23/08/2026
I came across these photos again whilst looking for something else. I’d almost forgotten what the fireplace was like before. We’ve gained quite a few more followers this year so this is for those who didn’t see it the first time… (existing followers are also welcome to look again 😉)
🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥⬛️🟥
If you’re going to do something…
It’s pretty bonkers and nothing we’d ever have thought to do if we hadn’t found those 17th century paint fragments.
We had permission to reinstate the original design from our (sympathetic) CO who told us we should, ‘Go for it!’ It’s incredible to think that somebody knelt in this fireplace, 400 years ago, and painted the same chequerboard design that I have painted back again in 2026. I wonder if they stood back and thought it as crazy as we do!
The design on the overmantel is based on a carved strap-work pattern from a 17th century wooden chest.
We started with a 1950s ‘renovation’ of an inglenook which consisted of a modern brick infilled fireplace, cement and gypsum plaster.
We removed all of the modern bricks, cement and gypsum, as well as the metal fire hood to reveal an original herringbone brick fireback, original brick cheeks with fragments of lime plaster displaying remnants of a 17th century painted chequerboard design.
We conserved what was left by repairing the herringbone fireback. We repointed it in hotlime with a mortar matched to the original.
The painted plaster was photographed and recorded. It was then conserved by laying parchment paper over the remaining fragments followed by laths and lime plaster. The finished fireplace was marked out with a chequerboard pattern exactly matching the size and positioning of the original squares. The deign and colours were matched and painted using a hotlime binder and pigment.
This is the result 😃
Huge thanks to Lloyd and Mark for their amazing workmanship. 👍
