How do I make a 1970s floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace look modern?

Design the look, keep the heat

The cosmetic choices are the usual three — mute the busy stone with a mineral wash, reface over it with clean tile or veneer, or rebuild the surround entirely. Any of them can go floor-to-ceiling for that calm, modern, monolithic wall.

What changes in Black Mountain is what goes inside. Behind the new face we favor a sealed gas fireplace with millivolt or battery-backup ignition — something like Napoleon's battery-backup line — so it lights and throws heat when the power is out. For total grid independence, a modern wood insert like a Regency keeps the wall a real heater with the lines down.

The mountain and the moisture

Swannanoa Valley inversions leave Black Mountain mornings ten to fifteen degrees colder than Asheville, and the heavily wooded lots up toward Montreat stay shaded and damp, so draft and a dry flue matter as much as the finish. A sealed unit sidesteps the downdrafts an open stone firebox invites here.

We pull the Buncombe County permit, run and pressure-test the gas line, and meet the inspector — the licensed step a mason cannot do. Fifteen minutes from our Asheville showroom.

One honest caution on 'modern'

A wall-mount electric fireplace looks convincingly modern and photographs beautifully, and for a room that will never have gas or a flue it is a fair choice. But be clear-eyed: electric is dead the moment the power is, and after what this valley went through, that trade-off matters. If backup heat is any part of why you want a fireplace, keep the project on gas or wood. We will tell you honestly which fits your room rather than sell you the flashier option. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.