Enjoy the beauty of award-winning stonemason Lew French‘s inspired fireplace stonework in this collection of images from his 2005 book, Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French, as seen through the lens of fine art photographer Alison Shaw. The book celebrates how rounded fieldstone, gray slate, rough granite, and even driftwood can be used to create unique and functional art. We think French’s stone fireplace skills have produced some of the most incredible stone fireplaces we’ve ever seen. Have a look and see if you don’t agree!
FIREPLACE STONEWORK INSPIRATION | Stonemason Lew French
The face of this fireplace is curved, so that no matter which angle of the room you look from, you look directly at the stones. Photo Credit : Alison ShawFrench walked the beach for more than 3 miles to find this mantel, which has the same curve as that of the face of the fireplace. Photo Credit : Alison ShawArchitect Bruce MacNelly designed this distinguished seaside home. He and French collaborated on the design of the main living room’s fireplace made from freshly quarried granite. Photo Credit : Alison ShawThis small dining room hearth took more than 2 months to complete. The fireplace’s antique wooden frame separates the black slate stone from the white wooden walls. Photo Credit : Alison ShawThe slate used for the majority of this fireplace came from a quarry in northern Maine. The small chips are leftover from the making of schoolroom blackboards. Photo Credit : Alison ShawA series of stepped mantels break the plane of the face of this large fieldstone fireplace. Photo Credit : Alison ShawWeathered, split granite and fieldstone — gathered and brought down from Maine — anchor the gable end of a handcrafted oak timberframe house. Photo Credit : Alison ShawTo get the rectilinear look from the fieldstone that is inside this fireplace’s granite frame, French sorted through more than one hundred tons of stone, selecting each one for shape, size, and weathering. Photo Credit : Alison ShawCombining a wide range of stones and driftwood created an intense variety of patterns in this large fireplace that took five months to complete. Photo Credit : Alison ShawThree different types of stone converge at the corner of this hearth’s firebox. Photo Credit : Alison ShawAntique split-granite posts create a frame for an inset of smaller native fieldstones collected from a grassy pasture field. Photo Credit : Alison ShawBy indenting accent stones in the lower two-thirds of the fireplace, French created a different texture than the flat surface of the top right-hand corner, adding a subtle distinction to the overall look of New York shale. Photo Credit : Alison ShawFrench’s client, an artist, worked with him to design this fireplace. They let the focus be on the three stones that frame the firebox. Photo Credit : Alison Shaw
STRUCTURES, GARDEN PATHS & STONE WALLS
The rounded, warm-toned stones used for the suite at Captain Flanders Inn (aka Bliss Pond Farm) on Martha’s Vineyard. The stones were collected from pastures and fields on the surrounding farmland. Photo Credit : Alison ShawLarge quarried pieces of weathered granite were found in an abandoned quarry in Maine. When used with flat fieldstones, they form a sidewalk with a gentle curve. Photo Credit : Alison ShawOne of three interesting and beautiful accent stones featured in the garden space. The hole that you see in the stone is natural and was created by moving water over the course of untold years. Photo Credit : Alison ShawStone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French Photo Credit : Alison Shaw
You can see more of Alison’s work at alisonshaw.comThis post was first published in 2010 and has been updated.
