Painted facing transforms plain fireplace into focal point

Q. We have just moved into a newbuild home. Our living-room fireplace is very plain, ultramodern and does not suit our more traditional style. Can you suggest how we can decorate it on a slim budget? We want to warm up our new home before the holidays. Thanks for your help.

A. The fireplace is generally the center of attention, the focal point of any room that it warms. There are many styles, depending on the materials used to build the facade.

First of all, decide if you want a light or dark front. You can then face the fireplace with wood panels or tiles. There are also faux brick and stone veneers available.

My choice for the fireplace shown here was a painted finish. I favored the elegant look of tumbled limestone, and laid real stone slabs for the hearth. The flat surface of the fiberboard surround and curved mantel were perfect for painting. I copied the colors of the real limestone in a stoneblocking finish that complements the pale walls and antique furnishings in the room. Here’s how to replicate the look.

Prime the surface with a high-adhesive primer, and let it dry.

Using 1/4-inch low-tack masking tape, tape off slightly irregular rectangles. Use a spirit level to make sure the rectangles are straight. This will be the color of the grout.

Mix three colored glazes — white and light and medium sand shades — using one part water-based glazing liquid to one part paint for each.

Apply the darker sand glaze first, using a small roller and moving in horizontal strokes. Cover three or four rectangles at a time. Follow with the lighter glaze, and finally the white glaze. The colors will blend together.

Dab over the paint with a soft rag to further blend the colors.

Fold a piece of plastic wrap horizontally; then open it and press it over the wet glaze to create tiny creases, different for each block.

Remove the tape, and let everything dry. Go over the grout lines with white paint and an artist’s brush. Make the grout lines slightly irregular for a more authentic look.

Q. Can you help me with updating my stone fireplace? I’ve heard of painting stone but am not sure that is the best solution. We do not use the fireplace, but we don’t want to seal it up because we’re thinking of selling the house down the road. Thank you.

A. Modern fireplaces tend to be lean, with minimal detail. They are often fitted flush to the wall and have no mantel. The beauty of these fireplaces comes from the type of flame — whether biofuel, gas or electric — and the facing. This facing can be made up of various metals, including brass and steel, striated wood planks or flat stone such as marble.

Your fieldstone fireplace is ageless, but it can appear heavy in a contemporary setting.

It’s a big job to remove the stone, and I wouldn’t suggest that. Instead, why not lighten it up by making a new surround using plywood or fiberboard to cover part of the stone, and also the stone that rises above the mantel to the ceiling? You won’t harm the stone, and it can be revealed in the future.

If you paint the stone, it is very difficult to remove the paint later.