Chimney Breasts- waste of space or beautiful feature

[motorbird83]

Okay, I love chimney breasts and have actually reinstated a working fireplace in my front room. I love having it as a focal point and the character it lends to a room.

However, we are doing some work to the house and for not too much extra cost we could remove the chimney breast from our 2nd reception room currently used as a dining room. The chimney there can't be reinstated as the stack above in the 2nd bedroom was removed ages ago. It will never be a working fireplace and if we did remove it, it would allow us to have a much more functional room-- right now it can be a little tight to get up from the table and out around others and in general feels a bit cramped.

I am concerned though that the room might look a bit balnd without a focal point and worry that if we sell on, it might put people off.

Thoughts?

[Sue]

Chimney breasts are useful to put shelves at one side of? Or both sides, possibly? Shelves could be useful in a dining room?

If you aren't wanting to do that, and you'd have more space without it, why not take it out - you could have a picture, or a mirror, as a focal point in the room?

Or if you're concerned about the effect on a future sale, why not ask the advice of an estate agent before you decide?

ETA: Is it the chimney breast itself, or removing the fireplace? I realise I may have misunderstood your post ....

[motorbird83]

It's the breast itself but as there is nothing above it structurally, its a much easier job than normal. We are going to have bookselves just not on the wall that has the chimey. If you can imagine, the wall with the chimney is the narrower dimension of what is a retangular room so shelves would be better elsewhere rather than the current alcoves.

Like you say, I am concerned both about future value and focal point but from a useability perspective I think it makes sense.

[KidKruger]

Make the dining room bigger - you've already got a feature with the breast in the other room.

Think about it - do you really need TWO breasts ?

[Loz]

Fnarr.