When Tom and Diane Benstead of Shoreview, Minnesota, sent their youngest child off to college, they decided to usher in their empty-nest years with a new addition to their home: a gas fireplace. The Bensteads recently won Fireside Hearth & Home’s annual Fireplace Facelift Contest after submitting before and after photos of the room where the fireplace was installed. Their entry was chosen as the winner by Fireside Hearth & Home, which provided the Bensteads with a $5,000 rebate for the cost of the fireplace remodeling.

According to the Bensteads, “We wanted to add a fireplace to our home for a long time. Now that we’re empty nesters, we thought we should celebrate having successfully guided our children through schooling and into their new careers. Our lower level, which used to be kids and chaos, is now a very warm and welcoming space. We absolutely love it.”

The Bensteads worked with the experts at the Fireside Hearth & Home store in Roseville, Minnesota, who helped them consider all options for fireplaces and surrounds. They chose a Heat & Glo SL- 750TRS gas fireplace, a surround and hearth built of chardonnay Southern ledgestone, and a custom cast mantel shelf. The lower level of their home has been completely transformed, as can be seen in these before and after photos.

Joel Ginsberg, division manager for Fireside Hearth & Home, says, “Like so many people who visit our stores, the Bensteads were delighted to learn that installing a gas fireplace in an existing home is not only possible, but easier and less expensive than they ever anticipated. In addition to adding warmth to their home, the fireplace has made the room a comfortable space to relax, unwind, and enjoy quiet times.”

Fireside Hearth & Home conducts the Fireplace Facelift Contest annually. Homeowners in the Twin Cities area who purchased a fireplace, fireplace insert, or stove at Fireside Hearth & Home between January 1 and March 18, 2012, entered the contest by sending before and after photos—for a chance to win a project rebate of up to $5,000.