- Changing from your existing masonry fireplace to the linear gas fireplace in the photo you posted a link to would likely be fairly expensive, as it would require removing/modifying the masonry of your existing fireplace, but there are other approaches you might consider. One of the keys to modern is minimalism. You might try keeping the appearance as uncluttered as possible - perhaps by removing an existing mantel or stripping away other elements to leave only the most essential parts. If it is a wood burning fireplace, the building code requires that you leave non-combustible hearth protection in front of the fireplace, but you might be able to change the hearth material to make it more modern (pink wall with hearth flush on floor). The other thing you might consider is changing over to a modern gas burner, with glass media or stones (first photo, with black mantel). There are gas inserts that are beautiful as well last photo with stone wall), but the investment goes up when you get into a full system with firebox, surround, venting etc. If you have a photo of your current situation, we might be able to tailor our suggestions to be more helpful.

Check with your local brick supplier. Most of them sell a thin brick that goes on just like tile (just use a tile mastic adhesive). It doesn't make near the mess as using using full size brick so it works well in existing spaces. A word of caution: The brick tiles do cost significantly more than full size bricks. Here is a pic of a similar product and some pictures from a basement we just completed that used the tile brick as a fireplace surround and an accent wall in the kitchenette.

How do you decorate your place, what kind of style, colors, and feelings? That will greatly influence the type of door you might want. Also, think of your budget, and whether you want to install it yourself or hire a professional (you don't need to tell us, just keep that in mind). Then look around Houzz, in the products page, they have lots of interior sliding doors and hinged ones, from elegant frosted glass in a dark wood frame, to rustic reclaimed wood planks. You may not want to purchase that exact model, but it might give you a better idea of what would fulfill your airflow needs without sacrificing style.

As far as spacing between the pavers, you want a minimum of 3mm or ⅛ an inch, but the ideal spacing really depends on the whole space and how you want to fill the space between pavers. If you are thinking about pea gravel or sand, you probably want less space between to help keep your costs down and make it easier to power wash. If you are looking to add greenery then more space between the pavers gives you more green, creating a more natural-looking space. If you do decide to go the gravel route, you can apply a clear coat of something like gravel-lok. It acts like glue, keeping the gravel in place. It may not be able to take the full force of a power washing, but it will certainly hold the gravel in place better than not having gravel-lok. If you do want to go for a green option, grass could work, You could also look into small succulents, moss, or clover. With any green option, you will have a little more maintenance in the form of trimming and watering, but the look is stunning! You absolutely can put grass between the pavers. It will actually help stabilize and hold the pavers not move them. (if installed correctly) I would space it 4” apart and use netfin or a similar subsurface drip line to water the grass underneath the soil. This look is probably my favorite but you could also use a crushed aggregate in between too. Gravel is a terrible idea because it doesn’t stay in place. Here are some ideas from our projects of all kinds of paver designs: