BRICK by BRICK

Trisha has many wonderful memories of her grandparents’ living room. By the time she moved in, however, the red brick fireplace was covered in black soot that proved difficult to remove. “It drove me nuts,” she admits, eventually deciding to paint it white. Deterred by the cost of lime wash, she decided to try a technique known as German schmear, which adds “an almost snowy look.” Here are Trisha’s tips for tackling this treatment:

1. Clean existing brick with vinegar and a scrub brush, removing as much soil as possible. Rinse and let dry.

2. Using a metal scraper, smear joint compound onto the bricks. Think like an artist and do what looks right to you.

3. Brush joint compound onto the mortar lines. Trisha achieved success with a paintbrush with bristles that just fit between the bricks. “I tried a piping bag filled with the joint compound first but found the paintbrush technique works better,” she reports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE RESOURCE GUIDE, PAGE 112.

A fall garland emphasizes the distinctive European-style headboard in the master bedroom, an area that was once a screened porch. Trisha dresses the bed with washed linen duvet covers and pillows featuring pretty pleating and positions a classic bench at the foot. The salvaged door came from Chicago and now leads in to the master bath.

Right: Fall garlands cover the utilitarian chains of the porch swing, injecting harvest colors to Trisha’s porch decor. She added more seasonal style with an eye-catching vertical sign and bold pillows. ★

Top: Trisha’s grandparents built the ranchstyle home in 1963, and her dad grew up there. The Hiatts “beefed up” the front porch, including widening the columns and painting the door a cheerful cherry red.

Above: With the fall decorating on her front porch coming together nicely, Trisha carves out some time with her Pomeranian pal, Bronco Aspen, to make the most of a rare “sweater weather” day.