Jen from Let’s Make it Ours has my same philosophy when it comes to DIY..
“We just do what we like!”
Here is a look at her fireplace before & after. Her husband built the mantel and they installed the stone together. First, they painted the walls a light greyish beige, painted the brass strips with high-heat black spraypaint and removed the tile and mantel. They also carpetted all the way to the fireplace for a more modern look (after testing the heat for safety).
Before (with previous owner’s decor). Still pretty but not Jen’s style.
Her husband built a custom maple mantel and they installed the beautiful white Quartzite tile. The love the gorgeous tile against the rich brown of the mantel. I love her photo display too. Here is the After:
Jen says the Quartzite came in 12″ x 24″ mesh backed sheets, so the installation went pretty well.
Now that her fireplace is finished, she can share pictures of the living room! Can’t wait! More details at Let’s Make it Ours.
What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it?
This is a great post. I am in the process of updating our fireplace that looks very similar.
I am painting alll the brass and also painting the tile. Our tile is a lot more extensive so removing it is not our first option. I love final effect.
Just beautiful and so updated!
Yvonne
They did a great job on the makeover. I don't know if I would carpet all the way to the firebox though. Here our fire code says 18" out there must be non-flammable material-even if it is a gas fireplace. If you are starting from scratch you can't get your occupancy permit until you meet that code. And, you can't pass a house for sale until it meets that code.
However, in this makeover I think the new fireplace has a very zen look to it. Very nice…and I love the black & white portraits above the mantle. Nice job~Diana
NanaDiana – That is very interesting, thanks for sharing. We are Canadian, so maybe the code is different here? All the new construction houses in our area have the carpet all the way to the fireplace which is where we got the idea. Our carpet installer also confirmed that it was fine and that he did it all the time. I am going to look into it a bit more though, thanks!
Wow, it really modernizes the space.
wow! Gorgeous! That modern makeover is amazing!
Looks fantastic! I also love the pictures above the fireplace- very nice touch 🙂
-Kendall
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Each province has it's own code. I'm not a legal expert at all, but from what I read in our Ontario Code, I think the carpet might be an issue. Not a big deal if you're comfortable with it, but could be an issue if you ever have a fire (insurance), or need to sell.
All that said, it looks really nice!
I am loving this modern update – I would have never thought to do that since it was in good shape before. Very inspiring! I can't wait to have a house some day.