Pictured: Mantel, stripped, repaired, and repainted in gloss white. Original hearth-face tiles. Fireplace brick, installed earlier that day--the fourth attempt. Four pieces kiln-dried oak firewood, four pieces shimstock kindling, one page Chicago Tribune classifieds. Small new cast iron firegrate on top of old coal-burning grate. Screen, Pottery Barn mega-closeout-employee-discount. Leather ottoman. Aluminum L-bracket doing log-tool duty.

Not pictured: New stainless steel chimney liners for fireplace and furnace; new concrete chimney cap (the casting forms are still up on the roof); removal of old firebox. Also: gap between mantel and wall caused by shift of the structure with the tiles on it. Gouts of smoke filling room due to over-zealous firebuilding.

Main page.
Home Improvement pages:
The living room window trim and paint.
The fireplace we had we had reconditioned to burn wood again.
The dining room floor repair and paint colors, and preparation for the cabinets.
A set of cabinets we installed in the dining room.
A set of French doors installed between our dining room and back porch.