Fireplace Makeover

By Kate Riley November 5, 2015

It’s the little things that matter most and this most recent mini fireplace makeover is making me very happy today.

fireplace makeover centsational girl

Friends, for years I lived with a fireplace I hated. I agonized what to do in this post, the three things that were bugging me about the fireplace in my family room were 1) the niche above which I wanted to cover so I could hang art; 2) the old brown picked-in-a-moment-of-desperation-because-I-need-something-right-now tile surround; and 3) the fact that the fireplace box was not centered. Now at last the niche is gone, the tile is fresh and new, and the gas fireplace is centered!

coastal family room fireplace

I love when decorative accents are asymmetrical or off center, but I look for symmetry in architectural design with a fireplace flanked by twin bookcases on a wall, the balance just makes sense.

bookcases and fireplace

When you spend much of your time in a space (second only to the kitchen) it should be one that makes you happy, and this room does. This room is certainly coastal in style and I like it that way. Branchy decor? Check. Coral sculpture? Check. Seascape painting? Check. Plenty of blue and white? Bring it.

I have a new sectional now, I sold the old Pottery Barn slipcovered sofas seen here.

copley sectional sofa

The new sectional sofa is the Copley (without a skirt) the name of the fabric is Sausalito. The pillows are a chenille dot called Plaything in Oasis Blue, I ordered them instead of matching pillows when I ordered the sectional both were purchased from Cokas Diko – a local furniture store. On the side is one of my $4 thrift store side tables.

pillows on sectional

The rug is this one from Overstock. We don’t use a coffee table in here because we sit on the floor a lot, instead I use a console table behind the sectional and side tables to hold beverages, the remote, etc.

sectional with console table

Back to the fireplace, here’s a peek at it before the makeover. Not my fave. Notice how the fireplace isn’t centered between the top and bottom of the inset? That always BUGGED me so much.

fireplace before

We removed the tile and filled the niche, here’s a pic of the project in process before the fireplace was centered and the niche filled with framing and drywall.

after demo

I’m excited the fireplace box is centered at last so it’s symmetrical and balanced. The new tile is very fresh, it blends with the wall color (Monterey White by Benjamin Moore) and now that the niche is filled, it made room for the large scale seascape painting I bought several years ago in an antique store because it reminded me so much of our Northern California coastline.

new fireplace tile seascape painting

fireplace flowers painting

The tile for the fireplace was from Floor & Decor, I’m a huge fan ever since discovering their store earlier this year (remember this bathroom makeover? Gorgeous tile!)

I chose the Terra Nova Linear Mosaic for this project, the style is more contemporary and the scale of the tile is perfect for this inset gas fireplace.

mosaic fireplace tile surround

mosaic tile close up

This week Floor & Decor is offering one of you a $500 gift card to their store! Use it for tile, flooring, countertops, anything they have in stock! US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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*this post is sponsored by Floor & Decor, all opinions are my own.

26 comments

    • Yes, I use an iPad and my keyboard could be brought up to type or autofill my email, strange!

  1. Your living room is lovely. We bought a house five years ago and still have projects to finish. We need to do our bathroom, this store looks like a great place to buy the flooring, we want to do Bamboo. Thank you for the great giveaway, have a wonderful day.

  2. That seascape is BEAUtiful! Wish I could go out and buy one just like it. Beautiful room too.

  3. I’ll double check on the Rafflecopter widget Denise and Deborah, thank you so much Dayle and Dawn!

    • Unable to leave my email in the rafflecopter.

      It is rusthawk at gmail dot com.
      Thanks!

  4. Love the new fireplace! Our fireplace is hideous (peach marble tile with brass gas insert). I’ve been bugging my husband to let me paint the brass and retile the surround. The tile I chose that has been sitting on the hearth for ages is from Floor & Decor! Fingers crossed that I win and finally get to destroy that 80’s fireplace!

  5. I’ve always said I’d never want a house with a fireplace, but if the fireplace looked like THIS? Well, I suppose I’d be okay with it ;)

  6. Beautiful! Can you share where you got the cover/door on the fireplace? Ours is currently doorless and lets in the coldest breeze!

  7. When you first posted your former fireplace pix and said you wanted to redo it, I just didn’t get it. NOW IS SEE HOW VERY RIGHT YOU ARE! Such an improvement, who would have thought.

  8. Kate!!!! It looks so good! You have to be thrilled! I am home on bedrest catching up on some of my fav blogs and I have to say I love the new blog design too :) Looking good friend! xo

  9. Oooh Kate. Love that fireplace. I love it what you have done! So pretty!! What Floor and Decor store do you go to? I also live in SF Bayarea. The nearest one looks like it is in So Cal?

  10. Gorgeous fireplace! (I notice that the painting above it is hung a little bit off-center. Was that deliberate?) Congratulations on a very successful project!

  11. I love the fresh colors and the new tile is gorgeous! I like the fireplace wall so much better without the inset.
    I am like you in that I want things to be balanced. One question here…does it not bother you that your picture isn’t centered in the space? (You can see how picky I am….sorry.)

  12. I second the question about the console table! Tile is perfect…subtle but still interesting.

  13. Beautiful room! But I’m curious – does your living room have any windows? I’d love to see the window treatment you have chosen for this room…

  14. Sooooooooo gorgeous! Please do you have a shot of the whole room looking towards the fireplace? My family room is narrow but I would love to put a sectional with the short side to the open kitchen….but I don’t know if there will be enough room, or how it would look. Are there any guidelines for this?
    I abosoulutely love this room;
    Mary

  15. I love your room and its furnishings. I love the painting over the fireplace. However, I’d like it better in another room. It looks like it was painted to match. I’d like to see something that is unexpected and punches up the color….but that’s just me.

  16. I’m living in an apartment and I don’t have a fireplace, I’m still saving to buy a house with a fireplace. What captures my eyes is your living room, I really love the design,it looks so classy. Thank you for inspiring me.

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