FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR HOME: FIREPLACES
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In light of the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, I thought it would be fun to do a fall in love with your home series. I'll share before and after stories of different areas in your home that may not be your favorite, but you can upgrade it and fall in love with your home again. It's amazing what a little makeover can do for your overall well being. I liken it to a personal makeover...when you get your hair done, make-up is on point and you put on a fancy outfit, you stand taller and you feel amazing. It's a powerful transformation right? Try it with your home. I promise you'll LOVE the results! Let's start with fireplaces. Let's be honest, we inherit some uuggg-ly fireplaces. Even new homes have the most generic fireplaces and the sad part is, it's usually a focal point in a room. Who wants to stare at an ugly centerpiece? Here are some beautiful before and after fireplace transformations I've helped my clients achieve.
We went from Liberace's palace to a very clean and modern aesthetic. We removed the mantel and framed the fireplace to go from floor to ceiling. As you can see, we framed out a niche for the TV (knowing the exact dimensions of your television is imperative) and added a plug behind the television so you don't see any dangling wires. Nothing ruins the aesthetic quicker than a bunch of wires hanging around. This client didn't want a mantel so we tiled over the existing brick with 12x24 porcelain tile and dry walled the top half of the unit. Of course the old red tile at the hearth needed to be replaced with the same porcelain tile as the face of the fireplace. The interior brick of the firebox was sprayed with black heat resistant paint to continue the modern look we were after. This fireplace was pure decoration because the homeowners don't plan to use it. It's pretty to look at though isn't it?
Do you have one of these floor to ceiling brick facades? We changed the overall look and feel by covering the brick with a coat of mortar then cladding the surface with stacked stone. We also added a floating reclaimed wood mantel which not only breaks up the stone, but also allows for a place to set the speaker and of course, those holiday stockings!
Here's a very quick and inexpensive solution when your budget doesn't allow for more...paint the brick! That's all we did here and it looks a million times better, don't you agree? Also, the default for many is to paint the brick white, but the dark gray is actually more contemporary and way more chic.
Here's an example of a fireplace we did with a similar concept to the floor to ceiling one. We just clad the brick with stacked stone and added a solid walnut floating mantel. We also added a new fireplace door to update the overall look. Again, this unit is more for decor than functional use.
Last but not least, this is my favorite fireplace makeover to date. The original fireplace is beyond ugly...I mean, who designed that? What's with the two brick frames on top? We actually demolished the entire facade so all the brick was removed and the clients opted for a gas insert which makes this fireplace much cleaner and easier to use than its original wood burning version ...just a flip of a switch. It makes this room so cozy. Who wouldn't love to lounge here with a book and your favorite beverage? We then framed out a new facade to be very contemporary and overlaid it with the dark gray porcelain tile combined with the solid walnut slab hearth and floating mantel. Can you see how upgrading your fireplace would make you fall in love with your home, particularly the room with the fireplace? Hope this inspires you to give your own fireplace a makeover soon. If nothing else, paint the current facade until you have the resources for a more indepth makeover. Please share your before and after photos with me on our Facebook page, I'd love to see what you do. If you would like my professional help with your makeover, please connect with me here.
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