How do I update a dated 1980s brass-and-oak fireplace?
Arden is ground zero for this question — Royal Pines and Skyland filled with 1980s and early-'90s homes, and their open masonry fireplaces almost all wear the brass doors and honey-oak surrounds of the era. Updating them is the same two-part job: modernize the brass and oak, then decide whether to make the drafty box a real heater.
The classic Arden fireplace
Walk into a Royal Pines or Skyland living room and you know the fireplace on sight: polished brass door, honey-oak mantel and legs, often a matching raised-hearth trim. Paint is the cheapest, highest-impact single move — matte black on the brass, a soft white, deep charcoal, or muted green on the oak. If the glass is cloudy or the gaskets are shot, we replace the front with a modern black or bronze door sized to your opening.
The drafty box is losing you heat
These open masonry fireplaces pull warm room air up the chimney and can run a net heat loss. A sealed direct-vent gas insert — the Napoleon Oakville X4 or Kozy Heat Chaska 25L — drops into the existing opening, turns the drafty box into a power-optional heater, and lets us fit the fresh front in one visit.
Natural gas, permitted with Buncombe
Arden is on the natural-gas mains, so conversion is clean. The gas line is licensed work — we permit it with Buncombe County and meet the inspector. We're 15 minutes south of the showroom; call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I make a 1970s floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace look modern?
- How do I update brass fireplace doors — paint them or replace them?
- Can I stain or paint my existing mantel to update it?
- How can I update my fireplace on a budget?
- Can I replace just the doors or screen front to freshen up my fireplace?