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Fireplace Remodeling (Update your fireplace)

We invite you to take a look at some of our clients’ remodeling projects. We have provided before and after photos and, in some cases, have been able to share with you what the project entailed. In some cases, just a new fireplace mantel was installed; in other cases, new facing material was installed. Facing material can either be installed over the current facing material, or you can remove the old material and replace it with new facing material. Many do-it-yourselfers will not only tackle the installation of the new fireplace mantel but will also install the facing material around the fireplace.

There are many choices for facing materials: brick, tile, granite, and marble to name a few.

In the following examples you are going to see truly great transformations ranging from simple to the truly elaborate. These before and after photos will show you how you change the look of your room by just adding a simple mantel shelf. While you take a look at what some of clients have done in their homes, we remind you it is not always necessary to totally remodel the room in order to make a big difference in the look and feel of the fireplace.

We are always here to answer any questions that you might have as you consider remodeling your fireplace area. Please contact us either by phone, email or with our online chat service.

Benvie Remodel Project

This project was a fireplace in a pre-Revolutionary War home. The client prepared the surface for the black marble so that the new surface was flush with the drywall. He also had to prepare the hearth area so that when the new marble was installed, it too was level with the hardwood floor. Sheetrock was also installed over the bricked area so that the whole wall outside the mantel could be painted. The client used a deep red on the wall to bring out the white in the Cobblestone mantel that he chose. We customized the mantel with ‘fluted’ moldings and used a paintable wood, which was finished on site.

Benvie Fireplace Before Remodeling

Benvie Fireplace After Remodeling

DiBitetto Remodel Project

This fireplace mantel was part of a total room remodel. As you can see from the ‘before’ picture, the fireplace was surrounded by brick and the area was dark and gloomy. The client had the whole wall around the fireplace refaced and painted white, which really brightened up the room. Additionally, they moved the television from the bookcase area to above the fireplace area—which is being done quite frequently. They also added bookshelves to the area on the left where the television had previously been. A nice finishing touch was to replace the dated hearth bricks with black granite and put the black granite around the fireplace.

The fireplace mantel used in this remodel was the Cobblestone. It was constructed of our paintable wood and painted white on site to match the other paint in the client’s project.

DiBitetto Fireplace Before Remodeling

fireplace during remodeling DiBitetto Fireplace Before Mantel Placement

DiBitetto Fireplace After Remodeling

Featherstone Remodel Project

This is an example of a straight forward mantel installed in a new construction situation. In this case, the client had a room addition. The client followed our ‘how to measure guide’ to determine the inside opening width and height that he needed in order to reveal the marble surround that he had chosen for the fireplace opening. The client chose our Jackson mantel that we finished in white, which worked very nicely with all the other white trim in his room addition.

Featherstone Fireplace Before Remodeling

Featherstone Fireplace After Remodeling

Lewis Remodel Project

This customer contacted us when he wanted to remodel the fireplace area to include what is known as an ‘overmantel’—a popular trend when mounting a flat screen television above the fireplace. He wanted us to custom build a mantel to frame the television area to match the then-current mantel on the bottom. When we showed him the mantel design for the top, he decided to have our company go ahead and build two mantels for the area—one to replace the existing and one to match. While our version was similar to the old version, the finished products matched perfectly.

The television area had been recessed to accommodate a deep television, and in the remodel, the client had that area framed in to allow for a flat screen with speakers. When the upper mantel was constructed, we covered the frame below the television with speaker fabric that he supplied. We built the mantel on the bottom to the exact measurements as the one we replaced, and built the upper mantel so that it rested perfectly on top of the mantel that surround the fireplace.

The styles used in this remodel project were the Georgian style. They were painted white to match the other wood trim in the room.

Lewis Fireplace Before Remodeling

fireplace during remodeling Lewis Fireplace Before Mantel Placement

Lewis Fireplace After Remodeling

Meduri Remodel Project

This is an example of “what a difference a mantel” makes! This area was just crying out for a fireplace shelf; it was a challenge though, since the mantel had to be constructed to fit around the wall. It was imperative that the measurements of the wall were precise. This client chose one of our shelf styles (the Bentley), and we customized it to fit the wall area perfectly. Once hung, the customer was able to display lots of pictures and other treasures for easy viewing.

Meduri Fireplace Before Remodeling

fireplace with shelf remodeling Meduri Fireplace After Remodeling

fireplace with shelf remodeling, another view Meduri Fireplace After Remodeling, Another View

Shaefer Remodel Project

This customer contacted us when he saw that we could build custom mantels. He had seen a cast stone fireplace that he liked and wanted it built out of wood. Using a CAD system, he was able to transfer a similar mantel image and scale it down to suit his area. Because the overall dimensions (height, width, and inside opening of the mantel) were the only critical measurements, we were able to make minor adjustments to the CAD drawing and come up with a finished product that fit the area, and were able to replicate the mantel in wood to his specifications. While the finished mantel is very similar to our Jackson mantel, we had to have the columns’ circumference adjusted slightly. If you compare the two styles, you will notice that our Jackson’s columns extend to just underneath the shelf; in this client’s custom version, the columns rest just underneath the header.

While not a major renovation, there was a major difference in the way the whole area looked with the new mantel. Before, there was a dark shelf above the fireplace area. The new white mantel brightens up the whole room.

Shaefer Fireplace Before Remodeling

Shaefer Fireplace with Custom Mantel Remodel

Shaefer Fireplace Detail