It’s been one of those weeks over here. The kind where I was so overwhelmed by the tile dust, random plastic, crazy furniture arrangements, piled dishes and laundry that I took a personal day {see: mental health day} so I could catch up. Oh the mount vesuvius of laundry. Jamin says we’re on the home stretch with all this home redo nonsense. I realized I was beyond consolation yesterday when I threatened to stab someone with a deer antler and I needed to take a moment. I know. Cry me a river.
I had the entire tutorial planned today for this one. But I have to edumacate mah children. So true story: I thought I was a bad mom when they were in real school. You know… I start out all, “For Narnia!” And then don’t-drag-me-to-another-school-shindig because basically this. But now that they’re in fake school (it totally matches my fake job) I am in total burn out mode. As in, reading + math + pajamas + I don’t think I brushed my teeth yesterday + what’s science? We’re taking next week off before we have smaller learning sessions throughout the summer months… The end is near. My fingers are sticking to the keyboard as I write because I caulked them together this morning and Mommy needs some kind of illegal red bull concoction mixed up by a shady bartender from a banned country hooked up to an IV in my throat to help me finish out strong. Was that too far?
So I’m declaring it Mantelcandy Friday. I really wish it was Monday. But It’s Friday, so, title fail. {Still better than Slacker Saturday.} We’ll have all the details next week and can’t wait to share!
Because when you have an entire bathroom/bedroom to finish up, but everything’s kinda on pause until some things arrive… you start another project instead. It makes perfect sense, right? Who’s with me!?
So without further ado: A Mantel Makeover. {Cue cheesy music from TLC’s What Not to Wear. And the part where Stacy makes me paranoid that I’ve made a major faux pas with my high school Birks. Those are back, no?} Because this sucka needed a makeover.
I’ve always hated this mantel. My apologies in advance if you have a mantel that looks like this. I am sure your mantel is prettier than ours. {Cue the scene from Cars where Lightening McQueen tells Mater he’s not like the other rusty cars.} I just really wanted something with classic, simple lines. We purchased this house in 2006… yet the mantel looked like it arrived on a hot tub time machine from 1993. It was rocking the ionic columns and the blech tile. It was not rocking my world.
Check out that awesome oatmeal poop paint color. I refuse to dignify it any longer with the generic description of builder’s beige. I’m pretty sure this was beyond that. Also see: the perfect shape where we painted over the years. And… the awesome surprise we also found behind the tile right above our fireplace when we started to demo. Apparently burying things in walls is a thing. #ourbuildermakesusragey
We have decided to take a dive with the hardwoods since there’s a gaping hole in our bedroom which is right off the living room area. I’ve wanted them forever and now that the chance is here, I will probably complain because I’m an ingrate and I’m a good cleaning faker with the carpet. Dust bunny tumbleweeds made from dog hair are our friends. If we were going to replace this mantel… the time was now. See? I am so the mouse from If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. #issues.
So we were able to salvage this mantel. Greecian mantel was all:
And here we are!
We love the simplicity. We love that the tile is gone. We’re kind of obsessed with this new combo, and think it’s super fun around the fireplace. You may have noticed in the past that we kept a chalkboard covering most of it. We opened it up, cleaned it, and placed some {decorative} wood for in the meantime. I mean, this is Alabama. But it will be nice to actually use it this next fall. I feel like we have a real live grown up fireplace, y’all!
The fabulous tile came from the amazing The Builder Depot. This is their gorgeous Carrara Bianco Polished Hexagon Marble Mosaic Tile. Also coming soon to the bathroom. This company. If you have a project, and are hesitant to work with someone online… fear no more. They’ve made the entire process so much easier. I’d go so far as to say I had fun picking out tile because they were so helpful and easy to talk to. And that, my friends, is hard to come by in a beercanmoldpocalypsenightmare.
Pssst. To see how we made the compass art, check it out here.
We can’t wait to show you it all with the hardwoods as well.
It’s so much more simplified! So much easier to look at.
Former greecian butterfly mantel, you so pretty.
We’ll be back with a detailed how to next week!
I’m off to make sure my children are actually reading. Judging by the impassioned screams over Ninjago Legos, I think not.
Have an inspired day, y’all!
ppssst: see the finished space with hardwoods, here!
baileywife says
Once you go hardwood, you will wonder why carpet was EVER invented! Once, when we did a full-scale Reno in our home, I had scaffolding in my family room for 3 months!! My boys sure thought the “monkey bars and jungle gym” was there for them…but this mama about had an anxiety attack every evening! You’ll get through this and be SOOOOO happy in the long run. Good luck! ~Kim
JT says
I Lol’d at half of this. Love your new mantel! It did indeed become a beautiful butterfly! So very unique.
Jacqueline says
What did you find behind the wall?
Tania // Run to Radiance says
It’s so beautiful!! I love the tile you all picked. The fireplace mantle was one of the first things I changed when we moved in—I tore it all apart…then it took many, many months to actually put it back together. Ooops. 🙂
I was actually thinking about you the other day because I am redecorating our mantle and totally bought a hoola hoop and yarn to make my faux deer a pretty frame like you all did during Christmas! 🙂
Samantha says
Amazing!! I can’t wait for the how to.
Heidi S says
Can you share how many of the mesh tile sheets you ordered to cover the area you used it on? Thinking of doing mine in a similar fashion and not exactly sure whether I’m measuring correctly….thanks!
jamin says
We used around 25 sheets, but you’ll need to measure your own to make sure you get enough. The easiest way to do this is to measure your square footage and order accordingly. The trick is that any half sheet you should consider as whole sheet to be on the safe side, unless you sketch out and measure all the individual tiles. Hope that helps.
Shannon M says
Omg!!! I’m in love!!!! I quilt and I’m obsessed with hexagons right now!!!! I just have one question…. Our current mantel top board is narrow and sometimes hard to decorate. We are thinking of adding a wider board on top of the narrow piece. Is your mantel top narrow too?
In the rainy cold weather in AL….
Priscilla says
I’m so very glad you posted this on your mantel . My fireplace looks just like your before and I absolutely hate it!! And I refuse to put any pictures up of my living space because of the darn mantel. We are planning on redoing it but seeing your post totally encourages me to do it now! Thank you, your mantel looks great!
Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts says
SO pretty! I just love it!
PS: You’re totally funny too. Off to read more… 🙂
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks, Jennifer! ;}
Sandy says
Did you tile over the old tile? Or remove the time??
ashley @ the handmade home says
By sandy! We ripped out the tile. There’s a detailed how to here! 🙂 https://www.thehandmadehome.net/2014/05/salvaged-mantel-makeover/
Ashley says
Can you tell me what color the brick is on the inside of the fireplace? I’m looking for a high heat paint that color but I’m having a hard time finding one! Thanks
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hi! I’m sorry I can’t be more help – this was a builder’s grade home with a firebox, and it came that way. ;} good luck on your search!