Transform a stone crazy paving fireplace from the 1980s, with no demolition necessary. The results are amazing!
Our fireplace has come a long way since moving into our home almost five years ago.
Our 1980’s home, had a fireplace which reflected its time. The green/brown stone and tile surround was outdated but we wanted to transform it at very little cost as the shape and size suited the room.
With a little creativity and effort, we transformed our 80s crazy paving fireplace with no demolition. I hope this post inspires you see potential in what you have and to breath new life into an outdated fireplace.
What do I need to transform a crazy paving fireplace?
- Matt chalk paint in White (you can make any latex paint into chalk paint with this recipe)
- Matt chalk paint in Beige (Optional)
- Paint Stripper/sander
- Paintbrush
- Container for Water (to thin paint)
- Old Rags
- Dark Wax
How to transform a crazy paving fireplace?
- White-wash the crazy paving stone in light layers. Water down white paint until a runny consistency. Brush on the thinned paint and immediately wipe off the excess, then let dry. Repeat process until your stone reaches your desired colour. The more layers the whiter the stone becomes.
- Dry-Brush over fireplace with a beige/taupe paint to neutralise grey tones. Use a paper plate/newspaper to dab excess off your brush before applying it and swirl your brush to avoid leaving brush marks. Whitewashing may give a grey colour to your fireplace so to neutralise this you can add a warm colour over top to warm it up.
- Sand the hearth to aid paint adhesion.
- Paint to desired colour. E.g. Black to disguise dirt and soot.
Transforming the Outdated Hearth:
I first painted the hearth in a light, earthy grey colour (seen above) however, we wanted to use this open fire, and this colour was not a practical choice when dealing with coal, soot, dirt and dust!
I painted over this matt paint in a true black, eggshell finish. This paint held up brilliantly despite the fireplace being used constantly.
Note: if you are painting eggshell directly onto the tile, I recommend priming it first. I painted over matt paint, so I skipped primer.
As my DIY projects tend to evolve, I eventually redid the hearth to help it tone more with the fire surround. I decided to give it a stone look.
How to create a textured-stone look on a tiled hearth?
- Paint hearth in a neutral/grey colour.
- Dab sparingly white and thinned black paint (as desired) with a cloth or sponge to add light and dark areas to the hearth. Watering down the black paint will allow you to apply it in light layers. It’s easier to add on than to take it off!
- Seal everything with a dark wax. The wax helps to blend each element together, ultimately making it look like stone.
Stripping back the Mantle
The mantle was painted in a glossy brown paint and I wanted to take it back to bare wood. I chose to use bio-strip by Autentico to strip the paint.
This product is a goopy one but very effective. Paint it on the surface, wait 30 minutes and then scrape it off! You will start to see the paint layers lifting and bubbling up.
I did this process twice to reveal the beautiful warm wood underneath. I then bleached the mantle to take out some of the warmth and white washed it to give it a weathered appearance.
Finally, the Result of Transforming an Outdated Crazy Paving Fireplace!
The result is a far-cry from where we started. The creamy grey tones and texture of the stone adds such beautiful dimension to the fireplace. The weathered wood is a more timeless mantle too. Rather than an outdated crazy paving fireplace, this has now become a timeless, stone and wood feature in our living room.
This (n0-longer outdated) crazy paved fireplace has become a cosy, inviting place for our family to gather around. A perfect place to rest and retreat to, especially in colder months.
Thank you for reading! Find other DIY projects here and if you have any questions feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
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