How to update this stone fireplace?

Hi there,

Personally I love it, and if I didn't I'd dismantle it and use the stone in the garden! But, you could dry brush stipple it a lighter colour or colours! Or Box it out and finish as desired. (Tile or Timber, Paint, Plaster, Panel) Best of luck......

you have a few options:

1, paint the stone and grout lines white and paint the seating stones and the mantle a dark grey. Skill level easy. I'd try this first as its easy and cheap and if you don't like it you can then move to the other options, listed below. $

2, Fill in around the stones with a cement mix, use a piping bag to get in-between the stones. Then rub it back with a damp sponge to smooth it out, this would get rid of the big stone look by filling in the gaps. You could leave it to dry a light cement grey or paint it latter once its completely dry. $$

3, Remove the stone and resurface. skill level hard $$$

4, Reframe the fireplace and then resurface with a fire retardant material- skill level hard. $$$

jmc if it is just the darkness you dislike try just painting it white that will brighten It up quite a bit, I would try that first before you tackle a full tear down which would be time consuming, costly, and very messy, kope this helps xx

I personally love the stone.. maybe if you replaced the mantle with reclaimed beam, update fireplace glass and to brighten the area accent mantel and hearth with old country crocks. Good Luck!

I have the same fireplace but hated my mantle I distressed 1”x4” ( you would use whatever size you need to cover yours ) to make a faux front I used door skin for the top of mantle so it wouldn’t get that chunky look. I stained it all in Minwax provincial stain to give it that rustic feel and attached it to my existing mantle I then painted my insert black with heat paint and I love it. Now it all looks like it belongs together.

This is an option, I stained my rock fireplace at least 10 years ago... has held up very nicely... maybe these aren't the colors for you, but it will give you an idea... mine looked very similar o yours... I first cleaned all the old soot off, then just stained using various colors... very easy

We’ve been house hunting and have seen a few of these fireplaces. I myself am not a fan other than in a lodge setting. I have seen several painted and , just my opinion, they looked awful. Especially the one painted white. Like everything else its a matter of personal taste. Your best bet if you dislike it so much is probably to box it out to your own taste. I was told that some fireplaces are expensive to remove as they go right down to the foundations of a house. Good luck!

we recently moved from a large home w not one but three of the same fireplaces! Because of the mess and expense I just faux painted all the darkest stones Watered down acrylic paint the color of lightest stones and sponged You don't say what exactly you don't like Color,Hearth? anyway best of luck

Before, middle and complete

Here it is with the insert painted

How about stucco over the rock? Stain the mantle darker. Paint the stucco or use colored stucco. ...I like the rock, just think it is too dark and the mantle too light... Good luck! Let us know what you do, OK?

I've just moved and the house I moved into has the same type of fireplace. I thought it was so ugly but my daughters loved it. I don't have the money to replace it at this time so I had the house painters paint over it with a color called "formal grey" and I had them paint the mantel a couple of shades darker than the rocks. It looks MUCH better than what is was and it will stay that way until I can get the funds to rip it out and replace it. Best of luck.