Transforming the fireplace

We're in the process of transforming a cheap electric fireplace that we got from Home Depot into a French antique.   We bought it because it was on sale and the scale of it was right for the room and it had a kind of old fashioned look that we thought would go with the 1898 Yukon Street house.

It stood in the living room all winter and although it kept the room cozy, by spring we decided that we didn't like it.  I wish I could show you what we started with but (as usual) I forgot to take the "before" picture. It was solid black and around the firebox inside the wooden arch there were some plastic panels meant to look like marble, but very fake.  The bottom of the fireplace was a narrow board also painted black.

To begin the transformation we found some small red tiles for the inner part and Ben created a larger "hearth" that he also tiled.  Harry created a wooden edge to the hearth.  Then Jane taught me her secret antiquing  techniques using brush, hammer and nails, rags and paint and varnish.  I still have to complete the tiles with brown grout but I couldn't wait to show you the transformation. It's been a joint effort for sure.

 

I think it's starting to look like something we found in the French countryside.  I bet nobody (but you) will ever know it came from Home Depot.