The fireplace post.

I knew I needed a fireplace. Any self-respecting Lodge, especially one named Caribou Lodge, needs a large stone fireplace, right? I knew it.

Seeing that we didn't have a fireplace, and we have lots of other work to do before we are at a point of installing a fireplace in our living room, (sheetrock the ceilings and stuff) I had to fake it.

The most difficult part of the project was getting my husband on board. He wasn't as convinced that we needed a fireplace for one weekend. He has never attended a SLW, you see, and doesn't realize the lengths we willingly go to set the ambiance and tone of the weekend.

We spent a few hours at the local M*nards debating our options. It came down to cardboard and styrofoam, with a few cans of spray paint, being the cheapest option. Huh, who would've thought?

The second hardest part was convincing him that it would be okay to cut up a few of his brand new 2x4s he had stored in the garage (they were on sale. It is always good to have inventory on hand, just in case.)
So I was going to forge ahead without his help and create it with boxes. He then realized it would be worth saving me the grief and built a frame for me (plus he could use his new cordless drill he'd just bought.) He even went farther and screwed the cardboard on for me after we realized the staples we had on hand weren't long enough. The boxes served as a good model for measurements- we could see exactly what dimensions would look right. I borrowed an electric space heater with the flames to get the "fire." We built it around the unit.

Then came the back breaking labor for me. (It really did make my back problems worse.) I shaped and glued all the styrofoam bricks onto the cardboard, one at a time. I used an Exacto knife and a hot glue gun. Ron helped me figure out how to make the stones look natural- the shape and placement. Here you can see the hearth and the fireplace were made in two pieces and later assembled. And you can see what a mess the styrofoam made.

I then hauled it outside and spray painted a base coat of color. Tan and gray. The above picture is also before the decor was added. The stonework looked a little flat until I spruced it up with some craft paints, adding more tones.

This poor photo shows the ambiance it exuded in low light. Isn't it cozy?

And I took this photo after the weekend was over. You can see on the base that the foam is getting a little beat up. It is a temporary fireplace. Those snow shoes? Those are my dad's. Pretty much antiques.

What we learned: we really want a fireplace. A real one. It just moved up on the priority list. It resolves some of the space and furniture placement issues I had with our living room. Plus it feels really cosy to sit around, even if it is fake.

And we reminded ourselves that anything is possible, even a fake fireplace.

The guests loved it. It really set the tone for the lodge!