Fireplace finishes

One of our favorite things about this house is that it has two wood-burning fireplaces.  One of our least favorite things, though, is that both fireplaces have (or had) basic red brick surrounds.  So we decided to upgrade them by building and tiling custom surrounds for each (and saved ourselves some design headaches by using the same materials and design for both too).  We went with a matte black hexagon tiles for the hearth, along with a marble edge, and a white marble arabesque tile for the side surround.  As with our last house, we bought reclaimed beams to use for mantels and we're really happy with how it's all turning out!

Floor first - laying the hearth

So pretty!

Now with cement board and ready to start tiling the sides

Laser level is a must with this arabesque tile

All in!  Just awaiting grout (snow white, if you're wondering what color grout)

Moving onto the basement fireplace - the new drywall was already in so we wound up making this a little bigger and wider than we probably would have otherwise

We didn't take many (or any) in progress pictures but it looked like the one above - cement board behind, now tile in front

Continuing to build out the trim

And dry-fitting the mantel

Just about done!

Mantel installed and trim paint completed  

Now we just need to pop in a fireplace insert and this one will be done!  The first floor fireplace still needs the trim to be installed and painted, along with the mantel added, so those pictures will have to wait until later.  And here in the basement, you can see some other progress - we've built it out to have a main room (in the picture), bedroom, full bath, and a theatre room.  We installed some of the same wood flooring in front of the bar nook but the rest of the floor (other than the bathroom, of course) will be carpet so installation will be quick.  While I'm here, I might as well include a picture of the basement bath - since the ceiling height is a little low, at least relative to the other two floors, we went with a beveled 4x10 white subway tile on the walls and a greige hex on the floor.  It's a simple but hopefully inviting look!   

Basement bathroom almost done too!