Fireplace Refresh & DIY Mantle
An eyesore turned into my favorite feature in the dining room.
When we moved in the fireplace looked like the first image above. We weren’t sure what to do with it and just stared at that mess for a very very long time. We debated keeping the brick color and just cleaning it up but eventually settled on doing a lime wash.
Originally we were going to distress the limewash but I really liked the solid look so we kept it! I love how flat/matte the white is against the matte black. We don’t plan to burn any fires in here but eventually may put in a smoke free option for a fire.
As for the refresh: I watched a ton of DIY tutorials on using limewash on brick and set to work. My steps below with links for products I used.
clean the fireplace - vacuum, sweep, vacuum again
tape a protective cover down and spray inside of fireplace with matte black high heat spray paint.
mix limewash with water. i used romabio avorio white.
use large masonry brush to apply and smaller brush to get into cracks. romabio makes a masonry brush to use but it cost a significant amount more than other masonry brushes so i ordered this one. it worked great. you need to spray the brick with a spray bottle before applying so work in small areas.
that’s it!
As for the mantle, we had a friend with this gorgeous piece of left-over wood from a table he made. It’s 100 year old ash. My husband sanded it down and slightly rounded the edges. We loved the natural color so just added a clear, water based matte finish.
We drilled into the studs and drilled into the mantle at those markings. using dowels and wood glue - and a strong glue on top of fireplace we attached the mantle. Then we used nails at an angle to secure into the dowels. My husband could explain better if you have more questions.
All in all, this was an easy project and it has made our dining room so light and happy. We love it so much!
Decor: Mantle Mirror from Target, as are the candles and mini plant stands. The larger plant stand peeking in is from Cost Plus. Basket and barbed wire are vintage.
