Brick Fireplace Makeover
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1980’s Ugly Brick Fireplace Makeover with lumber and paint.
I’m so happy my brick fireplace makeover is done! It makes me smile every time I look at it.
1980 Dark Brick Fireplace with Stone Mantel
Wow! Isn’t this brick fireplace makeover amazing? How did I put up with that look for so many years?
Fresh White Fireplace and Mantel
How to Paint a Brick Fireplace
Meeting Challenges Head On
This is the right side of the hearth before. . .
After I enclosed the hearth with underlayment. That ugly floor area is no longer visible!
A look at how I used the thin plywood to make a new facade over the brick.
After which I added a 1×6 for the brick fireplace makeover.
Boxing in a Stone Mantel & Hearth with Thin Plywood
I love the new look so much!
I always, a.l.w.a.y.s. hated the concrete hearth. It was suppose to be stone, not two slabs of concrete with a seam.
Adding and securing wood trim pieces.
White Brick Fireplace with Black Firebox
Please remember I am not a decorator. I used what I have at the house to show off my new mantel. I’m sure I will change it up many, many times before I settle in to something I really like.
Below is the cost break down. It’s more than I expected, but overall, I guess it’s not too bad.
Cost of Brick Fireplace Makeover
Would I do it again?! You bet! I was so tired of all that dirty brick and concrete!
- Crown Molding (mantel) 8.96
- Crown Molding (ceiling) 12.32
- Lauan 2 sheets 10.28 ea 20.56
- 1/2 x 3/4 Molding (2 pieces for mantel, 1 for hearth) 8’, 8’, 9’ .42 lf 10.50
- 2×4’s 9’ free (curb finds) -0-
- 1×4’s (3) 6’ 2.78 ea 8.34
- Screen pine trim 24’, 40’ .59 lf 37.76
- 1×6 (2) to cover sides of brick on left and right sides 6’ 5.27 ea 10.54
- Quarter round 9’ .42 lf 3.78
- Kilz 1 gallon 12.00 (estimated) 12.00
- Semi gloss paint 1 gallon 12.00 (estimated) 12.00
- Black paint 1 qt 7.55 .55
- Wooden applique free (thanks Jamie) 0-
- Vent 5.00
- Glass shades for light fixtures 2 free (thanks Sherry) -0-
- Misc (caulk, spackling,nails, wood glue, liquid nails)
If you have any questions, comments please contact me through my e-mail or a comment below.
Updates Through the Years
EDITED TO ADD: As of Summer 2010, my fireplace mantel looks like this:
The fireplace screen? It was brass, and I painted it! See how to paint a brass fireplace screen.
This has to be my favorite project of all time. I wanted a change for so long and I did it all myself (from scratch). It still makes me smile when I look at it!
No fireplace, no problem: Make a Faux Fireplace Mantel
Christmas 2015 See the easy shutter fireplace screen here.
How about another update? Summer 2019, AFTER I installed floating laminate flooring! See the easy window project here.
You can check out my other posts here:
how to faux wood mantel
painted brick fireplace
give a brick fireplace a wooden facade
adding trim to a wooden fireplace facade
If your fireplace just needs a paint update, be sure to check out Thrift Diving’s How to Paint an Old Brick Fireplace.
Oh wow, I wonder if your tutorial will work to cover up my ugly marble fireplace. Oh that would be great, I can’t wait to look over your steps, and see all the rest of your most popular posts. So glad I found you!!!
Awesome transformation! You did a wonderful job!!! :o)
Hola Gail, it`s so nice being in your beautiful blog for my first time and finding such a great job you did in your fireplace, I have liked it very much.
Greetings from Chile,
Maria Cecilia
p.s. I found you at Shaunna`s Perfectly imperfect blog!
You did an absolute beautiful job. I am in the middle of a fireplace redo and have only tackled painting it. Your fireplace is exactly what I had envisioned for mine but didn’t know where to start. I am going to use all your ideas and suggestions as I build the mantel. How did you attach your boards to the brick? Liquid nail??? Thanks so much for your detailed pictures
This looks GREAT! We have a gray stone fireplace that runs the length of our room… I SOOO want to do something with it! I think it will be a hard sell to my husband though!
OH GIRLFRIEND! (can I call you that?) You have SO shown me what in the world I can do to cover my ugly brick , head injury-waiting-to-happen-cause-I-have-3-lil-boys- hearth! AGH!!!!!!!!!! It is now on my to do list!
You did an awesome job! It’s gorgeous and I can’t believe it’s the same fireplace. Amazing. I love it!
Roeshel
Oh my gosh, Gail, it’s even better than I’d imagined!! 🙂 Well done, my friend, well done.
WOW, that looks awesome!! And I agree with one of your other readers, I think the cost was a bargain considering the end result!
Wow! I love this! We have a mantel similar to yours (which we love), but it is an oak wood color, which we hate, and the brick is a red. It doesn’t fit with our style at all, and we were trying to figure out what to do with it. I love the idea of a white mantel with a black-painted brick. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing this is such a transformation! You did a great job! I love how bright and cheerful it is!
Hi Gail…
Ohhh my gosh…you did an awesome job with your fireplace! I love how it looks now…much more formal! I love how you added the mouldings to the front of the wood panels…gorgeous! What a fabulous transformation and to think that you did all this by yourself…Girl, I am sooo impressed!!! You sure will have fun decorating that pretty mantel! I agree with you…a large mirror and varying sized of candleholders will be very pretty!!! What an incredible project and my friend, you pulled it off with such finesse!!! Thank you so much for linking up with Sunday Favorites!
I do apologize at being so late to get by for a visit but I have really been enjoying my daughter and five grandbabies visit! Thank you again for joining in with the fun of Sunday Favorites!
Warmest winter wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design
PS…was just thinking about the expense of your mantel redo…I think that $149 was an excellent price! Wow…talk about getting “bang for your buck”!!! Girl, you did GREAT!!!