Guest Blog: How to Decorate and Reface Your Fireplace
The fireplace is a natural focal point in a room, so when updating and refreshing the look of your home, it is important to make sure you do not overlook it. While repainting the walls, replacing flooring, and updating furniture are easy, deciding what to do about a fireplace that has become an eyesore can be more difficult. There are ways that you can update the appearance of the fireplace without having to tear out the existing design which you can do yourself. Here, we will take a look at some of the ways you can reface or redecorate your fireplace.
Faux Stone or Brick Veneer
The look of brick or natural stone surrounding your fireplace is classic and beautiful. However, it is expensive to get real brick or stone installed in your home since it requires a professional mason to install. The construction timelines can also take a while, so you might be stuck waiting for weeks before your fireplace actually gets refaced.
Faux Stone and Brick Veneer
Enter faux stone and brick veneer. These are not real stone or brick; however, they have the same look and feel and are designed to be DIY-friendly. And GenStone’s faux stone is Class-A fire-rated, so it is completely safe to have next to a fireplace. For a project like your fireplace wall, you can install it in a weekend or less for a fraction of the cost of the real deal. It also requires significantly less maintenance than real brick and stone, making it a sound investment. Plus, faux stone is better for the environment than natural stone, since it does not require stone to be dug up.
Stucco or Concrete
You can apply a concrete or stucco mix by hand to the current surface of your fireplace and make it textured or use a trowel to smooth it out, depending on the aesthetic you are going for. Both of these are purchased as dry mixes that you combine with water
Wood
Using wood to surround your fireplace can give it a warm and inviting appearance that you can customize in several ways. You can paint it, stain it, or leave it as is to give it a look that goes best with the room. Before you decide to reface your fireplace in wood, look into your local building codes to ensure there are not any restrictions on what types of wood you can build with.
Stone Slabs
You can use the stone slabs of granite, slate, quartz, and more that you see in kitchens and bathrooms to surround your fireplace as well. While this is a fun option, it can be expensive if you want real stone. They tend to run higher in price, but they can give your fireplace a classy and elegant look. Stone usually needs a completely flat surface before you can place it, but it can be installed directly onto your drywall as long as you use the right mortar for the stone.
Tile
Another option that can give your fireplace a unique look is by surrounding it in tile. It is an affordable option that is easy enough to install, and it comes in so many different styles and colors that you can customize it to fit your home and style with ease. Tile usually requires special mortar for installation, especially if you are using ceramic tiles. You will need to have a flat surface to lay the tile on.
The Mantel When you reface your fireplace, one of the common design elements that gets a facelift is the mantel. Do you already have a mantel? If so, do you want to keep it? If you do not have one or want to replace the one you currently have, you can add a new one that goes with your fireplace’s new style. Traditionally, the mantel is wooden, but it does not have to be a wooden shelf anymore; it can be something more special and beautiful. You can find some mantels at vintage and antique stores if you want to give it an old-fashioned look. Doing this also gives you a good conversation point when guests comment on how great your new fireplace redecoration or refacing project looks.
Hanging a mirror on the wall above the mantel is a fairly common design trend, and it can give the wall a new feel to it. You can find a mirror frame that matches the new fireplace wall design to help make it complement the rest of the design. Topping off this design with some candles or flowers can brighten up the room. Fireplace TV Wall Something that has become common instead of a mantel these days is combining the fireplace and your TV wall. With this trend, your flat screen is hung above the fireplace instead of a mantel. Since both the fireplace and the TV are natural focal points in the living room, it makes sense to combine the two, so you can enjoy watching the fire in your fireplace and your favorite movie at the same time. This is a wildly popular design trend, so it is something to keep in mind when deciding how you want to redesign the wall.
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