Apr 10, 2009

by Layla

My $82 Fireplace Makeover

What do you do with an outdated-looking fireplace, that’s proportions are all wrong, for around eighty bucks?

First, you bulk up the mantle by attaching wider wood to it. All it takes is a 1”x 8” piece of lumber, that’s distressed and stained the color of your choice:

Then, you remove the cast iron firebox:

Next, you paint the brick around the opening, and the cracked concrete hearth, black:


Then, you add strips of wood & luan plywood to the facade to create dimension, using Liquid Nails:

Next, attach various 1×4’s, and 1/4”x4”s, to the luan plywood using wood glue or Liquid Nails:

Don’t ask me what that weird pinkish spot on the back wall of the fireplace is. I have no idea. All I know is that everytime I looked at it, I saw Wilson, from “Cast Away”:

Next, tape off the brick so that you can caulk the seams and paint all the wood:

Last step, paint the inside of the fireplace with black heat-resistant paint.

Here’s how it looks today, after implementing all of the simple and inexpensive steps listed above:

(Spring)

(Summer)
(Fall)

(Winter)

I’ll leave you with this beautiful quote I pulled from my Quote Jar this morning:

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try” – unknown

So don’t be afraid to try and revamp those old, outdated-looking fireplaces. You CAN give them budget-friendly facelifts in as little as one weekends time!

Pin our pics, or join us elsewhere on the web!

Pin It!
  • COMMENT
  • VIEW COMMENTS
  • TWEET
  • LIKE

57 Responses to My $82 Fireplace Makeover

  1. malissa says:
    Nov 7, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    love that mantel! do you have the dimensions on it? i’d like to try your idea on a flat gas fireplace…do you think it would work?

    Reply
  2. Carli says:
    Dec 19, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    Love this transformation, is this a fully functioning fireplace, was everything fireproofed? My friend has asked me to transform her fireplace and I love this idea, but I’m concerned about the wood around the fireplace for when she wants to use it.

    Reply
    • Layla says:
      Feb 9, 2011 at 11:14 pm

      As far as we know it’s good to go Carli! We don’t burn wood in it though, but if we ever decide to have the gas line hooked up, we’ll definitely consult with a professional about it.

      :-)

      Reply
  3. Heather says:
    Feb 10, 2011 at 8:22 am

    I love the look of this and would like to do something similar. Do you worry at all about the liquid nails not being strong enough to hold the weight of that wood up? Would you have done anything differently if your brick was already painted (would the liquid nails) adhere as well?

    Reply
    • Kevin says:
      Feb 10, 2011 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Heather!

      The brick was actually already painted that taupe color and the luan and MDF we used are extremely light-weight, so the liquid nails has held everything up without a problem.

      Looking forward to seeing what you do!

      Kev

      Reply
  4. Merry says:
    Feb 10, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I am a novice in every sense of the word! What is the type of lumber and stain that you used?? Merci!

    Reply
  5. Terry says:
    Feb 10, 2011 at 10:14 am

    This was just what I needed to see! Thank you for your beautiful blog, you are an inspiration!

    Reply
  6. Lisa says:
    Feb 10, 2011 at 10:48 am

    THIS is exactly what I’ve been envisioning for my (ugly) brick fireplace… and now you’ve shown me how to do it. (Rubbing my hands together and cackling gleefully!!) THANKS so much!!

    Reply
  7. Robin Crittenden says:
    Feb 10, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    I like what you have done. But what also caught my eye was that you painted the paneling. I have the exact same paneling in my home. What did you do?

    Reply
  9. Nicola says:
    Feb 24, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    Thank you SO much – I’m going to attempt this on my horrible grey brick fireplace this weekend! Thank you.

    Reply
  10. Bright Choices says:
    Feb 25, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    I’ve just found your blog and you truly are in inspiration. Thank you so much for that. I hope someday I will be as half as good as you are. I just really couldn’t handle myself but laugh hard on the whole Wilson thing, that was genius. And more recently the scream one. This blog is truly unique, and so is your style. Thank you for sharing such incredible work and talent.

    Reply
  11. Michelle Trench says:
    Mar 23, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Just found your blog via http://www.thepioneerwoman.com. You are so uniquely talented! I love the mantle and it has given me the inspiration to tackle my hideous fireplace :) Your before and after photos are great, I love your style! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  12. Katie says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 7:57 am

    Oh my gosh- that is amazing! I especially love the winter set-up

    Reply
  13. Kellie says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 9:12 am

    love the look of your fireplace!! I sneaked over from YHL’s shout out today. We have a beautiful ornamental fireplace that I painted a crisp white. In front of the actual opening is an ugly bronze door… I want to take it off & paint the inside as well, since we never use it… do you ever worry about drafts coming in from the outside? That is my main concern… that & if I want to ever have a gas insert put in, do you think the paint will be a bad choice? Thanks for your advice!

    Reply
  14. Callie says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 9:43 am

    Oh my stars it looks so gorgeous! Night and day transformation. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  15. Jennifer says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    This is gorgeous! What made you go with a dark mantle instead of a white one?

    Reply
  16. Ayisha says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    This is Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. This is my first time visiting your blog but I too popped over thanks to the YHL shout out. All the motivation I needed to subscribe to RSS. My husband and I are looking for our first home and we have come across tons of fireplaces like these. I am officially motivated! Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
  17. Ange says:
    Jun 14, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    Hey there. Popped over from YHL (although do drop in on you guys occasionally anyway!) I was wondering if there is a link to the mirrored piece on the mantel in the winter picture. I would love to DIY something like that, but I’d like a closer look? Cheers Angela.

    Reply
  18. kat m says:
    Jun 16, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Hi there! I saw this on Pinterest yesterday and commented that I was going to run home after work and do this (the painting the inside black) and I did!! I went by Home Depot, picked up black paint and came home to deal with a fireplace I havent had a fire in (minus candles) for over 3 yrs. The cleaning it out was GROSS!! (ashes and cobwebs oh my) I applied the pain and WOOLAH – a crisp clean black fireplace gut! Im thinking of spraying the log holder silver and then a few peices of wood silver and white – I have so much cool mercury glass on the mantle that im afraid it might be overkill…..Ill post a pic when Im finally done! Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply
  19. kiki b says:
    Jul 11, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    love it!!!

    Reply
  20. Katie K says:
    Jul 15, 2011 at 5:32 pm

    I really want to do this on my fireplace and I am wondering how wide the mantle is, and how you attached it to the fireplace. I have a flatfront fireplace and there is nothing to attach it to. How did you secure it to the front of the fireplace?

    Reply
    • Kathryn B says:
      Aug 12, 2011 at 3:18 pm

      I was also wondering how you attached the front mantle piece…nails? But I didn’t see visible nail holes. I’m looking to tackle this project in a few weekends…can’t wait!

      Reply
  21. Jenn says:
    Jul 18, 2011 at 3:01 am

    You are soooo talented – thank you for sharing with us all, on your MAGIC site! I am looking at my home with fresh eyes (at last I have hope for it’s daunting challenges, thanks to your unique creativity!) Sending you love and thanks, from South Africa!!

    Reply
  22. Jenny Peickert says:
    Jul 27, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    I am envious! What a transformation. Our fireplace mantle is about 4″ wide; u can’t set much on something so small. The hulkier mantle is a gr8 idea! Thanks, for the idea. it’s just what I was thinking about and now I can make it happen! Jenny

    Reply
  23. Sarah Niehoff says:
    Jul 31, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    I have a very difficult fireplace (and ugly)…the fireplace is set in and the bookshelves stick out…if you can imagine. We recently removed the previous homeowner’s mantle (it was awful) but don’t know what to put up…it looks nice without, but love putting things on mantles, esp for Christmas!!
    I would love to see your suggestion, and would love to send you a pic…we know we want to paint the shelves white, and the brick an accent color. So the mantle, I guess would be white…But would the mantle stick past the shelves (they aren’t very deep) or sit flush? Would it be a shelf or thicker, like yours?? Any ideas would be WONDERFUL!!
    Thank you

    Reply
  24. Penny says:
    Aug 4, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    I love what y’all have down with your fireplace!! I have a corner brick fireplace from the ground up! I was wondering if I did something along the lines as to what you did with the bottom half, would it be weird to have brick on top where yours is the paneling?
    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  25. Emily Grace says:
    Aug 29, 2011 at 11:08 am

    I love this. It’s probably my favorite post in the blogging world. When the renting days of my marriage are over, I hope to have a fireplace of my own to do this too. Thanks for your inspiration! One of the reasons, I’m trying my hand at blogging.

    Reply
  26. Stephanie says:
    Sep 6, 2011 at 1:05 am

    Any suggestions on how to transform a fireplace with a hearth that is actually in the middle of a room? Exactly the same on both sides and, of course, it burns wood in the actual fire box. It is really the focal point of the whole two rooms, but when I say it’s ugly, believe me, it’s U-G-L-Y…..if I implemented the ideas you have here (which are awesome and in my budget) would you do both sides exactly the same again? And would you paint the bricks on the hearth black as well? I can send you a picture if that would help….but just haven’t been sure what to do with it since we moved in….thanks….and I LOVE your blog!!!

    Reply
  27. Lynn says:
    Sep 17, 2011 at 7:43 am

    Thanks for sharing this post! It is simply amazing and beyond inspirational. I am so encouraged to realize I CAN DO this project.

    Reply
  28. katie says:
    Sep 27, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Hi Layla and Kevin,

    So I like the idea of the fireplace…however I have a LARGE wall in my livingroom that I have NO IDEA what to do with and I was thinking of putting in a fireplace but my husband doesn’t like the thought or cost of a fireplace. However, we do like what you have done to your fireplace and the cost.. and was wondering if you think it would look weird if we did the whole mantle fireplace idea that you have done but WITHOUT the actual fireplace?…just do a mantle looking thing to decorate throughout the months of the year?…Any ideas of how to build it?…to still have that dimension look to it?…since we have no fireplace to build onto. We woudl like to start working on it in the nest week so if you caould reply ASAP that would be wonderful!!! Thanks so much :)

    Reply
  29. Maria says:
    Sep 27, 2011 at 11:36 pm

    Hi Layla and Kevin,
    I love your fireplace, I have been looking on line for a solution for mine and got to your page. My fireplace is brick also but is 11 feet of brick (only the lower part of the wall). I have the TV on top. I guess I got crazy yesterday and removed the white mantel self. I am thinking that I could cover most of the brick with board and batten and I love the paneling on yours. Can I send you a picture please? I could use any advise you can give me. You should have seen my husband’s face when he came from work last night and sow the destruction.
    You are both so talented, thank you very much for the inspiration.
    Maria

    Reply
  30. Denise says:
    Sep 28, 2011 at 1:29 am

    Inspiring post, and great fireplace make-over! I was just curious, did you add wood to the bottom of your wide mantle lumber to complete the appearance of a thicker mantle? In other words, if you look up at the underside of the mantle, is the front 1×8 board just an overhang, or did you box in the bottom?

    Hope that’s clear. It’s surprisingly hard to describe something like that!

    Reply
  31. Kristy says:
    Sep 28, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    What stain did you use, and what type of wood?
    I tried a dark walnut, but it’s not as rich in color as your.

    Reply
  32. Shelbi says:
    Oct 4, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    I absolutely LOVE what you’ve done to your fireplace. I have one thats a full wall height and very wide red brick. I have been looking for very simple diy ideas to resurface it after my remodel.
    I am wondering if you have any helpful tips thats very similar to what you’ve done for mine. I would really appreciate some feedback! I have a picture for you but I have no idea how to link it.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Shelbi says:
      Oct 4, 2011 at 10:08 pm

      Also, I see above that someone asked the question how to attach the wood to the brick. I was wondering if you used any special type of screw or nail? I just can’t seem to imagine how it would go through the brick.

      Reply
  33. Dana says:
    Nov 4, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Just wondering if anyone has tried this on a working fireplace. Is the wood okay near the heat? We have a pellet stove and our fireplace is painted brick, and we would love to try this, but the heat is my only safety concern.

    Reply
  34. laura says:
    Nov 5, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    Charming and so inspiring! Love the styling for each season. I think I’ve found a blog to follow!!

    Reply
  35. Laure Gill says:
    Dec 26, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    I love this transformation! For Christmas one of my presents was a gift card from Home Depot AND my hubby’s willingness to be the labor on the project of my choice…..I just handed him the iPad and this article and grinned! thanks AGAIN for the inspiration. This blog is my favorite!

    Reply
  36. Susan says:
    Jan 1, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    thank you for this, I have been looking at my fireplace for six years wanting to change it and after looking at what you have done, I know I can do it. and under budget. Thanks.

    Reply
  37. Pam says:
    Jan 2, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    What did you do about the duct work that the old firebox was attached to? Did you remove it all the way up the chimney, or just cap it somehow?

    Reply
    • Layla says:
      Jan 2, 2012 at 8:48 pm

      The chute seems to already be capped with metal somehow. I haven’t really stuck my head up there to look, but sometimes I can hear a few raindrops hitting it if it rains really, really hard. :-)

      Reply
  38. Collette says:
    Jan 25, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    I’m new to your blog and I am loving it! I have the UGLIEST fireplace ever…..picture your fireplace (before makeover) only the ugly dark red and black unpainted brick is from floor to ceiling (as in a twelve foot ceiling)! It takes up the entire wall!! I’m getting ready to repaint and do new decor. I’m wanting to go from primitive to a lighter cottage feel . Any suggestions on what to do with the elephant in the room? Because I have NO idea other than just paint it. Thanks!!

    Reply
  39. Kris says:
    Jan 29, 2012 at 7:15 am

    Just wondering what color stain you used on
    the piece you attached to the mantel? Also,
    What did you to the tile? On the floor? (can’t
    think of what you call it!!!). It looks to bea different
    color?!?!

    Fabulous transformation we are going to attempt
    it! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  40. Karen says:
    Jan 30, 2012 at 9:35 am

    Thanks for the inspiration. My husband and I redid our ugly brick fireplace and pretty much followed your design exactly (although it took us longer than a weekend). We had to make some minor modifications as we had a hearth – but the end result was amazing!! Thanks again!

    Reply
  41. Karen says:
    Jan 31, 2012 at 7:44 am

    I just wanted to add one comment as a few people have asked about the Liquid Nails and if it is strong enough to hold the wood up. It is my understanding that it is strong enough, however when we did this our issue was the bricks were not level and therefore it was hard to adhere the wood to the surface with just this product, i.e., you press one corner of the wood on the brick and hold it and the other corner pops out slightly, so I would have had to stand there holding in several pieces of wood flat while the Liquid Nails dried. To address this issue, we ended up using both Liquid Nails and special screws that go into the mortar. The combo of the two together worked well.

    Reply
  42. Debbie says:
    Feb 2, 2012 at 9:25 am

    You are so talented! Love what you did!

    Reply
  43. NICOLE says:
    Feb 3, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! You have inspired me to take on my 1970′s mantle!

    Reply
  44. Christine says:
    Feb 4, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    What did you do on the sides? Also it looks like you put an extra piece of trim all along the middle. Is that what you did or is that just the picture?

    Reply
  45. Andrea says:
    Feb 20, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    Hi. We are going to try to attempt this. Will you please share… What brand and color stain did you use? Thanks.
    -Andrea

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>