I’ve been mentioning our fireplace makeover here on the blog and sharing glimpses of progress on instagram stories so I thought it was time I share some “real” pictures with you guys. Some things are better left to professionals (at least for us) and this might have been one of them. R and I had several “what the h*!! were we thinking” moments, I’m not gonna lie. But, it’s finished now and we are both happy with the update, so yay.
Our old hearth was made of original terracotta tile. Mortar was missing in places so we either needed to repair it (which would probably never match the old mortar) or replace the surface (which I have been lobbying for for years). One afternoon R started ripping out the old tile and there was no turning back.
We did our best to create a level surface first with cement then with leveling compound. It wasn’t fun, but was very necessary. And I’m an instant gratification girl so the wait in between stages was grueling.
We ordered this tile which shipped quickly and was exactly as described and in perfect condition. Getting the best layout was tricky at first, but we decided to lay out the sheets, snap a line, and back fill with individual pieces. We rented a wet saw which was a breeze to operate. I marked the tiles and R cut them.
After several weekends, we have a pretty, new hearth. It’s not that the project took several weekends, but that we only had certain weekends to work on it with swim meets, life, etc. Grout is warm gray, by the way.
The mirror is a place holder until I find one I like and I still need to re-paint the inside of the fireplace with BBQ paint, but here it is. Finally.
Visit the “shop my house” tab at the top for links to items in this room.
Just beautiful, Rene! That tile is perfect and you two did a great job! Are you for hire??? LOL This entire room is so beautiful and welcoming. Love it.
Thank you so much Mandy! Trust me, you don't want me to do it, lol!
Beautiful. Thanks for showing us!
Thank you Harriett!
So beautiful! You guys did an awesome job! Would you recommend that time for a bathroom floor?
Thank you! It would work as a bathroom floor installed by a professional. Our hearth (as you can see) has a few highs and lows that might be uncomfortable under bare feet. We have the hex marble in one of our bathrooms and really like it.
Oh wow, it is gorgeous.
Thank you Marty!
Really great Job! I did our fireplace years ago and hate the tile now. Would love to do this with our fireplace. What color bbq paint do you plan to use? black?
Thank you John! I used black bbq spray paint several years ago and because it is a wood burning fireplace it needs a touch up now.
Looks great Rene–we did something similar with ours, added carrara subway tile over the red brick and a slate slab on the floor. Love your fireplace screen, but the link you provide does not look like yours (no square finials on top). Can I ask where you got the one you have?
Thank you Elizabeth! We purchased the fireplace screen several years ago on Amazon. The one linked is the most similar to ours. Hope this helps.
Great job! Love the tile!
Thank you Gina!
How do you like your rug? I've had my eye on that one for awhile, but haven't pulled the trigger to buy it. I love seeing it in a space, but am curious about the quality. Thanks!
This post might help http://www.cottageandvine.net/2016/10/three-vintage-inspired-rugs-i-have-love.html
It goes into more detail about this rug as well as two other ones that are similar. We love them all!