Converting my kitchen's fireplace to a WFO

[EndUser]

Hey All,

I am new to this forum, and would appreciate your help!  I have lived in a 1975-built home for 10 years, all along planning a kitchen remodel. Now the time has come.  I have been mulling over the idea of converting our strangely placed waist-height masonry fireplace that resides in the kitchen to a Wood Fired Oven! Of course I am a connoisseur of wood fired pizza, but I also think it could turn this eye-sore into a functional and desirable feature/asset. I understand that a WFO for interior residential use is somewhat unusual, as most of the products I find are for outdoor or free-standing commercial use. This conversion would need to pass all county inspections.

Attached is a photo of the current setup, which has a wood stove insert that I would take out.  It has a masonry chimney to the roof that looks terracotta-lined inside

The masonry dimensions are roughly 25"D x 27"H x 28"W.

I'm thinking I can either modify the enclosure with some masonry and special pizza oven bricks, OR I am wondering if the EarthStone Oven's Model 60 Modular product  could fit inside with some kind of modifications to it our my existing masonry. I  don't mind taking a chisel to the fireplace if it will make for a good installation.

Also, our kitchen remodel will be of the euro-modern style -- the brick may be covered with drywall, tile, or plaster, so this is one thing to keep in mind since we probably would not put in a "rustic Italiano" looking unit.

What do you think?  Your thoughts are appreciated.  

[buceriasdon]

It's a good thing the height is high enough that it might be possible to build a false ceiling within the fireplace with a chimney port to the rear so smoke can go up the original chimney and not lose so much heat. I helped a friend with the same problem a few years back, all the heat went straight up the chimney making it useless as an oven.
Don

[JConk007]

If theres a willl theres a way! Whats the hieght at the bottom of the stove? top of arch?
John

[EndUser]

If theres a willl theres a way! Whats the hieght at the bottom of the stove? top of arch?
John

I cant get in behind the wood stove insert to see how much the back of the fireplace slopes in. The back wall does slope inward, but it's not a very steep angle.

[EndUser]

It's a good thing the height is high enough that it might be possible to build a false ceiling within the fireplace with a chimney port to the rear so smoke can go up the original chimney and not lose so much heat. I helped a friend with the same problem a few years back, all the heat went straight up the chimney making it useless as an oven.
Don

That's what I was thinking, if I can use the EarthStone product there might be enough headroom to run the duct from it to the chimney flu location.