We moved into our beautiful home a little over 6 years ago and I can hardly believe it. It literally took Eric and I 2 years to agree on a property…ask our realtor…it was a blast. Did you catch that whiff of sarcasm?
I have taken on small projects here and there throughout the years and then last year we took on a huge kitchen, entry, main floor remodel. One of my favorite parts of it was this fireplace. This is how it looked when we moved in and to me, it made me think of home. I grew up on a farm and we had a massive two sided fireplace and my dad built the mantel and surroundings. When we walked into this 2 story colonial style home, we fell in love.
I love projects that are simple but make a huge statement and this was definitely one of them. Though I grew up with this style of fireplace, paint and design, it is not my personal style. I knew I wanted to change it, but I was not sure how I wanted it to look. The red wall was one of Eric’s favorites, and I could not stand it. It is a small living room and it made it feel smaller, but I obliged and left it for 5 years until I finally convinced him it needed to go.
Now this…this is my style. The fireplace itself was the most simple project. I did it while Eric was gone one day and it changed the whole feel of the room.
Wicker Basket – Target | Linen Curtains – Target | Monterey Natural Acacia Hardwood Flooring
We did not want to change out the style of the fireplace due to cost and the rest of the house trim mimicking it, so we opted to keep the wood and paint over it. I used 1 can of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and it is the most incredible paint. I’ve used it so many times, but this project was the most “important” per say. I was so impressed with how well it covered, and it dries very quickly so you can paint the second coat as you finish the first. I chose to do 3 coats on this, just to be sure every part was covered. The best part about this paint is there is no prep needed, you just get going!
I then waxed it with Annie Sloan clear wax. and did a couple coats of that as well. Using a dry cloth is the easiest way I’ve found to do it.
You’ll also notice that the brass trimmings on the fireplace are now gone. We did not replace any part of the fireplace doors but I painted those as well.
Due to it being metal and near fire, you need a very specific high heat paint which I got at Menards. Our fireplace was black so we purchased black Rustoleum high heat paint. I’ve used this paint for multiple fireplaces and light fixtures in our house and it works very well. The key to getting it to last is scuffing up the brass and for that I used a metal brush. I don’t believe you can scuff it too much, the more the better! Just make sure to wipe it down before you start applying paint.
I am a firm believer that you can make huge changes for minimal cost and time.
What new projects are you working on?
