The Laurel Hearth
A carved cream marble fireplace — drawn to the millimetre, cut from the block, fitted by hand.
Commissioned through a design consultancy for a private residence, the brief called for a classical fireplace surround that would anchor the formal living room — carved rosettes, a fluted frieze, and a laurel-wreath cartouche at its centre, all cut from a warm cream marble with fine, quiet veining. The piece gives the room what a classical room needs most: a centre of gravity.
Approved Before a Single Cut
Every 1-OPH fireplace begins as a dimensioned technical drawing. This surround was resolved at 180 cm wide, 150 cm high and 40 cm deep, with a 90 cm arched opening — proportioned to the client's chimney breast and signed off before fabrication. What was approved on paper is what arrived on site, to the millimetre.
From the Block
The surround was cut from marked blocks under water-cooled saws, then carved by hand: the rosettes' petals, the run of the fluted frieze, the laurel wreath at the centre, the entasis of the columns. The polished surface carries the stone's soft, even figuring — warm enough to glow under evening light, quiet enough to let the carving speak.
Set Into the Wall, Not Against It
The surround was installed by our team during the residence's fit-out, laser-levelled into a prepared recess and set flush to the chimney breast, working directly with the site contractor. Fitting a carved surround during construction — rather than after it — is what makes the finished piece read as architecture rather than furniture.
Material
Warm cream marble with fine, even veining, carved and polished by hand.
Dimensions
180 cm W × 150 cm H × 40 cm D, with a 90 cm arched opening. Installed in sections and seam-finished on site.
Lead Time
Typically 10 to 12 weeks from approved drawing to delivery, including insured sea freight.
Fire Options
Supplied for decorative use, bioethanol burners, or gas inserts — coordinated with your contractor at the drawing stage.
Crated, Insured, Installed
The surround travels in engineered timber crates, fully insured door to door, and is photographed for the client's approval before dispatch. Our team handles installation — positioning, levelling and seam-finishing — so the piece is handed over complete, not in parts.
Carved marble fireplaces at this scale are confirmed in a fixed proposal before any work begins, with the technical drawing approved before fabrication. Every commission carries a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects. As a natural material, marble carries slight variation in tone and veining — each surround is one of one.
Commission Your OwnCan the fireplace house a working fire? +
Yes. The surround is supplied ready for a decorative hearth, a bioethanol burner, or a gas insert. For working fires we coordinate opening dimensions, heat clearances and flue requirements with your contractor at the drawing stage, before any stone is cut.
How is the design developed and approved? +
Every commission starts as a dimensioned technical drawing, produced to your chimney breast and room proportions and signed off before fabrication. The carved elements — rosettes, frieze, cartouche, column profiles — can be adapted, simplified or replaced entirely.
What does a commission like this cost? +
Carved marble fireplaces at this scale typically fall between USD 16,000 and 20,000, confirmed in a fixed proposal before any work begins. Payment is structured to confirm the order, with the completed surround photographed for your approval before dispatch.
Begin Your Commission
Every 1-OPH piece is designed and fabricated to order — in marble, bronze or stainless steel.
Customize With UsSome images and details on this page have been gently altered to protect our client's privacy.
