DIY Faux Fireplace

Well, it's been a long time but I finally have a few things I wanted to blog about. The first is my diy faux fireplace. I have always wanted to have a fireplace in my home so that I can decorate the mantel each season. Since I don't have a fireplace, I decided to create a faux one after being inspired by all of the faux fireplace ideas on pinterest. I also loved the idea of harnessing my creative energy to create different displays for the firebox depending on the season. Since Christmas is almost upon us, I decided this season was the perfect time to start this project because who doesn't love a festive fireplace mantel at this time of year! First I scoured kijiji for a few weeks looking for fireplace mantels that I could give a makeover and found this one:

I already knew I wanted to paint it white and happened to have white furniture paint patiently waiting for me in the basement. I washed the fireplace off with a damp cloth and once it had dried I lightly sanded it so the paint would adhere better. The paint I had was from the Beauti tone collection at Home Hardware and had the primer built into it which made it much easier. It took me 3 coats and probably could have used another coat but I loved how it looked and was tired of painting! Here's a progression of the fireplace as I painted it:

Once it was all done, my hubby helped me move it into the perfect spot in our living room. It still isn't finished because I want to cut the trim so it sits flush against the wall and also build a firebox and paint it with chalkboard paint. But one step at a time! Here it is all decorated for Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by!