How to makeover fireplace (pic included)

[Chere]

Hi. We’ve just done up 85% of her house but there are few bits still left to do. We have an ugly 70s fireplace we’d like to reinstate. I was thinking of line washing the stone to lighten them and the grout (is that even the right term?). Followed by tiling the hearth with a nice patterned tile?

and seeing if the wood mantelpiece can be sanded and varnished much lighter - if not painted a grey colour.

Any suggestions would be MASSIVELY appreciated. Well def get someone in as I am not handy at all.

You can have a fire at night, without having that 1970s fire surround, it's not a functioning part it's just decoration.

I used to live in a house where the fire surround had been removed so that my fireplace looked something like this picture, except it wasn't filled with a stove just an open fire.

House is 60s, 5 bed detached. Suburban cul de sac in a London commuter town. Previous owners put in a really bad extension in the 89s (where fireplace sits).

If you don’t want to spend anything on it yet, I would paint the stone white or off white and get some vinyl adhesive tiles for the hearth (try Amazon) all very simple to DIY

I’d just paint it for now. Look on Pinterest for painted stone fireplaces, there’s lots of examples. I don’t think I’d tile the hearth at the moment either, just put things on it. Some plants and a basket of wood or whatever.

Get a woodburner in

Sounds like your dh didnt fancy taking a sledgehammer to it!

Look on youtube for fireplace makeovers, loads of people had those stone fireplaces.

If the fireplace is a keeper the I would just start by sanding and painting the mantle. Live with it and then decide what to do with the hearth.

The style of hearth tile you have found is nice and would definitely lift and update it.
I would avoid paining the stonework if possible as once done can't be brought back easily and once mantel and hearth sorted will all blend in.

My opinion will be unpopular but I would probably keep it too. 😀

Your DH probably doesn't want it sledgehammered due to your lovely new flooring!

The rest of the house has been kept very neutral as we want to keep our options open around moving in the future. Walls are dulux timeless with a combo of light wooden floors, grey carpet and limestone effect kitchen tiles.

If it's a 60s house it might well be structural, rather than an add-on.

Lime washing, plus painting the mantel and either painting or tiling the hearth will transform it

Not sure vinyl tiles will work if she is using the fire?

Id be tempted to take the mantle off and have a look to see if the facade will come off easily.

What’s the main house built from?

@ChilliNoodleGoodness
please please don’t put a wood burner in. Those things should be made illegal. Please google the pollution and air quality impacts.
we have a chevalier optiflame electric fire- it has a display that looks incredible and just like a wood burner, and it also has a seperate heater function which we barely use but we have the display on almost 24-7 for vibe. If you have central heating, this is a great option to consider…

We demolished a similar one. The chimney is held up by a lintel at the mantlepiece level, so anything below isn't structural

I second the wood burner! Both me and DP’s have them and they work well and look good especially in your type of fireplace.

Smokeless fuel is fine to use.

Andy fireplace shops near you? Get 1 or 2 in to give a quote have a browse. Look UP asymmetric freplaces.

In that case I would definitely wait until I’d saved up quite a bit and then make it really special and a feature (but NOT NOT NOT an awful feature wall!!!)

Not sure but don't you need to use a specific paint around a fire?

A wood burner is a lot more efficient than an open fire, and a lot of the evidence around log burners is flawed. If you use a modern approved stove with properly sourced wood, the pollution is significantly reduced. We barely use our heating if the stove is lit. But I agree that burning the wrong wood is very bad, one of our neighbours absolutely stinks.

Also, if you really love a fire, an electric one isn’t going to cut it.

Oh, and maybe avoid grey.
Just had two estate agents in to value our house and give advice re any decorating, which we are currently undertaking, and both suggested to avoid grey!

@Tulipvase brick mostly. Attaching a house off Google that is basically what ours looks like. Not the prettiest tbf. Have just added a new drive so it looks slightly better than it did.

Would love a wood burner! Stayed at an air bnb which had a fake gas one, very convenient.

so its likely to be brick under the stone facade? Get the mantle off and have a look. Unless the mantle is structural?