This baby was a long time in the making. I started thinking about changing out our fireplace tile almost two years ago and labored over the decision for months. Our old fireplace tile wasn’t awful – it just wasn’t my style and kinda stuck out like a sore thumb in our space. And our old mantel was a measly 5″ deep which made it hard to decorate since there wasn’t enough space to layer art or accessories. After finally deciding to say bye-bye to the old fireplace, picking out tile for the new one, designing a new mantel, and painting and styling it up, our new fireplace is finally done!
Do you guys remember the “before”?
As much as I love blue and white, this tile just didn’t do much for me (and it wasn’t original Delft tile – it was a reproduction). And the old fireplace surround was dated and pretty much flat as a pancake in profile:
The new one has a whole lot more dimension:
And of course the star of the show is the tile – it’s Sterling Row Wingtip tile c/o Walker Zanger and I’m pretty much obsessed with it. The colors, pattern, and natural feel of the wood grain finish are all right up my alley.
And since my fireplace is all fancy now, it needed a little mantel styling makeover too. I raided my hoard closet of accessories for most of what I ended up using – some of you long-time readers might recognize the background of the horse photo as a bulletin board I made for the kitchen in our old house. Swapping out art or prints will be as easy as pinning them to the board – love that! I stole the botanical print from our home office gallery wall (now I need to find a replacement!) and snagged the pair of stirrups from the saddle I still have from my riding days.
The round mirror was an IKEA find – I sanded it a bit to lighten up the finish:
The feather art was a two minute DIY (the feathers are stuck on to white textured cardstock with glue dots) and the deer print was a downloadable print bought on Etsy.
The star seed pod was found {here} (affiliate link) – it usually sits on my living room ottoman but I like it better in its new spot:
I think I’m probably the only gal in blogland with a fireplace that hasn’t been decked out for the holidays yet so guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow? I need to get a move-on because my Christmas house tour is on tap next week!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Stunning! I have brick under my mantel (painted white 20 years ago) but now I want to tile it. Happy Friday
Thank you so much Mary Beth!
Absolutely Stunning!!! Love that tile!!
Thanks for sharing in my excitement about it Stacy!
this was worth the wait! i remember you scheming about this a while ago, and wow!!! that tile couldn’t be more “kris” than it is! and it’s styled so beautifully!
Thanks Cassie! I agree that it’s about as “me” as it could get – if I could design a tile to be exactly what I wanted to be, this would be it!
Beautiful ……very classy…..boy that blue and white belonged in a bedroom or bath…I can’t believe it was picked out for a fireplace …..I’ve hated my fireplace from the first day I saw it….faux stone was supposed to look like driftwood …..well the contractor didn’t get me to look at it before install and it was already done by the time I got to the house….charcoal and dark and looks like it belongs to the Flintstones….. Wish me luck….I love Miss Mustard seed milk paint and YOU….look forward to my emails from you and Marian eveyday….thank you, and Happy Holidays…
Dawn you totally crack me up with your Flintstones fireplace 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind words – your comment truly made my day!
Kris! It looks SO good! I’ve been smitten with that tile for awhile now, and your accessories are perfect! I love your bulletin board – so smart. Well done – that fireplace has come a long way!
Thank you Jenny – remember that YOUR blog was the one where I first saw this line of Walker Zanger tile. So excited to finally have my planning turn into reality 🙂
Kris, it GORGEOUS! That tile is absolutely stunning and I love how substantial the whole fireplace looks now. You did an amazing job styling it and I can’t wait to see what you do for Christmas!
Cheers!
Shelley
You’re so sweet Shelley – thank you! I had big plans for Christmas art, etc. but I literally just got the mantel all accessorized this past week and didn’t have it in me to redo it again so quickly. So not much is going to change other than some greenery and stockings 🙂
I know you must have mentioned it earlier, but what paint did you use for the mantel and trim? What a Transformation! And those tiles! Wow.
Hi Karen! I actually used a custom paint color for the mantel and trim – it was leftover paint from painting my kitchen island and it ended up being a good match with the existing baseboards in my living room so I went with what I had!
Kris it came out so beautifully! That tile is amazing and I love the new chunkier mantle and the clean lines of the surround. So pretty!
Thank you Lisa! I seriously cannot wait to see yours!!
Such an awesome transformation Kris! That tile is a show stopper! Can’t wait to see it all decked out for Christmas!
Thanks so much Denise!
Kris, your new fireplace looks amazing!! It’s so YOU!!! I know you’ll be sitting in there with your coffee…and wine…and swooning until the cows come home :)!! Enjoy. It’s a wonderful transformation. Love your accessories as well. Happy Holidays!
Thank you Denise – yes, the one worry I had in doing it is that it is SO me that maybe it isn’t generic enough for when it’s time to sell the house but I loved it so much that I just went for it. I swear that life has been too busy for me to sit down and swoon over anything lately but I can’t WAIT to do just that over Christmas break!
What a transformation. A beautiful stage for your Christmas décor. Love it.
Thank you so much Susan!
Kris this is divine! That tile is scrumptious as well;) I love using what you have as well as meaningful items that tell a story…perfect! Cannot wait to see what you do for the holidays!
So sweet of you Marley – thank you!
Absolute stunning. You have a good eye for portions and color. Love your style and taste. What I like best is that you style on a budget.
Thank you Simone! The tiling job ended up being a tough one (my original fireplace wasn’t in great condition) and was more than expected so keep the mantel accessories on a tight budget was a must! 🙂
Love it and the new vignette. Gorgeous
Thanks so much Marty!
SO excited for you!! Always nice to stand back and admire the latest update in our homes. The tile is stunningly handsome. You will enjoy the chunky mantle to decorate for the holidays and seasons to come. Light a fire in the fireplace curl up and enjoy the view. ???? – Sharon
Thank you Sharon – the first half of this month has me running, but once it slows down, I can’t wait to be curled up in a blanket on that couch with a fire roaring in our new fireplace!
Gorgeous, Kris! I LOVE the tile.
Thank you Sherry!!
What a fantastic transformation! J would love to do something similar at my house and loose my skinny brick mantel. Did you hire a contractor to do all the work? I would not know who to call to help me re-do my brick fireplace. Thank you. I love your style!
Hi Jennifer – yes, I considered doing a DIY but ended up hiring out and am so glad I did because the tiling job ended up being a challenge even for my expert tilers (our old fireplace was horribly uneven so they had to go to great lengths to get it flat and level for tiling. I also had a contractor build the mantel and surround but I specified the design and the molding and did the caulking, nail hole filling, and painting to save a few bucks. To redo your brick fireplace, I would call someone who does tile – they should be able to give you an idea of what you can do with it and how much it would cost!
Wow….your fireplace is absolutely stunning! I love the tile!! I also love the paint color on the wall. Can you tell me what color it is and who makes it?
Thank you! Sure, it’s a slightly tweaked version of Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray. For the exact formula, click on the pic of our dining room (which is painted the same color) under the House Tour tab on my blog.
Yes, the tile is the star but YOU have the vision and style! I love the new clean lines if the wood, too. Happy decorating for Christmas. I can’t wait to see your flair.
You’re so kind Meredith – thank you! Sometime thinks don’t always end up looking like I envisioned them but this one definitely did so I’m pretty excited about it 🙂
I knew it was gonna be fabulous, but oh, my, I’m so jealous on how great it turned out (far better than my imagination)! You styled it perfectly too!
Vel, thank you, thank you!!!
Simply gorgeous! I love your tile selection and mantle pieces. Can’t wait to read your blog next week!
Thanks – I sure hope you’re not disappointed – I kept it pretty simple this year!
Kris,
This looks wonderful. I love the tile. I also love the way the over mantle turned out. You styled it beautifully. Great improvement.
xo,
Karen
P.S. not that the other fireplace was ugly! 🙂
Thank you for sharing in my excitement over our new fireplace! I would have loved our old one in someone else’s house, just not mine 🙂
OH MY, that tile and your styling!!!! The end!
Thank you Pam – I really didn’t realize how much that old tile bothered me until it was replaced with the new one!
Kris I loved seeing this post and your new fireplace! This is exactly what I need to do, as mine is flat as well with virtually no mantel top ledge!
Thank you so much for sharing !!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Books for the Holidays!
Then you must know my pain in trying to style or accessorize a mantel that has almost no ledge – near to impossible, right?!
Oh yum, Kris. That tile is delicious! Your new fireplace is simply gorgeous.
Thank you Suzy!!
Beautiful Kris. Love, love the tile you chose!
Thanks so much Kristi!
Beautiful…..that tile is everything….I love it!
Thanks Sherry – I’m pretty psyched on it 🙂
So pretty…much better. And the Walker Zanger tile is gorgeous… timeless, elegant and classic.
Thank you Mary Ann! I sooo appreciate your help with figuring out the order for me – I owe you bigtime!!
yep, I’ll be dreaming of that mantle for a long time! Oh my goodness LOVE that tile! So unique and looks like it was made for your home!
xoxo,
Shauna
That looks a lot better! Love the tile and the cute framed feathers!
Thanks so much Amanda! Happy new year!
STUNNING!!!!! That tile is gorgeous!!!!! Awesome job!
Thanks so much Samantha – it’s one of my favorite-ever projects. I appreciate you sharing in my excitement about it 🙂 Happy new year!
Hi Kris,
I was wondering what color and brand of paint did you use for your walls?
Hi Erica – the walls are a slightly tweaked version of Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray – the exact formula is at the end of this post: http://www.drivenbydecor.com/house-tour-dining-room
Your fireplace is gorgeous. I have a mirror above mine but have been wanting to add a few frames around it for a while. I LOVE your feather piece you did…can you tell me where you found the feathers? They are the perfect colors for my family room! Thanks!
Thank you Jenny! I actually had found those feathers at the Country Living Fair a while back. I know Michaels sells feathers but I’m not sure if they’re similar to mine. You might also want to try http://www.etsy.com. Have a good night!
It looks like you have 8 foot ceilings. What is the height of your mantle? I am trying to decide how high to mount mine? I love what you did! Hope mine turns out as wonderful!
Hi Tracy! We actually have only 7 1/2 foot ceilings (it’s an older New England home) – our mantel is about 56″ up from the floor. Good luck with your project!
where did you get the white Mantel? I love it!
Hi Gina! My contractor built the mantel for me – it was a basic framework and then I chose some decorative moldings to dress it up!
Hi Kris,
I’m actually about to redo our fireplace surround as well. I had picked out some tile similar to yours that I love. The existing tile is a boring square ceramic tile that they had actually taken into the firebox a couple of inches. Is the inside edge of yours tiled in a solid blac/dark gray or is it painted ?
Hi Melanie! I had the same situation where there was tile on the inside edge too. We ended up putting in one solid long rectangular piece of tile on each side – it’s a dark color so it just kinda blends in. Hope that helps!
Love the whole look! Would you mind sharing the name of the paint color on the walls?
Oops…I found it in an earlier post. Thank you!
Sorry it took me a while to get back to you! Sounds like you found it but just in case you didn’t see the post with the exact formula (if you want that) it’s at the bottom of this post: http://www.drivenbydecor.com/house-tour-dining-room
Hi! I love your fireplace and everything else you do! Your site and your ideas have been my guidepost for our house makeover and renovations. Our next move is a new fireplace. What is the depth of your new mantle shelf?
Hi Melissa, our new mantel shelf is 9 5/8″ deep which is close to double the depth that we originally had. Good luck with your renovations!
Hi,
You have got some skills in dressing your home. We would like to create a replica of your new fire place. The tile colours will match our suite, so it’s perfect. Can I ask, did you make the surround or purchase it. If you made it, what was the process please?? Did you for example buy a basic surround and then add the architrave type bits? We love the beef’d up-ness of the surround. The fireplace whole isn’t actually that large, but you have made a really large feature fireplace. I look forward to your response!!
Hi Rebekah! My contractor built my fireplace surround for me – I looked at premade surrounds but none of them fit the size and style of what I was looking for so he built it based on my specifications and my molding choices. Good luck with your project – hope you love the result!
Can you please tell me where you found that gorgeous tile (and maybe the name of it or the manufacturer)? I am in LOVE with that tile and have never seen anything like it!
Claudia it’s from Walker Zanger’s Sterling Row collection!
I love this surround tile! Is it hard to work with? How many sq feet did you need to order? Thanks!
Hi Sher! Unfortunately I can’t remember how many square feet of tile we used since it’s been almost two years since I did this project. It comes in sheets which makes application easier – I had it installed by professional tilers and they had no problem but it might be a challenging do it yourself job!
Did you find that your wood and mantle around the fireplace got discolored from soot and smoke? We want to do something similar with our fireplace but we have dark tile around it right now and after I wipe it down my rag is just black so I’m worried if we go white it will look soot stained!
Hi Lindsey! I haven’t had any problems with that. I used semi-gloss paint around the fireplace and any soot residue seems to wipe off easily with a damp cloth!
Awesome! That’s great to hear! Thank you!
Looks beautiful!!! May I ask how you secured the round mirror on your mantle? Or is it free-standing and just leaning on the wall?
Yes, it’s just free-standing and leaning against the wall!
Thank you 😊
Hi Kris,
The fireplace looks awesome! We are getting ready to start our home renovation project and was wondering if you would be willing to give us the manufacture and style name of your fireplace tile?
Andy
Sure – there’s a direct link in the post but if you missed it, it’s from Walker Zanger’s Sterling Row collection!
It looks beautiful! How much is the tile? What is it made of? Marble with wood boarders? I can’t tell. Thank you!
Hi Danielle – Thank you! The tile is a combination of porcelain (the part that looks like wood) and marble. The best way to get pricing is to contact a local tile shop that carries Walker Zanger products!
Thank you:))
Love the fireplace! Want to do the same tile with mine but trying to determine costs. What do you estimate your tile cost to be?
Thanks!
If you go to Walker Zanger’s website where the tile is linked in my post, you can find a store near you that carries it and give them a call with the square footage of your fireplace surround – they’ll be able to quote a price for you!
Please help with ideas to my old marble fire place I would like it tiled or even tin yield in light grey
Loved this post Kris! Is there a way I can personally purchase this tile? Thank you!!! 😍
If you go to Walker Zanger’s website, you can find a local dealer that carries it!
Very nice! Where did you get the new mantel?
I drew up a design and my contractor built it with lumber and molding!
Love your fireplace. What is the black stone at the bottom made of?
It’s just simple slate!
Where did You get that title? What’s the name of it please it’s gorgeous!
That info is in the post! 🙂 It’s Walker Zanger tile from their Sterling Row collection
Love this! Can you tell me where you found the mantel?
My carpenter is building me a mantel. Could you tell me the dimensions of your fireplace.
Thank you,
Kelly
I designed it and my carpenter built it for me from simple lumber that I then painted.It’s about 7.5″ wide and 57″ tall but I only have 7 1/2 foot ceilings so your measurements will likely be different!