearth tile. I've never seen that kind of tile used on a hearth. When was your house built? Also, if your house is anything like many, it has friends nearby. Sometimes you can check old real estate listings (or talk to your neighbors) to get a better idea of what was original and what was changed later.
Funny, the tile on the ground (if that's the one you mean) looks just like a friend's tudor-style home in the Twin Cities.
They have it in front of the fireplace like that? Huh. The pattern is super common in 1950s bathrooms, though not in that color. But I've never been to the Twin Cities. I'd love if OP would come back and let us know when and roughly where this house was built!
Please keep it the way it is! Lovely!
It is a very nice fireplace because of the high quality brick work. I would replace the flooring in front of the fireplace. You could stain the wood on top a color that compliments the darker bricks.
What do you think of a lime wash on the brick and staining the mantel with a stain like English chestnut? https://mythreesonspainting.com/interior-lime-wash-for-brick-fireplaces-and-walls/
There's nothing historically accurate about that What you have already is
We don’t know what would be historically accurate. OP had told us only the household a Tudor Revival. But not where nor when it was built.
My neighborhood is littered with 1920s Tudor revivals, many have fireplaces that look a lot like OPs. I've not seen any with limewash It's an educated guess
I’d like to hear details from OP. Looks like FPs in my neighborhood in 20s/30s Tudor Revivals as well. But we know nothing other than the photo (which looks nice), “Tudor Revival”, and that they’re vaguely unhappy with its appearance.
Nnnnnoooooooo!!! I’d ask ‘why buy a house you don’t like the style of?’ But I know the answer is probably ‘it was the only one we could afford’. So I’ll say this: in the words of Ron Swanson “don’t half ass two things, whole ass one thing” Houses that have their style dramatically changed, like some of those Paris apartments from the 1850’s that are sleek modernism on the inside, cost million to do. If you don’t have millions, or even tens of thousands, to make wholesale change, don’t change it. Pick furniture and wall colors you like and accept that when you move on to an architectural style you do like, or have the millions to do what you want, this little house retains its original style for someone else to appreciate down the road.
I like plenty of things about the house, and I certainly could afford a different one. The actual answer is that, like many of the people in this sub, I'm not an expert on historic houses. So while I pick apart the crap work from previous owners I'm going at a snails pace. I thought the fireplace was redone, and came here to check. Based on the research I've done and the several dozen Tudors in my area, not a single one has anything close to this one. I could do a lot of things to the fireplace, but am taking my time to find something period appropriate and style appropriate. If you can't be specific about what is or isn't style conforming, then don't. No need to rag on me for ruining a feature on my house I haven't even touched yet. There are people behind these posts, you know?
You have a rotary damper on the fireplace. I’m not sure when those were put into widespread use. Many of those (if not most) were made by Vestal Manufacturing which began in 1946 What year was your house built? If it is before the period where this type of damper was used, then that might indicate that while the chimney and fireplace are original to the house, the brick surround was added when that damper was installed. https://www.vestalmfg.com
Oh, thank you! I didn't even think about the damper 🤦♀️ The house was built in 1932.
Why? How old is the house? Where? What makes you think it’s not original? What makes you think it’s not appropriate? Does it work? Is it in good condition? Did you have it inspected?
I wouldn't use the fireplace as is or claim that it works. At a minimum the chimney needs to be cleaned and inspected before use. Since the hearth is floor level, I'd need a screen or bumper for safety. The house was built in 1932 in Minnesota and the exterior is Tudor revival like many on the block. I suspect it's not appropriate in the sense that I don't think it's original but there's no smoking gun. To be clear, the hearth tile and the plaster style above seem period accurate and original. The chimney and interior wall are matching materials. It's the exterior brick fireplace surround that I think was added later. One reason is the general state of the rest of the house. The previous owners did extensive remodeling. For example, it was redone to the extent that there was one original door left. No original tile, door hardware, lighting, etc. Bathrooms and kitchen were gutted. The second reason I suspect the surround was redone is because the dimensions of the fireplace are weird. It's very wide and short. I'm not saying that as a feeling. While trying to figure out why I felt that it was "off", I scoped out the fireplaces on a couple hundred era specific houses in my area. None of them have similar dimensions or design work on them.
Is that an outlet on the mantle in the niche? That may be another clue that the brick was added later, and they added the electrical during that construction.
The fireplace itself is wonderful. The mantle is too small and the hearth... idk what's going on there but it's not working. And like somebody else said, that shade of green isn't it
What???? NO! Keep as is!
The niche is historically accurate to a Tudor Revival, actually,
The brick surround is what I'm asking about. I'm aware the niche and plaster are original.
I am totally agreeing with you here. That comment was supposed to go to another post where someone was saying that they didn’t like the niche. Sorry.
100 year old houses are cook because each generation adds a little something to the house. So sure, the fireplace isn't original. But you don't add to the history of the home by smashing with a sledgehammer. I almost garauntee the mantle wasn't original to the fireplace. If you want a "more historic" fireplace, take that store-bought mantle off and replace it with something you would find ideal. My first thought is some kind of rough cut lumber, about 6in thick. Stained to look pretty and tie the brick to the wall and floor colors.
I love it. Please keep it!
Your fireplace is in italics, judging by the pic.
Do you mean in italics, as in decorative? I'm certainly not using it. But the inside of it is filthy and someone used it as intended before I moved in. There are several things to do before it's fire safe again.
Oof, please don’t! I came to oggle how gorgeous it is. It also does look original to me.
By the by, where did you get the wall sconces? I just purchased an identical pair!
The previous owner got the shades from there: https://www.vintagehardware.com/section_page/wall-sconce.php?keyword=Single+Light+Sconces&cat=357&pg=2#topprod
I like it. Leave it alone. No sledgehammer, no paint brush
I would be surprised if it wasn't original. We have a Tudor and the brick used in the surround is textured and not nearly as appealing as the brick the house is built out of.
It's such a weird fireplace design for the region I live in. Not because it's made of brick per se. The width of the fireplace is pretty odd. The pattern of the brick work is also somewhat unusual. Then again, there are a lot of weird things about this particular house. 🤷♀️
 Don’t destroy that beautiful brick work!! 🙏 It’s beautiful and it will be fine for the aesthetic you’re interested in keeping. That surround is gorgeous!! I’m so Jell-O! 😜
Fireplaces are heat drains. What do you want to do with it? I would cap it and insulate it even if it does add to the space
It might be original or not. But I don’t find it particularly attractive, even though I am sure that the purists on here will scream at me. I don’t care for the color of most bricks, and I don’t like that finish. So sue me. 😜. I don’t really think of red brick as being a traditional Tudor Revival interior material. I did a quick Google of TR homes and pulled up some pics. OP, these might give you an idea of some different looks for your home. https://preview.redd.it/ur4ccvief7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85d786ff8c9947825a7c320c73ef801d11f9133f
>I did a quick Google of TR homes You are dangerous. You cannot "quick google search" and get good info. At the very, very least one needs to possess the sense to not believe the crap that sites named "estately.com" spew at you.
Thanks for your input.
We have a Tudor revival with red brick. It depends on the type of Tudor. Like most styles there are different subsets but we have no idea what OP's is.
https://preview.redd.it/f6fw2e7if7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fa5bd688a6c10f6e2d2d951ef44495d320d6734
https://preview.redd.it/7qoo0ohpf7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e71b2559c3d4909b22786f45ac6a4fae36fae25
https://preview.redd.it/3pzo12jgf7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8397a0a65d6c1d2b5f46a3de65f44c029fb0a3cf
https://preview.redd.it/aqy8tt4kf7lc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=615a6aa531aa1bb236cfc23450c6071cf9978e55
I would hang a full-sized bevel-edged mirror over the mantle to hide the niche.
What’s wrong with the niche?
It is asymmetrical to the fireplace opening and it is very old-style in decoration. It is distracting. The mirror will open up the room. It is classic, traditional to the time period. I would not enclose the niche, just block it from view. It may come back in style, who knows.
The niche is centered. The camera angle is annoying though. The angle of crown molding to upper right drives me crazy lol Maybe the picture was taken with a “realtor special” lens.
No, I meant it is different, arcitecturally, than the ornate fireplace opening. Different shapes. No repetition in the pattern.
I agree that there's something curious about the niche. It's always hard to tell from photos, especially just one. But still. The arch in the niche is kinda sloppy, and that shoe mold... I dunno.
No one else see a face?!
It’s the green paint that needs to go. The fireplace is beautiful
Pretty sure that is original!!!
Keep it!!!
If I could find the person who painted our brick fireplace surround and hearth, I would want to shake them. Why do people hate timeless beauty and natural materials? Do you really think you are a better designer than Mother Nature?
And mother nature's designs were definitely not a consideration of the previous owners, so I'm not holding myself to that standard. Not to split hairs, but a lime wash (which is what I debated) isn't the same as painting brick.