DIY Fireplace - 90s Living Room Renovation
- houseonparkway
- Oct 4, 2021
- 2 min read
Our living room was dated and in desperate need of a focal point. The two openings on the large wall made it difficult to create balance in this space. I never realized the full potential of this room until after we completed the renovations!
First we closed up the awkward wall openings.
We used 2x4s to frame out the inside of the opening, making sure we left enough of a gap for the old and new drywall to line up evenly. Construction screws were used to attach the new studs to the pre-existing studs. Next was the drywall and joint tape to close it off permanently. Doing this provided a blank canvas to work from.
Once the openings were permanently closed off, it was time to start creating a frame for a fireplace. First we used painters tape to map out our ideal fireplace size in comparison to the room layout. We knew we wanted to add gaming storage on the interior so we accounted for that by creating a larger depth than a typical electric fireplace frame.
Here's a tip to determine the ideal fireplace insert height - tape out the fireplace shape on your wall. Trust me on this...now have a seat on your sofa or pull up a chair and imagine your fireplace in the spot you taped off. Does it feel too high? Too low? Take the time to figure out the best height before building out the frame.
Here's the insert we used for this project
After the framing was complete, we installed the drywall and corner bead. Since we chose Roman Clay as the final finish, we had to apply skim-coating over the drywall first. We weren't interested in a traditional brick or painted finish because we wanted a more dramatic focal point in the room. Roman Clay creates so much depth and we just had to give it a try!
Roman Clay is a plaster finish which is applied to the surface similarly to skim-coating, using a mudding knife and "s" like motions. The drywall must be at a level 5 finish in order to use this product. Level 5 means it must have a skim-coat overtop. Roman Clay color: Fade to Black
Learn more about Roman Clay here
Commenti