Living in Wisconsin, I absolutely love having a fireplace! This last week, we really needed it as it got to be -50 degrees with windchill! One of my favorite things to do in the winter is curl up next to the fireplace and read a book. Over the last two years of living in our house, we have slowly updated the fireplace area and I’m happy to say we finally have most of the work done; I’m super excited to show you some before and after pictures.
Fireplace Room Before
Here is a picture of what the house looked like when we walked through it for a showing. We bought the house from the sweetest couple who were moving out into assisted living. They took such good care of the house that everything in the house was original from the 1970s but still in excellent condition.
The Transformation
Before the updates, the fireplace was a gold color. We easily fixed that by taking off the outer gold area and used heat resistant spray paint to paint the fireplace black. Shortly after moving in we removed the built-in and added the shiplap. Normally I’m not a person to take built-ins away because I feel like they add a lot of character to the space. But, we were in desperate need of a pantry, so the space behind the built-in got turned into a pantry.
First, we pulled out the built-in. The other side got dry-walled in and the pantry was created.
Then faux shiplap was added. Since we already had it in other parts of the house, it was a really easy way for us to finish off the wall once the built-in was out.
I know you all are jealous of those floors and can’t imagine why we would want to replace them. But the floor project came soon after and was a major upgrade to the space. The sliding door was also replaced thanks to finding some mold due to water leaking in.
Last but not least, our mantel and shelves went up and decor was added. If you are curious about how we made the mantel, you can see more at this post here.
And without further ado, a full picture of the current space!
Future plans for this room consist of adding a seating section that faces out to the lake. I’m just waiting for the right loveseat and of course for Mr. MK to check one more project off the honey-do list. Stay tuned!
