Category: Advice | Published: 8 Feb, 2017

Ways to refresh your Fireplace Mantel

You don’t have to get a brand new fireplace to breathe more life into your fireplace mantel. There are many ways by which you can refresh your mantel on the cheap. In fact, we think a refreshed mantel can make your whole room look brighter and more modern.

We do, however, recommend buying a new fireplace if yours is broken, old, or if you require an entirely different design. Visit our fireplace page to take a look at our range.

Here is our list of ways to replace your fireplace mantel:

Paint it!

Adding a splash of colour to your fireplace mantel is a great way to make it look fresh. We love the above design by Susan Diana Harris – bright colours always make a room look huge! If you’re not a fan of bright green, you could always go for a subtler colour. We find that pastels are always a good bet to please the whole family.

If the thought of painting your fireplace fills you with dread, don’t worry! Just a few simple steps will mean your fireplace is ready to be painted, and will look fantastic once the colour has dried.

• Clean it: it’s essential that you thoroughly clean your fireplace prior to painting any part of it, even if it doesn’t look dirty.
• Prime it: use a water-based primer (for brick) or an oil based primer (for wood) to prime the area of your fireplace that you want to paint.
• Paint it: Use a latex paint (for brick) or an oil based enamel paint (for wood).

Use adhesive paper

A cheap alternative to update tiles is to use adhesive paper. You can buy strong adhesive paper in a variety of designs, including sheets that look like marble and wood – a perfect way to refresh your fireplace mantel!

Update it with art

Some nice pieces of art look fantastic on a mantelpiece. These could be anything from sculptures and vases to a giant painting in the space above. The rules are there are no rules! Be as experimental as you like, and your fireplace will look more attractive and interesting than ever – fabulous art pieces are always a great talking point too.