A marble surround in Solihull

This Solihull project came with a clear deadline and a real room to work around. The customer had a new-build home, an existing stove and family due to visit in under two weeks, so the fireplace surround needed to be designed, made and fitted within that window.

Because the stove was already part of the room, the job was not about supplying a new stove. The important detail was the setting around it: a made-to-measure Rowton surround in Arctic Ice marble, cut to suit the proportions of the chimney, with a polished granite stove hearth completing the base.

The local setting

Solihull has a wide mix of newer homes and more traditional houses, so the fireplace route depends heavily on the room. In a new-build home, the aim is often to create a focal point that feels settled and permanent rather than added afterwards. This project is a useful example of how a marble fireplace in Solihull can bring traditional shape and proportion into a newer property without changing the customer’s existing stove.

The brief

The customer wanted a made-to-measure fireplace for their new-build home that would suit the proportions of the existing chimney. With family visiting in less than two weeks, the full route had to be simple and tightly managed: confirm the detail, cut the stone and complete the installation before the room was needed.

That kind of timing only works when the design is clear. The Rowton was chosen for its classic Regency styling, while Arctic Ice marble gave the surround a clean, light finish. The polished granite hearth was used as the practical base for the stove and as a visual contrast to the marble.

Made to measure

We manufactured the Rowton surround in Arctic Ice marble to the exact dimensions required for the chimney breast. The proportions mattered because a surround in a new-build room can look too small if it is treated as a standard product. The shelf, legs, opening and hearth all needed to sit naturally around the existing stove.

The polished granite stove hearth was also part of the setting. It gives the stove a durable base and helps the fireplace read as one complete installation rather than a surround placed around an appliance.

The finish

From the initial survey through to installation, the project was completed in under two weeks. The finished surround sits neatly within the chimney breast and gives the room the focal point the customer wanted before their family arrived.

For customers weighing a similar route, the closest starting points are the main marble fireplaces range and the Solihull area page. If the project includes a stove, the stoves in Solihull page explains how the stove, hearth and surround can be planned together. A related local example is the porcelain stove chamber in Solihull, where the stonework became the feature around the stove.