Need a Fireplace? Got a Hutch?

No.  This is not the hutch.  I bought this little shelf at Goodwill this morning for 1.99.  I can always use more shelf space.  Especially the kind that you can hang on the wall... Anywhere there is a space.

It needs a lot of TLC, but that won't take long.

On the way home, I was looking at the shelf and something clicked in my head... Shelf = fireplace... 

One thing led to another.

When I got home, I rummaged through my drawers and found one of the Michael's hutches that I have left.

The fireplace needs to be small to fit on the wall of the library. 

Think, top two shelves in the hutch... Then translate it to small fireplace.  Trust me, it works...

I went to work and sawed the bottom off.

I used some of the left over shelves to line the sides of the fireplace.  Perfect fit!

Then I went through my trim pile and found a stick of flat molding that was just the right width to go on the front.

Over that, I put a double bead down the center of each piece.  Voila!  Almost instant fireplace... Almost... To be fair, it took about an hour.

I still need to cut a piece of wood to fit at the back of the fireplace floor.

Then I will have to decide how to redesign the shelving that will go around it. 

I cut Tessie out of the photo.  She was complaining about the fireplace not being massive enough...  There's always something...

I am going back to finish the fireplace and shelving now.  And to have Kota sit on Tessie's lap to keep her quiet...

See you tomorrow, with finished fireplace.