Before and After: Fireplace Makeover

February 02, 2022 Post a Comment

My latest fireplace makeover! And information technology didn't cost me a dime.

Today's fireplace makeover is making me super happy considering it not only brightened up this space, information technology also didn't toll me any money whatsoever! Let me go back to the beginning for a second though…

So! The fireplace was probably the very outset thing I noticed when nosotros walked through our house for the first fourth dimension (before we owned it, for a showing). It seemed gigantic, especially for the size of the room. Merely I loved that it fabricated a argument. I didn't, still, dear the await of all the gray stone. Especially in combination with the grayish-toned flooring.

Fast forward past beginning impressions, to actually making an offering on the firm and then ownership information technology, and I knew I'd desire to brand some changes to this front room pretty quickly. And since the fireplace was 1 of the first things you encounter when you lot walk in the front door, it was even more important (to me) for it to feel more like something I would have chosen(ish).

In the time to come, we plan to really resurface the fireplace, make it all very smooth, and bump out the mantle to accommodate big plants, stacked artwork, books, etc.

Simply for now, nosotros were able to reach almost everything I want in that time to come renovation with a gallon of pigment and a total solar day of painting. AND (bonus) one time all the painting was finished, I figured out a fashion to add a bunch of plants, books, and artwork anyway. Even without a deeper pall. And so, this before and afterwards fireplace makeover feels like a big win for me.

Fireplace Makeover (The Earlier)

Before nosotros get besides far along here, let me evidence y'all what it looked like before (this was a few days before nosotros moved in)…

And the 'after' images…

Why I Painted Our Stone Fireplace

I know some people won't love that I painted over the rock. And that'south totally fine. I don't love every choice I see in other people's homes either. The important thing is that you love the choices in your own home.

I personally dearest how the fireplace looks now. It adds texture, while remaining neutral and near chiefly (to me), it adds a lot of light to the space by reflecting white throughout.

Earlier the dark stone felt like it was sucking up all the natural light in the room, if that makes sense. Now, with the paint paint on both the fireplace and the walls, the entire room feels lighter and brighter to me. Which makes me smile.

How do you paint a stone fireplace?

Disclaimer: I'm sharing how I painted my fireplace and I promise it helps yous, but I am non a fireplace expert. I'm a DIYer. Do your research before painting a working fireplace, since at that place is extreme heat involved when it's in use.

Materials

interior paint (latex)
3 inch pigment castor (or ii inch if you can't notice annihilation larger)
paint roller and pigment encompass (if you have whatsoever flat surfaces to cover, like a mantle or hearth)
painters tape
rag for cleaning
putty knife (optional)

Fireplace Makeover How To

Use a rag to throughly clean any dust or droppings that may be on the surface of your fireplace.

Then, tape off whatever areas with painters tape that need it. In my instance, I simply need to tape off the bottom of the hearth, where information technology meets the floor, since the walls were existence painted the same color every bit the fireplace.

From in that location, painting is pretty direct forward. I started in the middle, merely randomly. No reason to do that really. If you desire to get the hang of painting the stone / stone first, I'd recommend practicing on the side of the fireplace or a small area first, if needed.

It is very piece of cake though. Just takes some elbow grease to go a paint brush into the crevices. With some stone fireplaces there aren't any cracks or crevices to go into, but with mine (which is ledger rock), there were many, MANY areas like that.

I used a 3 inch pigment castor for almost the unabridged projection. You could as well use a two inch brush, but I probably wouldn't go in smaller than that because it'due south time consuming.

For the hearth and curtain, which had larger, apartment stone, I used a paint roller (3/eight inch nap for smoothen surfaces). Painted one glaze, waited for it to fully dry (overnight) and so painted a 2d glaze later scraping away all the paint drips that had accumulated with a putty knife.

What blazon of paint should I use?

I read a bunch of how-tos from various sites before starting this project to make certain I was doing things 'the correct mode'. Based on what I've read, interior paint is fine for a fireplace makeover, equally long as it'south latex pigment (not oil based). Latex paint is breathable.

*Note that latex paint is only okay for the exterior surface area of the fireplace. If you are painting the interior / firebox itself, y'all must use a loftier heat or high temp pigment.

Information technology is too recommended that you use a masonry primer outset, earlier painting the fireplace the colour that yous desire. I skipped that step because I didn't have it on hand and so far, so good. Only I'grand mentioning information technology hither and then you lot know that others accept recommended it.

Paint colour: I picked Chantilly Lace in a apartment finish by Benjamin Moore as the paint, which I was already using for the residuum of the interior. And is why this project didn't toll me annihilation. I already had the paint and all the supplies from other painting projects.

Is this room complete now?

I wouldn't say the infinite is 'consummate' by any means. Nosotros still need to add lighting in here (overhead and scones flanking the television), I have to finish painting the original window frames blackness, and I'one thousand hoping to get new floors in here soonish as well.

Merely the fireplace itself is done for now. Until we movement onto phase ii, which likely won't be for a year or two. Not a superlative priority at the moment.

We accept boosted plans in here too, depending on budget and some structural things. In an ideal earth, I would LOVE to eventually add giant bi-fold glass doors where the windows currently are. The ones that fold open and closed kind of like an accordion. Y'all know what I'chiliad talking about?

And I as well would love to vault the ceilings in here. Nosotros've actually spoken to a contractor nearly it already though and information technology doesn't seem like information technology's going to be possible in here because of the roof and the supports.

Only I oasis't fully given up hope yet. It would truly brand this space feel and then much bigger and it fabricated such a desperate difference in our dining room. So, I would just Dearest to do that in here too.

Aside From Painting, What Else Has Been Done?

Painting the Walls

In addition to painting the fireplace, all of the walls in this room were painted as well (same color as fireplace). To me, this helped tone downward the fireplace, so it doesn't visually overwhelm the room. I still think it feels like a focal point, merely it's only a picayune softer now, which I personally relish.

Skylights

Another thing that has really helped this space look and feel 'better' for me is the extra natural light! Y'all can't encounter any skylights in this room, but at that place are v fixed skylights (all from Velux, which I highly, highly recommend) on our front porch, directly out of the big windows to the left. We added these effectually the aforementioned time we had our roof redone and it has really helped to add additional calorie-free in here.

You might exist wondering why we wouldn't have merely added skylight into the living room ceiling, equally opposed to the porch. And that'due south a good question. Believe me! I wanted to! I WANTED TO And then BAD.

BUT our roof is unique in the fact that it has a 'hat' on it (similar a Mansard style roof, but also kind of non like a Mansard roof). And that 'hat' sits correct over our living room, which means there isn't a manner for the skylights to go along the roof that would bring them through this room.

I brainstormed every which way I could with the contractor to go skylights into this space. Merely it just wasn't in the cards.

SO we did the adjacent best thing, which was adding skylights to the porch. Our windows are pretty large in hither and we have very elongated eaves on our front porch, so having the skylights has brought a lot of light into this infinite that we otherwise would never have had.

The eaves block a surprising amount of sun. But now, with the skylights installed, so much lite is able to come up in through the window. Information technology'due south been awesome.