Custom Fireplace Design Kirkland

• Since 2012
• 500+ custom projects
• Designed and built by hand
• American made

Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone

Fireplace work looks simple on a quote and gets complicated on the wall. These are the questions that separate a clean project from a frustrating one.

• Who designs it? If the person who draws your surround has never worked stone or steel, the drawing may not survive the build.
• Who builds it? Some companies sketch in-house and hand the fabrication to a stranger. Ask whether the person you meet is part of the work.
• Do you see the cost first? You should know the number before materials are ordered or cut.
• What happens around the firebox? Clearances, venting, and the manufacturer’s specs decide what’s allowed. A good specialist raises those early.

Whoever you hire for custom fireplace design should also be willing to walk you through the limits. Every firebox has them, and a good specialist treats them as design inputs, not obstacles.

Our answer to the first two is simple. The founder studied art and works as an illustrator and designer, and also builds in concrete, wood, and steel. The drawing and the fabrication stay in the same hands.

How we compare to a general contractor

A general contractor can handle a fireplace as part of a larger remodel, and many do it well. Where a fireplace specialist adds value is in the custom parts: a cast concrete hearth, a forged bracket, a mantel cut from a single slab. We work alongside builders all the time, taking the custom pieces off their plate and delivering them ready to install.

What a good estimate should include

A useful quote describes the materials, the dimensions, how the piece will be attached, and who handles installation. If any of those are vague, ask. Whoever you hire for a Kirkland fireplace should be able to explain each line in plain terms, because those details separate a fireplace that lasts from one that needs repair in five years.

Why design and build under one team helps

When the designer and the fabricator work together, small decisions get made faster. A change to hearth depth doesn’t need three phone calls and a revised drawing. It gets worked out at the bench, tested against the plan, and confirmed with you.

Kirkland’s Newer Homes and the Surrounds They Need

Kirkland has grown by infill. Waterfront streets in Yarrow Bay and Houghton sit beside new construction near Juanita and in the Market neighborhood, and townhomes and condos fill in around downtown. A lot of those rooms share the same fireplace: a gas unit with a plain drywall box around it.

That box is the opportunity. A custom surround turns a utility into architecture, and we build them from materials that fit how you live. Honed concrete suits a minimalist living room. Stacked stone adds texture to a wall that otherwise reads flat. Steel gives you crisp edges and a place to hide hardware. When a room needs more than one of those, we combine them in a single piece.

Kirkland’s housing runs from lakeside cottages to new modern builds, so we don’t assume a style in our custom fireplace design. We ask what you already like about the room, then design so the fireplace belongs to the house.

Condos and townhomes near downtown

Downtown Kirkland and Totem Lake have plenty of condos and townhomes where the fireplace is a small gas unit in a plain wall. Projects there come with extra rules. Building management may limit work hours or control how materials move through the elevator. We ask about those conditions at the start and design pieces that can be carried in, fitted, and finished without disrupting your neighbors. If your association needs paperwork, tell us early so the schedule reflects it.

Waterfront and view homes

On Lake Washington, rooms often face big windows and open water, so the fireplace wall has to hold its own against a strong view. A surround with weight and texture does that better than a flat panel, and a mantel with the right depth gives the eye a line to follow across the room.

Close to Kirkland: Bellevue, Redmond, and Newcastle

Kirkland sits between places we also serve closely. Across the lake, our Bellevue fireplace design page covers the mix of mid-century and glass-heavy homes there. East of Kirkland, the Redmond remodel page explains how we work with busy households, and custom fireplace design in Redmond covers the design side. South of Bellevue, hillside homes in Newcastle lead to bolder choices, which we describe on our page about modern fireplace surrounds.

For more detail by topic, see our pages on luxury fireplace remodeling in Kirkland, live edge mantels, modern fireplace surrounds, and rustic fireplace rebuilds.

Call 425-800-8180 to talk through your room

What We Can Build

Our work covers the full face of the fireplace, from the opening outward. For custom fireplace design in Kirkland, that range matters, because it means one team can solve the whole wall.

• Modern surrounds in concrete, stone, steel, or a mix. See how we handle the details on our Kirkland concrete mantel page.
• Hearths, either raised or flush, in cast concrete or stone. The Kirkland hearth page covers options and sizing.
• Wood mantels, from clean-edged beams to live edge slabs. Browse the mantel gallery for examples.
• Steel brackets, screens, and forged hardware, supported by our metal fabrication work and the iron hardware gallery.
• Full-service fireplace remodels that combine all of the above into a single project.

Stone is a frequent request in Kirkland, and our page on a custom stone fireplace in Kirkland covers weight, access, and pattern for condos and lakeside homes.

Mixing materials in one design

Kirkland homeowners often ask whether stone, concrete, and wood can live on the same wall. They can, if each material has a clear job. A stone face can carry the texture, a concrete hearth can ground it, and a wood mantel can warm it. We sketch the combination before building so you can judge the balance of the whole wall, not just the individual pieces.

Old fireplace, new look

Older Kirkland houses, including 1970s and 1980s homes in Juanita and Finn Hill, often have brick fireplaces with raised hearths and heavy dark mantels. Those fireplaces can be re-faced, resized, and given a new mantel without rebuilding the chimney. We look at the existing masonry first and tell you what can stay. For these older homes, custom fireplace design is mostly about proportion: a deeper hearth, a mantel with presence, and a face that suits the room.

How Projects Move From Idea to Install

Every project starts with a photo, not an in-person appointment. You send images of the fireplace wall, the width of the opening, and the ceiling height. We reply with ideas and a sense of what’s possible. When you like a direction, we put a cost on it. Fabrication only begins after that.

Mantels, hearths, and metalwork are typically built at our Seattle shop and brought to your home for installation, while stonework is set on site. That lets us work to exact measurements, test fits before they matter, and finish surfaces in controlled conditions. On the install day, the goal is a clean set, tight joints, and a wall that looks like it was always meant to be this way.

That’s the practical advantage of hiring a fireplace specialist who also designs and fabricates: fewer handoffs and fewer surprises between the drawing and the finished wall.

What does installation look like?

We arrive with the finished pieces, protect your floors, and set everything in place. Stone is laid on site, and mantels and hearths are fitted and anchored. Before we leave, we clean up and walk through the finished work with you.

Can I keep using my fireplace during the project?

Not usually while work is underway. We plan the schedule so the fireplace is out of service for as short a time as the design allows, and we tell you what to expect before we begin.

What does a Kirkland homeowner need to prepare?

Clear photos, a tape measure, and a rough idea of how you use the room. Good custom fireplace design starts with how the room is used, not with a material. Mention a TV, built-ins, or a window beside the fireplace, since those shape the design more than almost anything else.