Can I Update the Stone or Mantel Around My Fireplace?
Absolutely, and it is often the highest-impact change you can make. The surround is the part of the fireplace people actually look at. The firebox occupies a small portion of the wall; the stone, brick, tile, trim, and mantel occupy the rest and set the tone for the entire room.
This is also why so many homeowners are surprised by the result. A fireplace that felt dated frequently does not need a new unit at all. It needs a surround that matches the way the rest of the house has evolved.
Stone and veneer options. La Crosse Fireplace Company offers cultured stone, real stone veneer, and brick veneer. Cultured stone is manufactured to replicate natural stone and offers consistency and a wide palette. Real stone veneer delivers genuine variation in color and texture. Brick veneer suits traditional and farmhouse-leaning interiors, and works particularly well in a whitewashed or painted treatment. The choice among them usually comes down to the look you want and the scale of the installation.
Mantels. We carry a large selection of pre-made mantels and also build custom mantels designed around your specific project. A reclaimed timber beam, a clean painted shelf, a substantial carved surround, and a floating contemporary ledge all send very different signals, and the mantel is often what ties the fireplace to the woodwork elsewhere in the house.
When the surround changes on its own versus when it changes as part of a larger project is worth understanding. If you are only updating materials, the project is essentially a finish carpentry and masonry job around an existing firebox. If you are also installing a fireplace insert or a new unit, the surround has to be reworked to fit the new face anyway, so combining them is usually the efficient move. Homeowners replacing an older fireplace almost always do both at once.
Practical considerations. The weight of stone matters for wall and floor structure, especially on a full-height installation. Clearances to combustibles govern how close a wooden mantel can sit to the firebox opening. If a television is going above the fireplace, its placement should be planned alongside the mantel rather than after it.
Our design team works through all of this with you, and our goal is a finished result that looks like it was always part of the house. The project gallery is the best place to start gathering ideas, and our customer reviews speak to the design process.
Bring photos of your fireplace and the surrounding room to the showroom, where you can see full installations and handle the materials, or contact us to start the conversation.