The fireplace is often the most commanding element in any room it’s in. Size and abundance of material are often factors, but as renovation specialist Ron Parko points out, our eyes are naturally ...

Merlin and Kim Goble disliked the dated-looking brick fireplace in the great room of their White Bear Lake home, so they updated it with a stone façade. It was an easy choice: Merlin is a stonemason.

In a home that looked out onto the ocean and vast blue sky, nearly floor to ceiling windows took full advantage of the spectacular view. But inside, the walls were a little dark, and a small box of a ...