Our client, an architect specializing in masonry building conservation, knew she didn’t want to preserve the brown tiled mantle that previous owners had built.  The mantel and hearth were designed for a wood-burning stove that she and her husband never used, and the mantel had a jarring presence in their living room.  She designed (and we built) the new mantel and flanking bookcase to have a cleaner, more classic appearance that fit in better with other details in the house.  The crown molding we added also helps tie the new work in with the rest of the room.  And the gas fireplace provides warmth and convenience that the earlier hole in the wall couldn’t muster.   The fireplace is made by Regency…