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The Long Overdue Fireplace Makeover

ByJane & Sonja

After much procrastination I finally tackled the updating of my ugly old fireplace. I hope you love this fireplace makeover as much as I do!

Why did I name this post “The Long Overdue Fireplace Makeover?”  Because that is exactly what it is!  This project is loong overdue.  

I had been thinking of doing this since last winter when I had shown you the wash tub that had been repurposed for wood storage.  I kept on looking at that awful fireplace and thinking maybe it was time to get rid of that dark ugly color. 

Fireplace before, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

But I did nothing till November, when I lit the fireplace and remembered why I hated it.

After a whole winter’s worth of research and much procrastination I found inspiration from Melissa of Dancing Dog Cabin. I absolutely loved the look of her fireplace makeover and decided to recreate it. I started with 2 coats of chalk paint.  

Painting the fireplace with chalk paint, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

And then set to work drawing the shapes to make it look like a stone fireplace. And not very well at that!

Painting the stones on the fireplace, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

But there was no turning back. I used different colors of acrylic paint, mixing many together as I went along. 

Painting the stones on the fireplace , The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

I added highlights and shadows as best as I could.  

Detail of stones of fireplace, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

This actually took me a couple of days because I’m indecisive. 

The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

And I’m done!  I’ll wait a week to let the paint cure and then I will seal it with varnish. This way if it gets dirty, which it will, I won’t have to worry about  rubbing off the color when I clean it.

I’ll upload pictures with the varnish a bit later, but I just couldn’t wait to share this with you!!  (Here is part two of the makeover.)

The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com
The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com
The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

A quick look at the before:

Before, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

The pictures do not do it justice, it has lots of depth and nuance.  I’ve got to work on those photography skills. 

Painting the fireplace to look like stone, The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

There is a part two to this fireplace makeover here.

When I showed this photo to my son he said “you should have done this years ago!”  Well, better late than never for my long overdue fireplace makeover.  Do you ever have a project in mind and then just procrastinate forever, like I did? 

Picture
Painting the fireplace to look like stone, #fireplace #fireplacemakeover #thepowerofpaint #paintedfireplace #DIYproject #paintrelated The Long Overdue Fireplace makeover www.theboondocksblog.com

Hello, we're Jane & Sonja, sisters, moms and lifelong crafters.

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108 Comments

  1. You are brave to undertake such a huge project! You have created a beautiful fireplace. You are talented and resourceful too! So enjoy your blog.

    1. Thank you so much Ellen for your kind words. When I looked at that ugly thing I knew I had to do something, anything. But I had no idea how it would turn out in the end… still don’t. But we will see in the next few weeks.

    1. Thank you Krista. The huge unexpected benefit of being a diy blogger is that you get to redo your whole house one project at a time. This is something I did not anticipate when I started the blog, but I see now that the house is slowly filling up with one of a kind pieces.

  3. Mary, that looks incredible! Love the color choices, they bring the fireplace into a focal point. I bet it’ll be a great conversation piece. You are so talented!

    1. Jas, I find myslef walking into the room and staring at it! Lol! I still have not gotten used to having it there. It is so bright and full of… anything but what it was before. Thanks for your sweet comment.

    1. Thank you so much Jennifer. I guess it’s the season for fireplace makeovers now that we are coming out of the winter frost.

  5. This. Is. Amazing!
    You did all that chimney yourself?!
    I love the difference it made but I love even more the detail of the “stones”. Great choice of colors and wow, this is one fantastic paint job Mary!
    I pin this of course.

    1. Yes all by myself!! If you want something done you have to do it yourself. I had help from family members in the form of “holding the ladder so I don’ topple over!” But it was my idea hence it had to be done by me. But now I’m not happy – I want to add depth… so we’ll see where this goes.

    1. It looks like a Greek fireplace now! The towns are full of stone houses and that is the look I was going for. I even see them in my dreams..lol!

  7. WOW! When you said you were working on your fireplace I had no idea what was coming! Although I knew it was going to turn out great,but THIS! It looks so bright and so so nice Mary! What a project you took on, hey? It looks like real stones, so natural & fresh! Please come and do this to my ugly fireplace!!!

    1. I kept on staring at that awful brown for over 2 years. What was I thinking Katrin? When I had painted it brown it looked nice in contrast to the walls but it made the whole room look so gloomy. You are absolutely right this really does brighten the whole place up.

  8. it looks fantastic Mary and I think it will look even better when you varnish it. You are so talented! It looks quite realistic and so much better than the original brown!

    1. Leanne, before I varnish I’ll try to add some more detail to the stones and see how that looks. Let’s hope I don’t mess it up.

    1. Laabor of love indeed Larissa. I was praying I wouldn’t topple over when I was reaching up high to paint the top of that chimney.

  10. WOW! This is amazing, and I can’t imagine doing it in even a couple of days! Awesome job! You’re very creative, and have the talent to pull of an idea…I’m impressed! 🙂

    1. Thank you Martie. I was festering in me for over a year so I had to finally get it done. But now I think before I add the varnish I may just tweak it a bit more.

  11. This is absolutely beautiful, Mary! The colors you selected blend in so well with your décor. And the “stones” look so real! Great job! I know you’re very proud of yourself – and we are, too!

    1. Gail that is such a great compliment coming from someone as talented as you are. Thank you so much.

  12. Mary, this fireplace makeover is awesome sauce!! You did an amazing job on making the stone shapes and tying in the different colors!! I like that you took the time to apply your artist’s eye to it. It looks fantastic my friend!! And yes, I have procrastinated projects, a whole house full, in fact. 😉

    1. Awesome sauce is the best compliment! 😉 Speaking of procrastination I’m gonna wait before applying the varnish and see if I can add a bit more detail to it. Thanks Keri!!

  13. Oh wow!! This is an amazing transformation Mary! And such a great idea, I never would have thought of using paint to get that look. It lifts the space so much, I bet it will be amazing with the fire lit, a really traditional feel.
    And I hear you about projects taking a long time…I have so many on my to-do list they tend to only get done when I realise I need to get the bits of wood or materials or whatever I have been hoarding for it out of the way at last! 🙂

    1. Anna, that is one way to look at it. You become so exasperated with the mess and the hoarding that you decide to do it. A lot of my projects also come about because I have something and I don’t want to throw it out but I am sick of stepping on it.

  14. I saw it on Facebook earlier and I was so impressed! You should be really proud, it looks way better than before! It really is amazing!

    1. Thank you so much Ntina! It is one of my favorite projects. Everytime I walk into the room I stare at it because it is a big change.. for the better.

  15. Καταπληκτικη αλλαγή! Το καλο πραγμα αργεί να γίνει, ετσι λέει ο λαος μας και η περίσταση το επιβεβαιωνει. Το μόνο έξτρα που θα έκανα είναι να βΨω και το κάτω μέρος λευκό.

    1. Ευχαριστω Μάχη. Η ιδέα σου ειναι πολυ τολμηρή! Σκεφτομαι την βρόμα από τον καπνό, αλλιώς θα το έκανα! Ευχαριστω για την επίσκεψή σου!!

  16. That must have taken you ages! I admire your perseverance and dedication. The varnish will deepen the nuance even more. Can’t wait to see more pictures. 🙂

    1. Kathryn, after thinking it through and with some help from bloggy friends I’m going to try and add some more detail to the stones and then seal it. So yes, there will be a part 2.

  17. This looks amazing, Mary! It totally transforms the whole fireplace and room! I can’t believe you did this all by hand. It must have taken a while, but the results are so worth it!

    1. I didn’t just want to paint it and have it be bland. And when I saw that fireplace from Dancing Dog, I knew that was what I wanted. That feel. So I just went for it. It couldn’t have gotten any worst than it was before. 😉

  18. Holy Mackerel! That was quite an undertaking Mary…but what a difference it makes! Honestly, I thought it looked great before, but it is so much brighter and fresher now. Fantastic. Did you enjoy the process? Do you catch yourself just standing and admiring your handiwork/? You should!
    Well done my friend.
    Hugs, LYnn

    1. Lynn, it looked awful before. The room is long and narrow and the fireplace made it look smaller than it is. Spring is here and it was time for a refresh. Yes I did my research, studied rocks even bought some home as a sample. lol. I walk into the room and stop and stare at it now. I am looking for ways to enhance the stone make it look more realistic. I’m going to do a bit of tweaking and then seal it. So you’ll be hearing from my fireplace soon.

    1. Thanks Debra. The fireplace was really looking drab and bringing the rest of the room into misery with it. Now it is ready to take on Spring and even Summer!

    1. Marie you know when you get a vision in your head and it just won’t go away. Well that’s what happened to me with this fireplace. I keep on seeing white fireplaces all over the blogshere, but it would have been too bland for my room. I’m going to add some more detail to the stones and then seal it. Stay tuned!

  21. When I saw thw post on FB I thought it was a real stone!! Wow!! Mary you did a great job!! Yes. your son was right!! 🙂 Καλή συνέχεια!!

    1. Best compliment ever Eleana! Thank you so much. I took a trip to the mountains this week and ended up with a bunch of photographs of stone walls…lol. I’ll be adding more details and then finishing it off.

  22. Wow Mary, it looks awesome!! When I first saw the picture I would have said it had real stones! It is way better now, it brings light! It’s not new to me that you are talented, this just reassures me on my thought!

    1. Thank you so much Pili! I’m going to work on it a bit more and make it look even more like stone, add some veins in it and stubble. Thank you for the sweet comment.

    1. Melissa I have to thank you. If I hadn’t seen your fireplace the inspiration would not have struck! Yours is gorgeous and I’m simply trying to come close to that perfection.

  27. Oh my goodness Mary, you have outdone yourself with this one! I absolutely love how the stones look real! The colors you chose are all so pretty and I love the variation!
    I love the shape of your fireplace and I think the rocks you painted are just perfect for the shape!
    Beautiful job!
    Hugs, Kimberley

    1. Kimberly I used lighter colors for the most part because I was sick of looking at that brown, which for some reason looked so great when I first painted it but, not anymore. Thanks for the comment, and I totally agree, if I had painted bricks it would not have looked right on that type of shaped fireplace.

  28. Mary, Your daughter is not the only painter in the family 🙂 I admit that I am a huge procrastinator in just about everything. The number of projects I have to complete are numerous. Good for you to get one off of your list! I would have never thought to do something like this. Very creative and I think it turned out great! What I enjoy most about visiting your blog is your happiness in each project, and it makes me smile each time. Great Job!
    Pinning and tweeting to share. Thanks for sharing with us at Brag About It!
    ~Laurie

    1. Aww Laurie, I’m glad that comes across. Isn’t it great to be able to do what you love and have it as your job? (future goals) Since I started this blog its as if each day is an unknown adventure. Thank you soo much for your sweet comment. You just made my day!

  29. Wow – you did an amazing job with this fireplace Mary! I turned out absolutely great! Looks so real! So creative!

    1. Thanks Ilka. You should have seen me on tha ladder swaying back and forth. I’m a bit short so it was quite a strech for me to reach the top of the fireplace. Let’s hope the stones up there don’t look to bad.

  30. Hi Mary, just think if you hadn’t procrastinated so much you may not have come across Melissa’s Dancing Dog Cabin. Your fireplace looks so much lighter and brighter than before. You’ve really done a good job, if it were me I wouldn’t know where to start!
    xx

    1. Always looking at the bright side of things Debbie. I even have a pinterest board devoted to Fireplaces but the click came when I saw Melissa’s fireplace. It was bright and cheery and that’s just what we need in this area.

    1. Regina I walk into the room and stare at it. That’s all. I just stare. I’ll tell you I didn’t think I could pull it off. I’m waiting for the seal of approval from my dad who has always been my inspiration for these sorts of DIY projects.

  33. Oh WOW! What a job you took on, I cannot imagine taking on such a project. It turned out beautiful. I would love to see pictures of more of your projects, I bet you have done many,

    1. Thank you so much Pamela. If you would like to see more projects simply click on the tab at the top of the blog under project gallery. I have loads of projects and adventures that I get myself into.

    1. Thank you so much Trish. I am so happy walking into this bright room after having lived with the brown for so long.

    1. Thank you Cecilia, I’m going to rest a bit before I tackle the second part of this fireplace. I want to add a bit more detail, but I think about the wobbly stairs all the time.

    1. Thanks Claire. I didn’t want to just paint it and I couldn’t shiplap it being that it is curved so I had to get creative.

    1. Aww Thank you Katerina! That is so sweet of you. It’s work but not hard when you have a vision and you want to achieve it.

    1. I’m so glad that you said that Jemma. I was trying to achieve this exact effect. I’ll add a few more details and then seal it off.

  40. Mary, what an interesting corner fireplace… I love the cozy shape of it… and your faux stone treatment is so fun! So, I wanted to ask you before… are you in Greek or why are you in Greece? Your English is so good, I’m thinking you must be a transplant there? Fun stopping back to your blog. 🙂

    1. Liz I am Greek but grew up in the States and have moved back here. Let’s see how long I’ll manage to survive. The firplace is very characteristic of the greek style. By adding the stones I make it look even more so. Thanks for your sweet comment.

    1. It was more a matter of deciding what I wanted to do with it. Once I found Melissa’s post I knew that was the look I wanted. MIchelle, I don’t mind the work, its all the steps before that drive me crazy.

    1. Yep MIchlele and I’m not what you would call skinny. You can just see me on top of the ladder ready to topple over. I had the kids hold on to the ladder for deal life.

  44. Mary, I absolutely love this. You did such a great job, I remember we were talking about this during the Christmas season, and I forgot all about it. It’s amazing.
    I love the colors, shapes, depth, texture and interest. I cannot believe the difference between the before and the after. The room is so much lighter and brighter. And much more cozy. I bet you absolutely love it. Great job.

    1. I really love it Nikki. I walk into the room and stop and stare. I just finished it and will post the second part of it next month. I added varnish and it feels so nice and smooth. And the room has been completely transformed.

    1. Thank you so much Wendi. I think the more I hang out on the blogshere, the more ideas I get. Is that a good thing? I’ll transform the whole house.

  46. Now that is a big makeover project! Great job!! Love the colors, even from the pictures you can see how it must brighten up the overall room. Great work!

    1. It was a big job but well worth it. It totally transformed the room. I am so glad I finally got it done. Thank you Mistie for your sweet comment.

  47. I love that you hand painted the fireplace. You did such a great job and the it looks beautiful! What a difference it makes in your room. Thanks for sharing at The Creative Circle. 🙂

    1. Thank you Debi! I’ll have the second part next month, I added a bit more detail to the stones to make them look real and finished them with varnish

    1. Kari I wish I had this one in New York. It was from when we were still living in Greece a few years ago.

  50. What a fun new look! It reminds me of a storybook cottage. I do the same thing by procrastinating a project and then once I’ve finished wondering what I was waiting for! Especially painting, because I’m not very good at it and it’s so messy! Nice work!
    http://www.paperandvine.com

    1. Thank you so much Alice. I really liked the colors on the post I found as inspiration and wanted to replicate that.

  53. What a transformation, Mary! I can’t believe you did all of that painting yourself. You must have had a tall ladder, and a lot of courage to get up on it! 🙂 It looks fantastic!

    1. Thanks so much Amy. It was a lot of work, with lots of stretching too but it needed to be done. The before was very sad!

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