5 clever renovation ideas for reviving a tired fireplace

A crumbling fireplace can be an eye-sore. But with a few supplies and some patience, you can easily bring it back to life: here are five clever renovation ideas for reviving a tired fireplace.

A fireplace is often the centerpiece of a room. Whether simply due to aging or use, a fireplace can quickly go from being appealing to appalling.

If your fireplace is ready for a major update, the good news is that there are a wealth of simple fix-it ideas that can give it a new lease on life. Here are five clever renovation ideas for reviving a tired fireplace:

Renovating a fireplace need not be complicated. Simply painting your fireplace, hearth, mantle, and surrounding walls is one of the easiest ways to update it.

• Certain paint jobs can cover up blemishes, while others can enhance them to achieve an industrial-looking effect.
• In contrast, other paint jobs can make the fireplace practically blend in with the room around it.

Depending on your personal style, you can paint your fireplace to either hide or highlight it. The choice is yours.

Many older homes contain fireplaces with distinctive tiles, bricks, or stone work. Rather than completely rebuilding a perfectly good fireplace that has beautiful materials, look for ways to enhance those unique characters.

• Perhaps add an updated mantle, or paint the existing one.
• Install additional molding around the mantle to provide a strong visual frame of reference.
• Paint the wall around the fireplace a complimentary colour that makes the details of the fireplace jump out.

Professional contractors will often cover old brick chimneys with smooth new drywall and paint. The same can be done with worn out tile or stone work.

• This will instantly update the look of your chimney with a clean and solid wall space where you can add a mantle shelf, or simply compliment your fireplace with artwork or a mirror.

Has your living room been updated while your hearth remains untouched? You don’t have to replace the old hearth with a new one.

• Just as you can reface the chimney wall of your fireplace, you can also create a new hearth by re-facing the old one. This can be done with marble, certain metals, other fire-safe stones and fire-proof tile.
• In a matter of an afternoon, you can go from having a worn-out hearth to something elegant and modern.

Another simple way to cover your old chimney is to use stucco. Stucco is versatile, fireproof, and can be matched to any colour you desire.

• For something sleek and modern, simply apply the stucco layers with a straight trowel.
• If you desire something more rugged, use a broom or brush.

Updating your chimney is one of the simplest do-it-yourself fireplace renovation projects around. Whether you want to simply reface your fireplace or completely replace it, the options are almost endless.