Fireplace Remodel

Man oh man, had I know how hard and long and tedious this project would be, I don’t know that I would have started it!

Before:

The fireplace mantel was not in great shape. Previous owner had tried to patch it I think and it didn’t look great. They also used that same ugly brown color they used in the office. It was also the same oil-based paint (which sucks).

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There were SO many layers of paint. An orange, a white, a teal, and then the brown. In some places the paint just peeled off. In other places it took a lot of work. I found a good product that worked well removing paint (much better than the product I used for the table I refinished a few months ago). It was still messy and hard work.

Products Used:

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I patched the unevenness and damage on the mantle and sanded it down. SOOO much sanding. I don’t think I would tackle a project like this in the future. Ouch my shoulders and neck! I made it as smooth as I could (it’s nowhere near perfect but better) and then covered it with primer.

Primer:

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The walls in the living room are a light gray. (Previous owner painted over wallpaper!!!!)

I narrowed down the paint choices to two. A dark one (Iron Ore) and this one:

PAINT:

We decided it was better to paint the lighter color first, see how we liked it for awhile and if we don’t, I will repaint it with the Iron Ore paint. (I love the gray, so I think it will stay!)

After:

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After much deliberating, I went with the same gray on the tile. I think it looks great! White would have been nice, too, but the gray tile kind softened the mantle. It turned out great and I’m happy with the end product, even though it was hard work. I don’t have a lot of faith that the paint on the tile will last long, but it’s a bandaid until we can replace the tile with some slate.

I like the DIY projects. My skills are pretty limited to sanding, patching and painting. 😀 I will be taking a little break and then….maybe we will tackle the master bath!