Before and After Fireplace Makeovers

When your fireplace sits there neglected and unloved, the time is ripe for a makeover. Rehabbing your fireplace doesn't have to mean a major construction project, though. It can be as simple as a fresh paint job on unfinished or previously painted brick. Or it can be a simple construction project, where you cover up the brick with drywall, wood, or tile. More involved fireplace makeovers might incorporate a lightweight masonry product called manufactured veneer stone, perfect for do-it-yourself work on your fireplace.

With many of these fireplace makeovers, the homeowners aim to correct the mistakes of previous owners. Reducing the amount of visible brick is another common theme. In the end, this moderately easy, creative project is one that you will love to do.

01 of 10

Before: Lacking Storage

DIY Playbook

With its gorgeous traditional mantel, this fireplace already had some good bones. But shelving was lacking and the red brick clashed with the rest of the fireplace surround.

After: More Storage, Less Brick

DIY Playbook

When Bridget at the DIY Playbook design blog revamped this stunning fireplace, she covered the red bricks with white marble and continued the color up to the ceiling. Most significantly, she added spacious built-ins on both sides of the fireplace to show off fun, pretty objets d'art, as well as functional covered storage below.

20 Statement Marble Fireplaces for Every Aesthetic

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02 of 10

Before: Drab, Plain Fireplace

Love & Renovations

Stuck with a gloomy living room dominated by an uninteresting fireplace, Amanda and Corey from Love & Renovations decided that it was time to make a major change. They had struggled for years to come up with the perfect style for this room and bring it to its full potential.

After: Striking Tile Surround Fireplace

Love & Renovations

With this gorgeous makeover, a live edge wood mantel now graces the top of this fireplace. The drab, featureless tile has been replaced with a stunning artisan tile surrounding the fireplace that catches the eye the minute you walk into the room.

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03 of 10

Before: Uninspired

Pinteresting Plans

This fireplace wasn't so bad. But Rachel Moore from Pinteresting Plans wanted it to look cleaner. The dark tile hearth, especially, made it look unfriendly. The painted, exposed brick made it look like every other fireplace. After trying several times to update with budget-friendly fixes, she decided it was time to take the plunge and invest in its makeover.

After: Gorgeous Wood-Wrapped Fireplace

Pinteresting Plans

To dispel the gloom of her fireplace, Rachel Moore traded out that one thing she hated the one most, the dark hearth, for a more cheerful marble-look porcelain tile in 20-inch by 20-inch format. Wood covers the brick for a cleaner, more traditional look. Her reworked fireplace is now as warm and cozy as she always dreamed it could be.

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04 of 10

Before: Ponderous Brick

Made to Be a Momma

Brick, in limited quantities, can be a beautiful thing. The problem with this old fireplace was that there was just too much of it. All of that busy brick was overwhelming.

After: Smooth

Made to Be a Momma

With advice from a carpenter friend, Katie from Made to Be a Momma and her husband used drywall, two-by-fours, and plywood to box in all vestiges of the brick. They screwed the two-by-fours directly into the brick with concrete screws. The top part is stained cedar. With a fresh coat of white paint, the result is a fresh and clean fireplace.

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05 of 10

Before: Overwhelming

Kaleidoscope Living

Even though it was just your standard-issue, innocent red brick fireplace, to home and design blogger Tasha from Kaleidoscope Living it felt like a sad relic of the 1980s. She didn't want to spend a lot of time or money on it, so she decided to paint it.

After: Inexpensive Fireplace Rehab

Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body

To achieve a whitewashed effect, Tasha cut the white paint with water to thin it out. She then rolled it on with a textured nap roller cover, followed by brushwork. A wood stove inserted in the fireplace solves the problem of wood-burning fireplaces' energy inefficiency. Now, this ethereal fireplace is a beautiful focal point for the room instead of being an eyesore.

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06 of 10

Before: Shades of Tuscany

Evolution of Style

Tuscan home style is long gone; that much is clear. But Jenny at the home blog Evolution of Style felt that the chief problem with her Tuscan-style fireplace was coordination. Her home's exterior was natural-feeling and craftsman. Her fireplace was mismatched. It was time for a veneer stone surround for her fireplace.

After: Veneer Transformation

Evolution of Style

This stylish fireplace has manufactured veneer stone running from the hearth up the chimney, culminating at the ceiling. It gives the home a more natural look that befits the home's friendly, organic style.

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07 of 10

Before: Hearth Makeover

At Home With The Barkers

The black hearth tiles on this fireplace frustrated Sonya, home blogger At Home With The Barkers. Chipping away mortared tile can often create more problems than it's worth. She devised an idea to fix it, all without breaking a single tile.

After: In Good Hearth

At Home With The Barkers

By creating a box out of dimensional lumber, Sonya and her husband raised the hearth. This not only covers up those unwanted black hearth tiles but also gives the hearth greater prominence. Ledgestone veneer tiles cover the face of their refreshed fireplace.

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08 of 10

Before: Overly Peach

House of Hepworths

If an element of your home makes you groan every time you see it, it's time for a change. Allison Hepworth of House of Hepworths couldn't stand another day of looking at her peach-colored "wall of bricks," as she puts it.

After: Cool and Comforting

House of Hepworths

Is it hard to paint brick? Sure, it can be. Allison found the prospect of painting brick intimidating, so she kept things on the simple side by minimizing her prep work and rolling out nearly all of the paint. Now the once insufferable fireplace looks cool and fresh just like she wanted.

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09 of 10

Before: Needing a Makeover

Nesting With Grace

This fireplace makeover from Brooke Christen at Nesting With Grace was only supposed to be a tiny Christmas decorating job for her neighbor's mantel. However, when Brooke saw this fireplace she knew there was more to be done. As she puts it, she likes to leave her clients with something to think about. Which lead her to redesign this traditional fireplace into something more modern.

After: Sleek and Modern

Nesting With Grace

Brooke smoothed out the traditional lines of the fireplace by having her carpenter friend add elements made from primed white pine. But the true focal point is the apparently antique slab of wood that acts as a mantel. This is not a giant slab of reclaimed (and hard to find) wood. Instead, they created it from common one-by-eight Eastern White Pine boards from Lowe's. Stain and distressing give it an antique look.

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10 of 10

Before: Unconnected

Maison de Pax

With the standalone fireplace craze long in the past, this one, owned by Rachel at Maison de Pax, still stood like a sentinel to the 1990s. Rachel had two problems. First, the fireplace was uninteresting. Second and most problematic, how do you connect this fireplace with the rest of the house?

After: Like Day and Night

Maison de Pax

In a creative fireplace transformation that is nothing short of stunning, Rachel completely turned around the look of her old fireplace. She created beautiful open shelving to physically and visually attach the fireplace to the house. And for another bit of lagniappe, she now has loads of storage space. Next, she added thin cut brick with an intentionally messy mortar job for a classic, antique look.