Refreshing your fireplace might seem like a costly undertaking, but you can totally make over your home’s coziest feature without breaking the bank. Homeowners who set a budget, choose a realistic design style, and commit to do-it-yourself techniques can produce a show-stopping fireplace in no time. Read our guide below on how to refresh a fireplace on a budget.
Planning Your Fireplace Makeover
Start your fireplace refresh project by setting a budget and choosing a design style that complements your home’s aesthetic.
Determining What to Focus On
Consider how your fireplace fits into your room’s overall design. Closely examine the firebox, surrounding brick or stone, and existing mantel. Look for chipped paint, outdated design elements, or worn-out materials. You can then prioritize what changes you need to make.
Start by assessing the scope of your project. As This Old House Magazine contributor Josh Garskof notes, fireplaces “are not nearly as permanent as the chimneys they adorn. You can easily transform a drab one with some basic cosmetic changes.” Replacing just the mantel is the most budget-friendly route, while a total makeover—swapping out mantel, hearth, and the masonry surrounding the firebox—is a larger investment that can transform the entire room.
Setting a Realistic Budget
Your project costs will depend on how much work the job requires and the materials you choose. Make detailed shopping lists, and consider ways you can save money. You can use leftover paint, for example, or repurpose certain materials you already have.
Choosing a Design Style
Consider whether you want a modern, rustic, traditional, or eclectic look for your fireplace. Browse magazines and websites for inspiration, and make a mood board to guide your design choices.
Fireplace Renovation
Start your renovation by removing any outdated or unnecessary elements.
Preparing the Surface
Clean the fireplace thoroughly to remove soot, dust, and debris. If you’re working with brick or stone, remove loose mortar, or paint with a wire brush. Fill any cracks you find with an appropriate filler, and sand the surface smooth for a professional look.
Applying Heat-Resistant Paint
Paint your firebox and surrounding brick with heat-resistant paint, which will protect your new fireplace. Apply the paint with even strokes, and allow each coat to dry completely before adding another.
Pro Tip: Before you commit, consider whether painting is truly the right move. Mauro Henrique, This Old House Magazine’s painting expert, cautions: “Before I undertake any project that involves painting brick, I always ask the homeowners if they are absolutely sure they want to do that. Once brick is painted, it’s next to impossible to get it back to its original appearance.”
If you want some of the original brick color to show through, a thinned, flat acrylic-latex paint applied as a one-coat “whitewash” is the easiest route. To completely hide the brick’s color and reveal only its texture, plan on at least two full coats. Either way, start by cleaning the brick thoroughly with a cleaner/degreaser so the paint has a sound surface to bond to.
Creating a Custom Mantel
Consider creating a custom mantel to update your fireplace’s look and give you more space for decorative elements. Consider gluing plywood sheets to your existing brick and building legs out of fiberboard. Paint your mantel a color that complements the firebox.
This approach worked beautifully for John and Casey Spencer, whose 1920s Tampa bungalow featured a nonworking brick fireplace that lacked a mantel altogether. As This Old House Magazine reported, hiring a carpenter to custom-build one was beyond the couple’s budget, so John boxed the corners of the existing surround with MDF boards secured to the brick with construction adhesive, then detailed the smooth surface of the legs with astragal molding and used baseboard to create plinth blocks at the bottom. The result: a pilaster-style mantel topped with an MDF frieze and a shelf trimmed with a two-part cornice of crown and egg-and-dart quarter-round molding.
Finishing Fireplace Touches and Styling
Complete your project with finishing touches that elevate the fireplace’s look. Consider the following options:
- Caulking and sealing: Fill seams with paintable caulk to make smooth transitions between different materials.
- Distressing and staining: Stain or distress wood elements to achieve a classic look. Experiment with different techniques on scrap wood before making more permanent changes to your fireplace.
- Use seasonal decor: Switch up your fireplace decor to match the seasons. This will make your living room appear fresh and inviting.
