Options after taking out a gas fire

[Glyn1959]

I have just removed a gas fire off a chimney breast and I am left with a letterbox shaped hole. I do not want to replace with any sort of fire (central htg is sufficient for the room). The fire was set off-centre to the chimney breast as it shares the cavity for the flue with next doors fire (also offset). What options do I have? I thought about simply screwing a sliding vent over the hole thereby keeping ventilation possible. As I want to paint the chimney breast I don't think bricking and plastering the hole is an option without replastering all the breast (and capping the vent) . If I put a false surround in that too would ned to be offset. Any suggestions/design ideas??

 

[Ant]

You could buy a big plasma screen telly and play a video/dvd of a log fire!
I guess whatever you do you would need to vent the chimney in some way so some form of grill may be necessary. Or ould you open up the chimney breast to make a "fake" fireplace that would be more central but perhaps narrower than the original fireplace - blanking/ venting the chimney from within the opening rather than on the actual wall. If the chimney breast is a focal point in a room it will probably be worth the effort. Obviously if you open up a hole you will need to support the wall above etc.

 

[breezer]

I have seen a "fake wall" put over a fire place ( no vent) and i have even see the whole of the back of the fire place painted matt black and one similar to this put in.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/module.asp?CartID=030206221459132&moduleno=28862&modulecode