Brick Fireplace Makeover
Today I’m sharing our brick fireplace makeover with AirStone! It was so simple that I did most of it myself!
I am SO excited to be sharing our brick fireplace makeover with AirStone! If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know what weβve been up to around here since Iβve been sharing the progress with you in my stories!
Iβve partnered with AirStone for this project. All opinions are my own.
I have always loved the look of stone. I mean, stone just makes me swoon! There is something about the feel and the texture that exudes warmth and comfort, and ever since we bought this English Cottage Revival-style home, I just knew that one day I would have to incorporate stone somewhere in this house.
Just recently I shared about our home exterior here, and how we were able to add stone to our front porch this summer. While I loved the look of stone on the outside of our home, I still wanted it somewhere on the inside, and the most obvious place for us to incorporate it was our fireplace.
Because there are clear views of the fireplace from our entry, sunroom, dining space and kitchen, I knew that adding stone here would provide that cottage-y, rustic warmth that I’m seeking to achieve throughout my entire home.
I probably began looking at options for stone about a year ago, and it wasnβt long before I discovered AirStone on Pinterest. I was very intrigued by the fact that it looked like real stone, yet weighed 75% less. After reading through several tutorials and seeing just how easy it was to install, I decided to contact AirStone and before I knew it, I had several boxes sitting in my living room!
Today Iβm going to share our brick fireplace makeover with you, step by step. Here are the materials we used for this project:
- Level
- Putty Knife
- Miter Saw with Masonry Blade
- Scrap 1×4βs at various lengths
Before we begin, here’s a before picture of our fireplace:
When we bought this house, the brick had already been painted white. Last year I painted it gray, and while I liked the contrast in color, I loved the idea of stone even more.
For this project, we chose AirStoneβs newest color, Birch Bluff. Each box contains a combination of white, gray and beige stones.
Before you apply any stone to your surface, itβs wise to open some boxes and sort your stone according to the color of the plastic wrap. It helped us to stay more organized and keep better track of which colors we were using.
Once we had a few boxes sorted, we followed the installation instructions and started with the row directly above the fireplace opening.
We chose thinner pieces for this row, and applied the adhesive to the stone with a putty knife just as you would apply frosting to a cupcake. We made sure to level each stone in this first row, as well.
My husband held these pieces into place only a few seconds before letting go, and we never experienced sagging or sliding.
As we worked our way down, some of the larger pieces did slide slightly. Scrap 1×4 works perfect for supports if you need them. Youβll see what I mean in just a moment!
In order to save time, we chose to use our miter saw with a masonry blade for cutting the AirStone, rather than a hacksaw. It was so much faster and since our fireplace required a lot of cuts, the miter saw really helped to speed up the process.
I failed to take pictures of my husband actually cutting the stone, but as we were cleaning and finishing up I snapped a quick picture of the saw and blade we used for reference.
The corners were fairly simple, you just want to be sure that you keep them wrapped until youβre ready to use them. Since each beveled piece has a matching primary stone, you donβt want to lose track of your mates.
The beveled piece will be the last stone in your row, and itβs mate will meet up perfectly to create a 90 degree corner.
We chose to cut some of the beveled corner pieces down in length so that they werenβt all matching. I think this helped to give the fireplace a more natural look.
If youβre reading this tutorial and youβre concerned about the level of experience this product requires, let me share a few photos with you.
This is where my husband and I stopped on day one:
The next day while my husband was at work, I laid the boys down for afternoon naps and decided to try and work on the fireplace myself. When my husband came home, he couldnβt believe how much Iβd accomplished. Since my hands were covered in adhesive and dust, he took a picture of the progress I had made in just a few hours:
Now, since we had just applied stone to our front porch a few weeks prior to this project, I did have some experience working with stone, but not much. Applying AirStone was honestly so simple! The most difficult part was covering the stone corbels that jut out to support the mantle.
(Iβm calling them corbels, if you know the correct terminology please let me know! Haha!)
Before we tackled the top part of the fireplace, my husband tore out the existing cove molding that surrounded the brick.
I worked my way to the top and made sure that the main body of the fireplace was completed first before starting on the corbels.
We used beveled edge pieces and cut them at various lengths vertically to created a staggered look. We also had to cut them horizontally in order to cover the brick but avoid any overhang. On the bottom row of the corbel, I didnβt use any matching primary stones. Since these stones were heavier, I used scrap 1×4 to support them and keep them from sliding down.
For the middle and top row of each corbel we used primary stone mates to pair with the beveled stone front pieces, just like the other corners of the fireplace. Eventually I ran out of wood, so I used whatever I could get my hands on to support each row. Mop and broom handles worked just fine! We let the adhesive set for just a few hours before removing the supports.
To give the fireplace a more finished look, my husband once again added cove molding where the stone met the mantle. I taped off the stone and painted it white to match the other builtins.
I couldnβt be more happy with the results! What do you guys think?!
I just the love the rustic warmth that the stone creates in my living room!
The color combination is so beautiful, and I love that itβs so much lighter and brighter than the dark gray brick it was before.
Every time I see my fireplace now, I just smile so big! Cheesy, I know!! I just can’t believe that I finally have a stone fireplace!
I love coming downstairs to this view! π
I also love the fact that I can look over from washing dishes or eating at our table, and still see the stone. π
So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this fireplace makeover using AirStone. Here’s one more before and after:
Now I canβt help but wonder, where else can I use AirStone in my home?? Ha!! Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and thanks for reading!!
UPDATE – To see how I used the “german schmear” technique on our fireplace, click here!
Wow! It looks fabulous! I just found your blog and love your style.
Terry thank you so much! I appreciate your message more than you know! π
The fireplace is beautiful. What is the color name of your stone? Is it the Grey or Birch?
Thank you so much, it is Birch.
Beautiful job!! It makes a big difference!! I love your curtains as well(window treatments). Where did you purchase them from?
Thank you so much!:) The curtains are from Target but I’m not sure if they sell them anymore π A few people have told me they haven’t been able to find them!
This is fabulous! Where did you find the hangers for your lanterns? Thank you!
Kimberly thank you so much! I apologize for the late response. The hangers came from a local shop nearby and I actually purchased the last two that they had! I’m so sorry, I know that’s no help to you! I have seen people use curtain rod hooks for lanterns though, and they actually look very similar! π
Love those grey walls! What color/brand paint is that?
Thank you! The color is Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams. π
It looks beautiful, Andrea! Your home is lovely! Would love to know where you found the wall hooks and lanterns on either side of your tv. Thanks!
Thank you so much Alicia! I apologize for the late response here, thank you for reaching out on Instagram!! π
Hello! Love your fireplace you guys did an amazing job! I love the mantle too! Did you make that or buy it I love the cut outs for the cable boxes ect… love!!
Elizabeth you are so sweet, thank you!! I actually drew the design for my husband and he built the tv cabinet and builtins on each side! I do plan on writing a blog post one day to explain how we did it. Thanks again! π
Lovely I had never seen this product and didn’t know it could be attached on brick, vs a totally flat wall. Do you have an idea what the entire project cost? Also, what does it feel like when you touch it? Can you easily tell that is is faux stone when you are close to it? Does it dent or chip? Thanks
Hi Hilary! Thank you for reading my blog! I’m not exactly sure on the product cost since our makeover was sponsored by AirStone, but they do provide a calculator on their website that should be able to help you with that! It honestly feels just like stone! I have been told that it looks like quartzite. π We haven’t had any problems with dents or chips either. Overall we are very happy with the product!
Hello! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a extraordinary job!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words! π
I think it is really lovely! Could you also cover the tile in front of the fireplace so it matches or would it not be good to do on the floor? I would think that for a tiny area that doesnβt get stepped on it would be okay. It must be safe around fire right. Just amazing the transformation and so pretty!
Hi Karen! Thank you for reading my blog! I don’t think I can cover the tile with airstone since it would get stepped on frequently. We would need a tile with less texture and a smoother surface. But yes, we have thought about using something different on the floor so that it matches better! Maybe in the future! π
Your remodel is lovely. Where did you purchase the fireplace screen? It’s at such a nice touch to the room.
Thank you Mya! I actually scored my screen at Goodwill, but it was new with Target tags. π I hope that helps!
Hello- Did you have to clean the brick or prep the brick prior to putting the stone on?
Hi Amy! Actually no, I didn’t clean or prep my brick at all, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to clean your surface before applying the stone! π
Hi I love the fireplace – can you tell me where you found the screen ?
Thank you
Hi Brenda! I scored my screen at Goodwill, but it was new with Target tags! I hope that helps! π
The air stone is heat safe to use the fire place? I have been looking for a product to cover my brick fireplace with and keep getting told that most adhesives are guaranteed to be β heat β safe if we used the fireplace.
Hi Jill! I apologize for the late response. The AirStone website says this –
“AirStone is non-flammable, non-combustible and safe to use around wood stoves and fireplaces. It has a Class A rating in accordance with ASTM E-84 standards. When exposed to extreme temperatures (over 360 degrees F), certain lighter tones may be prone to discoloration.
AirStone Interior Adhesive is rated up to a temperature of 120ΛF, and Loctite PL Premium Construction Adhesive is rated up to a temperature of 160ΛF.”
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any further questions! π Thanks so much for visiting!
Do you think this stone would work well with tan walls also? Or is it primarily gray? Thanks!
Hi Kelsey!
Yes! I have actually contemplated painting my living room a more tan color, believe it or not! The stone has both gray and tan tones. Hope that helps! π
Hi Andrea!
Love your ideas so much! Can you tell me where you purchased the fireplace cover? Iβve been in search of something very similar for a long time!
Best regards
Hi Christina! I found the screen at Goodwill, but it was actually new with Target tags! Hope that helps π Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
We’re a bunch of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your site offered us with valuable info to work on. You have done a formidable task
and our whole neighborhood can be thankful to you.
Hi! Love this and want to do this for our fireplace. We would be covering over existing tile. Just wondering if you can let me know how long the project took (approximately) from start to finish? Thank you!
Hey Heather!! Thank you! I would say we worked on the stone maybe three days total? But that is bc we had to stop for the kids etc. If I could work nonstop, it probably would have been done in a day no problem! I actually did most of the stone wall in the kitchen in an afternoon during nap time! π Hope that helps! π
I LOVE everything about this stone. I have been looking for ALONG time for this look. Can you tell me the βcolorβ or βnameβ of the air stone?i want to replicate it exactly.
Aww yay!! The color we went with is “Birch Bluff” π Hope that helps!
Just stunning. I plan on doing this to tha entire wall behind my electric fireplace in this exact color, and I plan on the Schmear too! Thanks for such a great idea.
You do such a lovely job creating a beautiful home! I am wondering what happened to the German schmear tutorial? Thank you!
Thank you so so much! Here is a link for that post https://www.pineandprospecthome.com/use-german-schmear-technique-stone/