I blew up the photo and looked at it and it is attached to the firebox door with a vent you can open and close. Looked like a pretty good idea vs. the typical sliding vent on the door itself....I think I ill file a patent for it
Yes, nice shelves.
Find a countertop dealer and ask if you can dig thrue scraps,
There is a place by me that throws out big chunkslike sink cut outs and such.
You can cut it with a tile wet saw.