See How We Turned Our "Eyesore" Fireplace Into a Holiday Dreamscape
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: House
PROJECT TYPE: Living Room
STYLE: Modern, Traditional
SKILL LEVEL: DIY
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
When my husband and I were shopping for a house, we agreed that a fireplace was a must-have feature. The 1960s home we bought in Florence, Alabama, had been almost completely remodeled by flippers before we purchased it. But a few areas of the home went untouched in the renovation, which made them feel out of place — and one of those features was the fireplace.
I love the warmth and coziness a fireplace brings to a home, and I envisioned our family gathering around the fire on a cold night, maybe playing a game or just hanging out. I also had visions of making it the perfect place to spotlight holiday decorations.
The fireplace’s original shade of dull beige kind of drained the life out of the home, and the stove didn’t go with the home’s modern aesthetic. So, we got to work!
Get rid of the old stove.
When we started this project, we hoped that a refreshed fireplace would be the focal point to tie together our kitchen and living room area. We didn’t have the time or budget for a major renovation, so we prioritized a couple of key areas: updating the brick color and replacing the stove with a standard fireplace insert. And we spent $700 total.
The first thing we did was remove the hearth tile and the fireplace stove. Removing the stove was the hardest part of the project because that thing was heavy! We ended up selling it on Facebook Marketplace and made enough money to cover the cost of having the fireplace inspected and cleaned by a chimney sweep. He said everything looked good, and we were able to get the fun part of the refresh started.
White paint and hearth tile make a huge difference.
As much as I would’ve loved a dark and moody fireplace, we decided white would be the best choice for paint since that part of the living room doesn’t get any natural light. We applied two coats of Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, and the room immediately felt brighter and larger. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!
We retiled the hearth with boho black-and white-ceramic tiles we found at a local tile store. I wanted a tile that complemented the fireplace and the vintage Persian rug in the living room. Since the hearth is only about 10 square feet and the tile required minimal cuts, my husband finished that part of the project in a few hours.
While my husband worked on the tile, I stained the mantel. We reused our original mantel to save money and used a dark stain, Minwax’s True Black, to add warmth and dimension against the white paint.
Lastly, we installed the new fireplace insert and doors, which was surprisingly easy — it just slid right in, and we added a couple of screws to hold it in place.
We have a holiday-worthy fireplace.
After one relatively easy weekend of work, our fireplace went from a lifeless eyesore to a standout feature of our home. The whole space feels more cohesive and definitely more aligned with our style.
But the makeover wasn’t fully complete until I could put up our Christmas decorations!
This was my first time styling the new mantel for the holidays, and it was a huge success. My kids squealed with excitement as I hung up their stockings, which look great against the white brick. I used a combination of what I already had and some new finds, like this deer figurine and these cute deer and bear stockings.
I found a garland that fits perfectly on our mantel and added some little red artificial berries that match the rest of the decorations.
Every time I look at our fireplace now, it feels warm and inviting, and my family and I can’t wait to make more memories cuddled in front of it.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
