We finished the Fireplace Makeover!!! The fireplace was a project I thought I could finish in one weekend, hahaha, I know, I am ridiculously over zealous, or maybe just ridiculous 🙂 This project ended up stretching out over two months, what I am trying to say is that this is not a job for the faint of heart. On a DIY scale of 1 being super easy and 10 being super difficult, this was a hard 9!!! A lot of the difficulty comes down to having the right tools for the job and carpentry skills (I’m no carpenter). Overall, it was worth all the hard work in the world!!! Both myself and my husband are beyond thrilled with the outcome! The final look updates our home, adds function to the space and keeps with the traditional vibes our Cape Cod style home offers. Come to think of it, every project seems worth the time and effort when its complete and beautiful!!!
Below is what the fireplace looked like when we first bought the home:
Below is what the fireplace looked like after we did a quick fix. We tried a smearing technique and added a mantle. This was my first time working with a crown molding type of trim, and it was tricky!!! Overall, it worked out well, we were happy with it as far as a quick fix, but we knew we would eventually have to do a more serious makeover because of the missing tile. Check out my YouTube Channel for an up close of this mantle.
These images here were my inspiration for the makeover:
I liked the simplicity of the white mantle and surround with the white tile in these pictures. The look is traditional and clean, this makes it easy to decorate around for many different decor styles. TIP: try to keep with the style of your home(in our case, traditional Cape Cod) when adding features to your home just in case you decide to sell down the road.
I started by ripping down the old mantle and filing down some of the smearing that was sticking out. Next I measured and drew up a plan for what I wanted it to look like, this helped me to assemble a list of materials for one of many trips to Home Depot.
My first goal was to be able to get rid of the stair step pattern that was at the top of the mantle. I framed out the shape that would be under the mdf/paneling using firing strips, to form the face of the fireplace. Next I nailed the mdf/paneling to the firing strips. The sides of the original fireplace were flat, so i simply screwed(using a hammer drill) the mdf/paneling to the sides. I then covered all the edges with trim.
Next came the hard part, if you have never working with crown molding you may want to seek assistance and a really big saw!!! I ended up hanging it upside down, cutting it too short, getting trim that didn’t match the original trim(batches of trim cut at different times may not match exactly), and finally got help from my Dad and brother. Thanks guys!!! I also borrowed all of their tools 🙂 I’ll save you the details, below is a pic with the moulding!!!
We built the top part and framed out a spot for the back of the television and wires to sit in. My brother was kind enough to add an outlet behind the tv, thanks again!!! After this I felt pretty confident in my skills, tiling and painting!!! I filled in all the holes with wood putty and sanded until no tomorrow. Honestly, I should have sanded more! Luckily my husband got me a new sander for my birthday!!!
The next step, involving a hole other skill set, tiling! I took a trip to Home Depot, where a nice man informed me that I would have to use a natural stone in order for it to be heat resistant. I ended up choosing Greecian Whit Marble tile, it has great color striations in both tans and grays, I liked that it would match most floor and wall colors. I used small subway tile size marble for the fireplace itself and large 12×12 tiles for the hearth. I was able to use a small table tile saw for the small subway tile, I did need to use a larger tile saw for the floor tiles (I pre-measured and cut them at my brothers. All of the tiling materials used I purchased from the HD, if you are interested in a more detailed description of the tiling process, please let me know, although I am sure you can find more accurate information from someone who has tiled more than a few times :). Final steps in tiling were grout and caulk!
Lastly, I painted using Sherwin Williams All Surface Enamel paint. I typically use BEHR brand paint, but after using Sherwin Williams on the cabinets in the kitchen, I splurge for permanent fixtures in the house. I used a roller and a brush to diminish the stroke lines and caulked any holes in the trim to hide my poor carpentry skills.
Overall, I am beyond thrilled with the final product!!! I can’t wait to decorate for every holiday. Below are some final images of the fireplace!!! Be sure to check out the video by clicking here.
The Details!!!
Thanks for stopping by!!!