Modern Fireplace Renovation Inspiration

Ever since we moved into this loft apartment I’ve wanted to update the fireplace. A few years ago we were forced to upgrade our gas fireplace because the entire unit died and it is our only heat source in the apartment so it was a necessary expense. Little did I know just how expensive it was going to be, yikes!

Here’s what it looked like when we moved in, that faux stone texture…yikes!

We installed a beautiful modern gas fireplace and decided to keep the exterior as painted drywall, simply because this was the most affordable option at the time and we knew we could always update it later. So I’ve been playing around with some ideas. Not sure I will actually hit go on any of them, but it’s fun to explore options and think about it for the future.

Initially, I thought, paint it black! So I photoshopped it black and immediately realised it would consume the entire apartment and likely show every mark and lots of dust, so yes it looks good in the photo but if you knew the size of our space you’d realize it won’t be good.

Then I searched around and fell in love with the idea of coating the drywall in a clay or plaster finish, this will likely be the route I take if I ever get motivated to take on the task and the mess. It is 16ft tall and right in the middle of our living space so, for now, I’ll just admire some inspiration I’ve gathered.

Bre from Bre Purposed did an amazing DIY roman clay over her tiled fireplace
and I’m obsessed with it, such a buttery finish:

Check it out here she will show you all the steps to get the look

I also love the idea of doing a soft grey concrete, there are so many products out there now that look like concrete but don’t have the weight. I could just use a grey roman clay, which would look similar to the photo below:

Photo from clairebloom.com

I’ve also heard from Ardex Feather Finish which was used in this DIY Concrete Fireplace I found on Domino.

An alternative for concrete could be Matt Concrete panels. I saw them a few years ago and they’ve been on my mind ever since. I haven’t looked into the installation process but it seems like you need to hire someone that is certified in using the material, but it’s lightweight and the finishes are so beautiful. My only concern is it might be too much grey with our concrete floors. But this photo below shows concrete on concrete and it isn’t so bad, although it has a warm wood ceiling to break it up.

Photos below from Matt Concrete

Well I hope you’ve enjoyed this fireplace inspirational journey, I’ll update you someday if we ever decide to update the cracking painted drywall. I hope this gives you some ideas if you’re looking to update your own fireplace.