Friday, February 3, 2012

Change the Face of Your Fireplace, Part 2


One of the most popular posts I ever wrote was Change the Face of Your Fireplace.  I guess my clients aren't the only ones who don't know what to do with their fireplaces and how to update them.

I thought it was time to add a part 2 to the original post with some more fireplace updating ideas.

For a cleaner, more contemporary feel you could consider all glass, definitely a fresh look right?


This tile is great, it adds really nice texture without seeing any grout joints. 


On this fireplace, we did a Contours tile from Diamond Tech with a travertine slab on top of the hearth.  The slab was a little more money, but worth it to my clients who don't like grout lines.


This client wanted to get rid of the polished brass fireplace insert, it was too shiny to him. But there wasn't anything wrong with it other than the shiny brass.  So a really inexpensive way of fixing that, was to paint it a flat black, it does the trick every time.

Now when I looked at the mantel it just looked soo wimpy it was driving me crazy for his larger family room. After getting to know this client and his taste..I recommended we try something different....

(Family Room: Before)

I have been driving by this place for years never having the right client to suggest something like this until now....



I showed him some pictures like this one and he bit...I was sooo excited!  After measuring, carefully of course, I found the perfect one and had it installed.



And voila....He loved it!  It added the perfect amount of weight to an otherwise dull/boring fireplace.  Oh and yes I took out the tired marble surround and replaced it with the travertine tile I used in the floor of his kitchen to tie it all in.

(Family Room: After)

The backside of this fireplace is another fireplace.  He loved the family room fireplace makeover sooo  much he let me do the same thing on the other side.

(Office: Before)

Of course I painted the polished brass a flat black, changed the surround again to a warmer travertine tile and check out the mantel, BAM right?  Well I mean the paint helped too, ha!  

(Office: After)

We were on a roll!  I think this client will never look at a plain fireplace the same way again...He immediately wanted me to do something, actually the same thing on his other 2 fireplaces in his house for his master bedroom....That is where I drew the line...Nah uh, you can't put that in master bedroom, no way...But we can do something grand and elegant.

(Master Bedroom: Before)

We could do this!

(Master Bedroom: After)

He LOVED it!  It's even more stunning in person.  It added the perfect amount of weight to that side of his room and painting the walls a bit darker really made it pop too.

So please don't be afraid to change the face of your fireplace...It can be done for very little money or alot, but always with a big impact...Remember most of the time your fireplace is a focal point in your rooms, do you really want a sad/dated focal point in your house?  I think not. :)))

Of course I love feedback, so let me know what you think of my latest installment of fireplace faces okay?!

17 comments:

le Chef said...

It's amazing how a few simple changes can transform a space. .. and how many fireplaces did that guy have? -! Holy ...
Beautiful none the less. ;)

Student Mommy said...

I loved the one where you just changed the paint on the walls and it made it stand out stand out so beautifully.

Allie said...

Great changes that add so much!
Always fun to see the befores and afters....thank you!

Mama Up! said...

I like the glass, but I feel like it would look dated too soon. If I was going to redo a fireplace, I think I'd go with white painted brick (or painted brick in another color) and a more traditional look. I'd bee too afraid that anything more contemporary would not last 10 years in terms of freshness. At least with white, you can update with accessories.

SupermomToki said...

Love the one replaced with the log. So beautiful and makes a great difference.

Chicago painter said...

I had cheap outdated stone mantel.
The stone was covered with wood box and drywall. Drywall was painted with two colors: black and orange and topcoated with polyurethane varnish.
You can see the effect - Piccasa Google:

https://picasaweb.google.com/107466396228516899028/WindyPaintersPortfolio#5514677952967934338

I think it looks great.

Lori said...

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Cathy Pieroz said...

Wow some fantastic changes made here. Thanks for the inspiration! - Cathy Pieroz at Ray White Alexandra Hills

confused homemaker said...

If I ever get a fireplace I cannot wait to see what I can do with it & then curl up before it {even though I am sure it won't be as cozy as my fantasy!}. Anyway, great ideas!

The Gas Shop said...

From the elegant drop in pebble fireplace to the majestic free standing fireplace all our products being the ultimate in convenient ignition using a spark system that lights the bureau easier and faster.

canvas prints said...

looks to make a big difference

Hillary said...

I think you rock them out!! My parents have been "hem and hawing" back and forth for the last 5 years about this. I just emailed them a link to your post, so maybe they'll stop arguing and do it already! :)

Blinds Uk said...

Wow really its so cool! and nice changes

Jamie {See Jamie blog} said...

Love the makeovers! I've been brainstorming what to do with the fireplace in our living room. It's not ugly but unfortunately the aspect that bothers me is not easy to fix because it's just an entirely wrong proportion for the room. Far too big. So eventually, I want to pull off all the trim and mantle and scale it down: a pain in the you-know-what!

Alex R. said...

You can totally change the entire look of your living area by just updating your fireplace. Add a few mosaic tiles and turn your plain living room into a modern luxury! Thanks for sharing this images...

Blackout Blinds said...

It's awesome how a some simple changes can transform a good space.. its nice

Walnut Furniture said...

I shoud have done it. Since I don't want to solicit more yawns than compliments, I have to re-arrange the furniture then the fireplace.