Retro Restoration of the Month: February diy Fireplace
How to renovate and install a new fireplace without spending any money.
well hardly any…
Take one unloved, inherited with the house, old fireplace…that has been painted many colours….
and smash it all to pieces…(actually we gave it to someone) but I would have enjoyed smashing it up!.
You are then left with an ugly hole in the wall
Like this;
Next source an unwanted railway sleeper,
Locate one’s ‘talented other half” usually to be found ‘brewing’ stuff in the garage.
Ask for help with carpentry to match the design that can be found in my head!
After “making good” surrounding area and ugly hole in wall, fix finished railway sleeper securely in place.
Live with it like this for a few months during the summer.
Until the weather becomes cold enough to want a ‘real’ fire.
Locate one’s ‘talented other half” still to be found ‘brewing’ stuff in the garage.
Ask him to line fireplace with ‘fire bricks’ in order to have a real fire.
Whilst said fire bricks are ‘going off” technical term for cement setting hard.
(See darling I do occasionally listen!)
Consider the next phase of project management.
Tiling and hearth…….
Tiles = 1 box of plain white + 6 vintage tiles from ebay.
The hearth is a huge piece of welsh slate we found at a reclamation yard for about £90 inc vat.
You can see it in the next pic.
Get ready for tiling….
For approval purposes the toh did a ‘mock up’ of how the tiles would look!
Clever or what?
So on with the tiling….as you can see some of which was done just before christmas.
Then some grouting…..nearly there
The toh then whipped up a galvanised metal surround, I requested brass screws as fixings… all in keeping with the ‘Industrial look’ I am loving right now.
Finished!
from this to this….
We now have a new fireplace with a retro industrial look.
Note the brass screws below…
I love it, truly truly love it,
by day……
and of course at night…..
Bestest Monday evening wishes to you
Come warm yourself by the fire…..
