Having fresh paint in the kitchen has given us a chance to see the room with new eyes and inspired plans to upgrade the fireplace mantel and hearth. We’ve mentioned building out the mantel and retiling the painted-over tile hearth before, and now that the rest of the kitchen feels more finished, we want this side to match the rest of the space.
The fireplace has already improved since we moved in—removing the old stove and giving the surround a fresh coat of paint helped a lot. But with shiny penny tile stretching to the ceiling on the other side of the room, we’re eager to bring that same level of detail and interest to this wall as well.
We’ve been collecting inspiration for a while. A few fireplace makeovers we love have been on our mental shortlist for years, and more recent projects added ideas for refacing: building a more substantial mantel and framing the fireplace with side columns to give it cleaner architectural lines.
Sherry has also been holding on to a page torn from a design magazine that features tile and classic details, which nudged us toward incorporating tile around the firebox. Since the other side of the kitchen already features tile, adding it here should help balance the room and make the overall design feel cohesive.
With those images as our starting point, we measured and sketched plans. I love working on graph paper to figure out scale and proportions, so we drew a to-scale plan showing a primarily wood surround with a slightly recessed area that will become a sleek tile surround for the firebox. As we build and post progress photos, the plan will make more sense.
We considered several tile options—penny tile, glassy mosaics, and more—but then Sherry found a recommendation for affordable marble subway tile. Marble is a timeless choice and pairs nicely with the gray penny tile on the opposite side of the kitchen without matching it exactly. Choosing a classic material felt like a safer long-term decision than something bold that might feel dated later.
We decided to use white marble subway tile but install it in a herringbone pattern for a fresh, elevated look. Herringbone gives a classic material an updated twist and will add some visual texture to the fireplace surround.
Thanks to generous gift cards, we were able to pick up the tile at a great price—around $5 per square foot—so the tile portion of the project was very affordable. We ended up spending roughly $30 on tile after applying the gift cards.
Tile is just one element of the new look. Most of the update will be built from wood and trim to create a substantial mantel and framed details. Our materials list included boards to build out the base, 1×2 pine for decorative detailing, miscellaneous trim, backer board for the tile, and masonry screws.
We already had leftover tiling supplies from past projects—trowels, grout sponges, and similar tools—so we didn’t need to buy much else. With everything on hand, we’re ready to start building. We’ll share each step of the process as the mantel and tile surround come together, so stay tuned.
For now, the hearth is still painted over and has a textured, broken-tile look underneath the paint, but that won’t last. We’re excited to replace it with a cleaner tile surround and a more defined mantel.
If everything goes to plan, we’ll have the tile update finished soon and will post photos of the completed look. We’re already working on the project and enjoying the process.
What were you planning or sketching this weekend? Anyone starting a tile project or finally using a gift card? We’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Psst—there was a little Clara celebration at school, so here’s how that went down (and yes, Sherry’s hair is down in these photos).