Every fireplace has its own personality. There are ones that are ostentatious and flamboyant and others that are reserved and unassuming. The trick is to make the fireplace in your home look like it’s YOUR Fireplace – one that fits your personality and taste.
Your existing fireplace can be made over to have an altogether different look. Everything can change!
Color can change. Texture can change.
Where the fireplace lands on a spectrum from rustic to refined – that can change too. It’s all a matter of having the right materials and proper techniques.
Rather than list all of the kinds of changes that can be made, let’s just say that there are a few things that cannot be changed.
We are not talking here about merely painting the fireplace to change its look. We are talking about changing the style of the fireplace. We are talking about your existing fireplace creating a different presence in the room.
Get Inspired
See what others have done. View before and after photographs to inspire your imagination for the kind of change you want. Search through photos on Houzz and Pinterest.
Find a Theme
See if you can deduce a theme that captures your personal preference, such as “All of the fireplaces that I like have a painted mantel and painted vertical components on each side of the firebox.”
Or
“I like a brick fireplace, but only if the brick is unpainted.”
Or
“My fireplace must be unique, I don’t want it to look like anyone else’s.”
Once you know what you like, you can make some specific plans for changing your fireplace.
Analyze Your Personality and Taste
Here’s one more thing that’s important on this topic. Some people struggle to discover their favorite look in a fireplace. That’s okay. It indicates that your taste is broad rather than narrow.
If this is true for you, the goal should be to list the things that you don’t like. Here are some examples of personal preference themes of people with taste in fireplaces that is broad.
“I don’t really care what color the wood on my fireplace is, I just don’t want it painted; I prefer the look of stained wood.”
Or
“Brick is fine & stone is fine. I just would rather see natural looking materials instead of man-made tile on my fireplace.”
Or
“I don’t care about anything else, I just don’t want my fireplace to be dark. I need it to not be ominous or a heavy presence in the room.”
In Conclusion
In some other home, there might be preferences that are exactly the opposite of these opinions. As they say, taste is a personal matter. Find your specific style!
