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Makeover mission: Freshen up a dated fireplace for a modern family

A fireplace surround is a statement in any home, especially when it’s this huge. This dated fireplace was ready for its makeover.

When I was asked to help with the makeover of this 1980s living room, I immediately fixated on the mantel. It’s huge, floor to ceiling, covers half of the room, and it’s the first thing guests see.

My idea is to take the 1980s living room and create a modern family retreat for the stylish young family. ‘From stale to sleek and stylish’ is the mojo of this makeover project.

With a focus on the fireplace surround as the main piece of this makeover, the homeowners are saying goodbye to the surrounding parts of the room that include the dull tones of wood paneling, wood trim, wood built-ins, and this oversized grey stone fireplace surround without a mantel.

An on-trend and stylish young couple, the family room does not fit their personal style. The first time we met, the mom was visibly anxious just talking about that room. So we talked about introducing a new color palette, which combines a grey-on-grey walls with a sleek dark grey fireplace surround, and painted trim.

Project details

The wood paneling and bare stone fireplace surround that’s a snapshot from 1985 is ready for this makeover.

We’re updating the fireplace with a grey-brown mid-tone hue called Dovetail from Sherwin-Williams using exterior brushes from Shur-Line. Since the fireplace is stone, it’s a lot like painting the outside of a house.

Then we are adding a mantel to visually balance the long off-center mantel-less fireplace surround.

In keeping with the family’s modern, yet casual style, the mantel is designed as a sleek box-like shelf, deep enough to display the family’s treasures, and washed in a white-and-grey paint mix (Pure White SW 7005 + Repose SW 7015) to give a bit of the family’s beachy flair.

Now the family room is a cozy place for this young, modern family.

How would you makeover this fireplace? We’d love to know. Share in the comments below, or send us a note. -t

Before the makeover. This was the view presented to me. My favorite feature? That strange pendant to the right of the fireplace. Why?

Painting the mantel a dark grey was easy, but it involved a coat of primer and two coats of paint. Theresa used her exterior brushes from Shur-Line, because the fireplace surround was stone.

After we measured and deliberated on the perfect size, Mark made the box for the mantel, while Theresa painted.

Theresa created a grey-wash using a light grey and a soft white to make the mantel look a little aged, and fit in with the family’s modern casual style.

Before hanging the c-shaped mantel, Mark and Theresa attached a ledger board so they could have a surface to fasten the mantel and an easy way to make sure the long mantel is level.

The after of this mantel makes the homeowners, and us, thankful for the time and fun that made this project into a makeover complete.

Theresa

Theresa is a handy designer and writer. She shares DIY projects, tool how-to, and home makeovers as a book author, home show speaker, DIY workshop coach, and radio host. Plus, she has a degree in journalism with a minor in architecture, and is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPs) and certified color consultant. She's created fast-paced makeovers for TV shows, and shares home trends and DIY tips as a freelance writer and guest on news shows and satellite media tours for TV and radio.

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