However...as I was contemplating the process to install the doors, I realized how much I really disliked the ugly brick surround. I had painted it black awhile back, since 50+ years of smoke, dirt, and grim didn't really budge after several hours of scrubbing. I found a couple of gorgeous surrounds on Pinterest, and remarkably...convinced hubby that this would be a great project for us to tackle ourselves (our first time tiling anything...exciting!)
Of course, in order to tile over the ugly brick, we needed to take down the builder-grade, nondescript mantle. In case you're keeping track, here's our current to-list for this project:
- Rip out existing mantle
- Re-tile over ugly brick surround
- Build new mantle & install
- Install new set- of fireplace glass doors and screen
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Not so awful, but definitely doesn't add any excitement to the room |
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Step 2: Install the mosaic tile sheets (we chose a gray marble mosaic). Love the action shot - go hubby! |
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Steps 3 & 4: Grout the tile, and then install the new doors. HUGE improvement, and we haven't yet tackled the mantle. |
Now...on to the mantle design. We were going for something clean and classic (and hopefully, easy to build, since this is our first wood-working project!) This was our inspiration:
And here's what we came up with...
I'm a visual gal...always need a picture to keep me on track! |
Stay tuned to see how it all turns out!

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