Double Sided Fireplace Makeover
One of my favorite things about our new home is the double sided fireplace. It is such a statement and makes both the Dining room and the Living room extra cozy. I was taken with it from the moment we toured this home and couldn’t wait to make it our own.
The first thing we changed in this house was the mantel. It was visually very heavy and I really wanted to showcase how unique the curve lines on the fireplace were. It is wide at the bottom and tapers in towards the top. I felt like the large visual obstruction of the dark mantel took away from its shape.
After removing the mantels I was able to figure out that the fireplace was actually drywall which made my patching job much easier. I was able to use All Purpose Sheetrock to patch in the damage that was done by removing the corbels.
I decided I wanted to add character with Roman Clay. Roman clay is product that you trowel on and layer to create this textured plaster effect. You can choose many different colors but I choose a soft light taupe. I have really been leaning into color but I wanted the fireplace to remain somewhat neutral.
Here is what I did to get my Fireplace ready for Roman Clay:
- Patch damage
- Sand
- Apply Primer
After my Primer was dry I was ready to trowel on my Roman Clay. I ended up using a putty knife and it worked well. I wouldn’t suggest doing that for a large space. You work in small section and apply the Roman Clay in various directions for an organic look. After the first coat was dry I was ready to apply the second coat. Because this is a lighter color, it doesn’t show as much color variation like a darker color would but there is certainly movement in the color.
I used a larger putty knife to apply my second coat. It actually dries very quickly!
I decided that I wanted to color match the Roman Clay and have it mixed into Paint so I could paint both the hearth and trim piece a cohesive color.
I absolutely love how it turned out. Little by Little this home is really starting to feel like ours.
What do you think of the before and after?
