With many of these fireplace makeovers, the homeowners aim to correct the mistakes of previous owners. Reducing the amount of visible brick is another common theme. In the end, this moderately easy, creative project is one that you will love to do.
After: More Storage, Less Brick
When Bridget at the DIY Playbook design blog revamped this stunning fireplace, she covered the red bricks with white marble and continued the color up to the ceiling. Most significantly, she added spacious built-ins on both sides of the fireplace to show off fun, pretty objets d’art, as well as functional covered storage below.
After: Striking Tile Surround Fireplace
With this gorgeous makeover, a live edge wood mantel now graces the top of this fireplace. The drab, featureless tile has been replaced with a stunning artisan tile surrounding the fireplace that catches the eye the minute you walk into the room.
After: Gorgeous Wood-Wrapped Fireplace
To dispel the gloom of her fireplace, Rachel Moore traded out that one thing she hated the one most, the dark hearth, for a more cheerful marble-look porcelain tile in 20-inch by 20-inch format. Wood covers the brick for a cleaner, more traditional look. Her reworked fireplace is now as warm and cozy as she always dreamed it could be.
After: Smooth
With advice from a carpenter friend, Katie from Made to Be a Momma and her husband used drywall, two-by-fours, and plywood to box in all vestiges of the brick. They screwed the two-by-fours directly into the brick with concrete screws. The top part is stained cedar. With a fresh coat of white paint, the result is a fresh and clean fireplace.
After: Inexpensive Fireplace Rehab
To achieve a whitewashed effect, Tasha cut the white paint with water to thin it out. She then rolled it on with a textured nap roller cover, followed by brushwork. A wood stove inserted in the fireplace solves the problem of wood-burning fireplaces’ energy inefficiency. Now, this ethereal fireplace is a beautiful focal point for the room instead of being an eyesore.
After: Veneer Transformation
This stylish fireplace has manufactured veneer stone running from the hearth up the chimney, culminating at the ceiling. It gives the home a more natural look that befits the home’s friendly, organic style.
After: In Good Hearth
By creating a box out of dimensional lumber, Sonya and her husband raised the hearth. This not only covers up those unwanted black hearth tiles but also gives the hearth greater prominence. Ledgestone veneer tiles cover the face of their refreshed fireplace.
After: Cool and Comforting
Is it hard to paint brick? Sure, it can be. Allison found the prospect of painting brick intimidating, so she kept things on the simple side by minimizing her prep work and rolling out nearly all of the paint. Now the once insufferable fireplace looks cool and fresh just like she wanted.
After: Sleek and Modern
Brooke smoothed out the traditional lines of the fireplace by having her carpenter friend add elements made from primed white pine. But the true focal point is the apparently antique slab of wood that acts as a mantel. This is not a giant slab of reclaimed (and hard to find) wood. Instead, they created it from common one-by-eight Eastern White Pine boards from Lowe’s. Stain and distressing give it an antique look.
After: Like Day and Night
In a creative fireplace transformation that is nothing short of stunning, Rachel completely turned around the look of her old fireplace. She created beautiful open shelving to physically and visually attach the fireplace to the house. And for another bit of lagniappe, she now has loads of storage space. Next, she added thin cut brick with an intentionally messy mortar job for a classic, antique look.
