By Danielle Peterson

Mark Hetrick’s home was craving a remodel. “It is a late-1970s, early-1980s home and we wanted to bring the kitchen and living room up-to-date,” he says.  There was no doubt in Mark’s mind; the first thing that needed to change was the large brick wall surrounding his fireplace. His vision was to create a brighter, whiter backdrop for the fireplace and surround it with a more interesting mantel and hearth.

To begin, Mark nailed 1x2 pieces of wood to the brick wall. Once the wall was covered, Mark installed drywall over it and painted it the desired color. Using a roller makes painting an entire wall faster—and easier. 

When the wall was dry, Mark started working on the mantel. He and his wife had scoured local stores for inspiration. When Mark had an idea of what they wanted, he searched online for building plans. “I had to alter the plans a little so the mantel would fit our fireplace,” he says.  After ordering the lumber, Mark got to work piecing everything together and routing the decorative edges.

Before installing his new mantel, Mark added a slab of sandstone on the hearth. “Sandstone is much heavier than it looks, so have a plan for bringing it in the house!” Mark says. When he removed the top of the old hearth, a surprise awaited him. “All of the debris from constructing the brick wall was inside the hearth,” Mark says.

After a slight detour of hauling the waste out, Mark was able to continue his project. He placed the sandstone then installed the mantel. To complete the fireplace, Mark stained the entire mantel and used polyurethane to seal it. Overall, the whole project took about three weeks to complete, with the mantel taking one week.

Tip: Put insulation between the brick and new wall to keep the room warmer.

To see what Mark’s fireplace looked like originally, click here.

Not an experienced painter? Click here for everything you need to know!

Find other ways to makeover your fireplace here!