How To Update Your Brick Fireplace

Just as a kitchen or bath need updating, so does the homeowner’s fireplace.  I’m often asked how to update this family focal point without giving the fireplace an extreme makeover.  Here is an example of a home in Mahwah that had a typical brick fireplace wall and slate hearth. We have all seen this look and most of the time it dates the home. Take a look at the pictures from a home in Mahwah and see what we did to their fireplace.  Let’s get started:

• In most instances there is no need to remove the brick.
• First, we sheetrocked over the brick and placed granite on the hearth and fireplace surround.
• But what makes this a little bit special is that we placed picture frame moulding strategically on the side recessed areas and over the center.  This alone has created your new “masterpiece”.
• Then I painted a mural inside the center box that the client felt was a view he could relate to.  This unique touch personalized the space, as opposed to just purchasing a painting and hanging it.
• This is a reasonably priced enhancement in contrast to removing the brick altogether. 
• Another quick fix to changing the look of your existing brick fireplace is to possibly paint the brick a color that will lend itself to the room.   Working a new color into the room can offer you a new perspective of color schemes to work with.
• And, last, you can distract your eye away from the brick by drawing your attention to the mantel.  Embellishing the mantle with decorative woodwork, such as adding corbels, can enhance the look, or the updating of accessories placed on the mantel and surrounding areas, can give you the feeling of something new.

Just do not feel despair.  There is always a solution within your budget. Here are some photos of mantels that we revamped to give a new fresh look to the homes.

This weekly Patch column, which looks at different homes in Mahwah for design inspiration, is written by Gina Avino, a Mahwah resident, interior designer and decorative painter, and Linda Wetterau, a Mahwah resident, floral designer and event planner, of Gina Avino Artistic Designs at 103 E. Main Street in Ramsey.

If you have a design question you'd like to see addressed in a future article, email the authors or visit their website.