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When we moved into our house almost 3 years ago the very first thing I knew that I wanted to update was the fireplace, but it seems to have been of the very last things that I actually have gotten around to updating. While there wasn’t anything structurally wrong with the actual fireplace, I wanted it to have a more clean simple look. It had lots of traditional moldings and a very long mantle that significantly protruded out on each side. (I was always afraid one of my kiddos may hit their head or worse- an eye😱.)

Let’s take a look at the fireplace area before we bought the house. 

One of the first things I did when we moved in was paint over the red focal wall. I painted it a nice neutral light gray called Benjamin Moore Nimbus. I also added some shiplap above the fireplace to give it a little bit more of an updated feel. I also added the faux stacked wood front to keep my youngest out of the inside of the fireplace… he was 18 months when we moved in… and if you have kiddos you know how curious they are.

You can see the temporary (we’ll call them phase 1 updates) here: 

Those few updates have served us well for almost 3 years… but as my style has evolved into a more clean lined, modern feel, I felt it was time for the fireplace to finally get to its big makeover too!

 
I initially thought I could carry over the gorgeous Pewter Green, from Schnub It Up, from my island into the living area. I painted the entire fireplace area and surround … but because of the large width of the fireplace and surround- it made it feel very top heavy and massive. And while I love the green as an accent on my island, it was just too much for my living room.

So I went back to my original plans for the fireplace- the ones I had for almost three years.😉 Whites and woods are my favorite.., they are light, bright and classic… and go with everything. My tip: always do what you love. 

The first step was to take off the mantle and the traditional moldings. I scored all the edges where the caulk would be to loosen it from the wall ask surfaces. I then used my rubber mallet to remove the top of the mantle and a hammer and my molding pry bar to help remove the other moldings that were attached to the surround. I was so excited that they ALL came off and I was left with a clean slate of a surround. 

I scraped any remaining caulk with a 4in 1 tool. I filled any nail holes with wood putty. Once set, I sanded the entire surround to give myself a nice smooth surface.  Next, I painted the wood surround with a coat of primer. I then painted three light coats of Delicate White from Schnub It Up in an eggshell finish. 

Next up- the main focal wall! I decided to paint the entire surrounding wall white to give it a fresh, clean, crisp look. I used Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and I had it mixed in the Behr Marquee paint.
It really opened the space up- making it fall bigger and brighter.

The next place to address was the brick on the fireplace and hearth. I first attempted to white wash the brick, but it ended up making the reddish-orange bricks actually turn pink. So I went with Plan B- which was to paint the brick solid white. I cleaned the bricks first to remove any old soot. Then I used the same Schnub It Up Delicate White paint to paint the brick surround and hearth. I first used a small brush to fill in all the mortar areas. Then , I used a roller to paint the bricks – I ended up doing three coats of paint in the bricks.
 
Then it was on to the mantle!  I knew I wanted a wood mantle. While I would have loved to have been able to use a chunky, distressed reclaimed  beam, those are hard to find and can be very pricey. I also had to work around the existing surround, so I knew I had to build one. I searched the internet for mantle plans and found several that used a simple box structure. I took the basic idea and customized it so it would fit around my existing surround. ( I couldn’t remove the existing surround completely because the brick didn’t go all the way up to the mantle cleat.😩)

For the mantle I used 1x common boards. I cut all the pieces to my measurements. Then it was time to assemble. I first attached the top and the front using wood glue and 18g, 1.5” Brad nails. Then I attached the bottom piece the same way. Finally, I added the side pieces. My finished dimensions: 69.5″ L x 8.5″ D x 5.5″ W.

I let it dry overnight, then filled the nail holes with wood putty. Let the wood putty dry, then sanded the entire piece smooth. Then it was on to the fun part- DISTRESSING! I used a hammer, flat head screwdriver, and a wire brush drill attachment to make the dings, dents and grooves to create the look of an old found piece.

Then I applied a coat of pre-stain wood conditioner. Let it set for about 5 minutes, wiped away the excess then applied the stain. For the stain, I used my favorite all in one stain from Old Barn Living. I used a mixture of 1/2 Farmhouse and 1/2 Weathered. This color mix is now available as a color called Nordic. (You can use my code: MYDIYHAPPY15 to save 15% off your Old Barn Living order.)

Once it was dry, I installed it on the fireplace surround by pre-drilling then screwing it from the top into the 2×4 cleat that was already in place, using 2 1/2 inch wood screws. 

I then added a three sided 1×4 frame around the top of the fireplace to give definition to the fireplace area. I used pre-primed 1×4 boards.

I then added my grandmothers antique mirror and styled the space. Since it’s almost Halloween.. my kids helped me add some bats, branches and crows.

So what do you think of the makeover? The mantle cost about $40 in lumber to build and another $16 for the 1×4 frame around the top. I had all the other items needed: paint, stain, tools and screws, to create the new fireplace look.

I hope you’ll join me again soon for more home improvement updates, DIY’s, recipes, mom life and all the in between.