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In my last post I showed you how I transformed my brick fireplace using a fake stone product called AirStone. If you would like to see how I did it you can find the post here – DIY Budget Fireplace Makeover.
For Part 2 of my fireplace makeover – I painted the grey stone hearth in front of the fireplace using a faux stone paint technique. The original grey color of the hearth looked off and the builder never finished off the edges so it was time to finally get it the way I always imagined. With the help of some craft paint, sealer and AirStone, I was able to make the hearth look like it perfectly belongs with the new stone fireplace.
BEFORE: Fireplace Hearth
Grey slab with unfinished sides. The dark streaks are just water that has not dried.
I never liked the gray and love the Autumn Mountain color of the AirStone so I went to work to get the two to look more in the same color family.
AFTER: Faux Stone Painted Fireplace Hearth
Supplies Needed:
AirStone AirStone Adhesive Molding: 3/8″ x 1-1/4″ Painted Stop Hack Saw Miter box Pencil Craft paint – Beige, Grey, Brown, Yellow Ochre. I used Martha Stewart – Wet Cement, Apple Barrel Beachcomber Beige, Folk Art Yellow Ochre, Folk Art Butter Pecan, Apple Barrel Nutmeg Brown, Folk Art Linen. Glaze – I used Martha Stewart Crafts Glaze, but any glazing liquid will work. Valspar and Ralph Lauren each make one. Sea Sponge Plate to mix paint on Clear Matte Water Based Sealer – a craft paint sealer will work fine. 1/8” or small tipped paint brush Wet Rag
The height of the AirStone was about 1/4” too short to match the height around the edge of the hearth.
To solve the problem, I added white trim molding around the hearth to lift up the AirStone so the top of the AirStone would be the same height as the hearth.
The builder of my house never finished the edge around the hearth and left the floor very uneven. Since the floor is uneven a few stones are slightly raised and a few are slightly lower. In a way, this looks pretty natural.
I wanted to nail the trim molding to the floor, but the wood floor is not thick and is directly on concrete, so I decided to use Liquid Nails to attach the trim molding to the floor. Once that was secure, I added the stones using the AirStone adhesive.
How to Paint a Surface to Look Like Stone
1. Place a dollop of paint from each color of craft paint onto a plate. In the middle add about 1/8 of a cup of glazing liquid.
2. Dip a wet and then rung-out sponge into the paint a few times to mix the colors just a bit – not too much as you want to have color variations. Start dabbing the sponge onto the surface turning the sponge all different ways as you work.
3. Keep dipping the sponge in your paint and continue dabbing the surface to mottle it with paint. Note: You can see the stone color with which I was trying to coordinate the hearth color.
4. Let dry. Add a few more layers of paint following the same dabbing technique using the paint and glaze mixture until you are happy with how it looks. Dab the paint on an angle, not in straight lines – it will look more natural. If one spot looks too heavy, dab a damp rag over the surface to remove some of the paint.
5. Once you like how it looks, apply 2 coats of matte water-based sealer to protect it. Let the first coat dry before applying the next.
How To Add the AirStone Stones to the Side of The Hearth
1. Figure out how many stones you will need and line them up. Cut any if necessary to fit. I used two corner pieces, the rest of the stones were the flat edge type. Apply the adhesive to the back and press into the side of the hearth, letting the adhesive ooze out of the top. Use a wet rag and your finger to clean the adhesive off the painted hearth. Repeat on all the other stones and let dry.
Note: You can add the stones around the hearth before painting the hearth.
The adhesive is white. When it was dry, I went around with a thin tipped paint brush using cement colored paint to make the adhesive look a bit more like mortar.
All done. Now the fireplace transformation is complete and I am one very happy DIYer.
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
This is absolutely brilliant, Diane! We have a fireplace in our family room and it is very very dated! It could use a big facelift.
What a beautiful inspiration your fireplace is. I wish I could order one just like it, or make it!!!
Please join TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS, my weekly linky party. Linky goes live Wednesday evening at 8:00. I would love your wonderful blog and masterful fireplace to join us!!!!!
KUDOS TO YOU!
WOW! Looks amazing!
I like this, Diane! It makes it look more substantial, too. I missed the previous post. I’m going back to read it now.
I can’t wait to try it. You always introduce the best products. Thank you as I had given up on ever having my fireplace redone!
Your fireplace looks fabulous!!!
Your new fireplace is beautiful! Thanks for sharing the “how to”!
I’m so impressed by this! Looks amazing!
Wow, it looks awesome! I’m amazed by your faux stone paint technique, I would have never come up with that combination of colors but it looks so realistic! I love how the color turned out!
Diane, it turned out beautifully. I know you are loving it. I would like to suggest one tip about painting the concrete. Before using the sea sponge it is a good idea to lightly wet the sponge and get all excess water out of it before applying the color. It will make the sponge easier to work with from the start. What project is next?
Hi Gina – Thanks for bringing up the wet sponge – I do wet it, just forgot to add that in the steps :) I have had that sponge for over 18 years – it is the best. I have had other seas sponges that get all soft and fall apart. As far as my next project – lots of painted furniture. My oldest is moving into an apartment and I am making over all the hand me downs for her to use.
Awesome transformation! It looks beautiful.
Oh my this is just gorgeous!!!! You did a fabulous job, just love your fireplace. I’ll be featuring it tomorrow :)
XO
Kristin
Great to see how everything turned out, looks wonderful.
Gosh you did one fabulous job on your fireplace. I had missed it until just now. I bet no one will guess it is faux stone! Looks extremely expensive.
Hi Diane,
You have an amazing talent! Just my kind of thing, making things you already have kook brand new. Going to attempt this for our really outdated fireplace, just wanted to know if part two will work for painting the ugly grey marble slat as well?
Diane, I love what you did here. I have a functioning wood-burning fireplace that I use often and was wondering if the materials you used were high heat materials or could sustain high heat?
Hi Gillian – Since I don’t have experience with a high heat situation, I can’t give you a definite answer. I have had my fireplace on all over the Winter – no problem with the painted hearth. I used acrylic paints. My hearth does not get hot, but it does get slightly warm. I am not sure how low your wood-burning fireplace sits to the area you want to paint. If it gets very hot, I am not sure if it could sustain high heat or not. Maybe experiment on a small hidden area first to test it out to see how it holds up.
Hi Diane!
We’ve used airstone also in our house, it’s such an easy product to work with. I was wondering what the names are of the colors you used to paint your hearth? We have a fireplace in our living room that has layers of paint on it that would take decades to scrape off so I decided to try to paint it once again. :) I love the color combination you used here, it looks VERY realiztic and pretty!
Hi Danielle – The list of paint is in the supplies needed, but here they are for you. I used Martha Stewart – Wet Cement, Apple Barrel Beachcomber Beige, Folk Art Yellow Ochre, Folk Art Butter Pecan, Apple Barrel Nutmeg Brown, Folk Art Linen.
Don’t over mix, the colors should blend just a little bit. Test the color and your technique on paper first, then do it on your hearth. When you are painting the actual hearth – more layers of color will provide more color depth and make it appear more like real stone – so don’t be afraid to keep adding more paint until you get it to look the way you desire.
It has held up perfectly. Two days ago a bird got caught in the chimney and ended up in the fireplace, but could not get out because I have the fireplace screen in front of the firebox when we are not using it. Our dog went nuts trying to get at the bird and was scratching hard on the hearth trying to get at the bird behind the screen. I thought she was going to ruin my paint job. I am happy to report – no damage at all :) Wish I had painted it years ago as the grey never went with my colors.
Very nice technique, it looks beautiful!