I knew that when we moved into our new house, the living room wall would be a perfect place for a fireplace! Here in FL, those aren't really the standard in homes, so I knew I'd have to build one. Here is an in-depth tutorial on how I built mine:
Let's get started!
Materials List
Fireplace:
(14) 2 in. x 4 in. x 8 ft. ( Framing)
(4) 1 in. x 4 in. x 6 ft ( Anchor Boards)
(1) 1 in x 4 in x 8 ft. ( Top Trim)
3 sheets of brick paneling
Construction Screws (2 1/2 inches)
Finish Nails
Spackling Paste
Fireplace insert:
Mantel:
(3) 1 in x 8 in x 6 ft select pine boards
Hinges for hidden door:
Floating Shelves:
(4) 1 in x 6 in x 6 ft select pine boards
(2) 1 in x 2 in 6ft common boards
Tools Required
Miter Saw
Circular Saw
Orbital Sander
Cordless Drill
Nail Gun
Level
Stud Finder
Step One: Planning and Design
I started by researching on Pinterest and found this:
I used her tutorial as my starting point! She used shiplap, so if you prefer that look over the brick, follow the rest of her tutorial for that step! I measured the wall of the living room to find the center and used blue painters tape to tape out the section that would be the fireplace. I wanted it to be five feet wide and around 12 inches deep. It's important to plan out the size that you want your fireplace first, so that you can buy the correct amount of materials. Here is a detailed image of measurements from the plans I used:
Step Two: Framing
The first thing that you will want to do is remove any baseboard trim or crown molding that is on the wall. This is important to helping your fireplace look "built-in" and make sure it is flush against the wall. I used my multi-tool to cut out the baseboards and crown molding from our wall.
Wall Marking:
Next, you will mark the center of the wall as well as the final width of the fireplace. I used blue painters tape and a pencil to help me mark. Within the final width of the fireplace, locate and mark all studs in the wall using your stud finder. This is very important because the entire frame will be anchored to these studs in the existing wall. Once I found my studs I drew a line all the way up the wall to mark where my studs were.
Anchor Boards:
Take your 1 x 4 x 6 boards and cut to the final width of the fireplace (in our case it was 5 ft ). Next, mark the center of these 1 x 4 boards. Measure the height from the floor to the ceiling and mark 4 equal spaces. This is where your 1 x 4 boards will be screwed in.
Align the center of the board with the centerline of the wall while also placing it at the appropriate height marked (4 equal spaces). Using your bubble level, cordless drill and construction screws, attach your 1 x 4 boards to the wall. Make sure that they are level as well as centered on the wall. You will repeat this three more times to create an anchor for the entire fireplace.
Like this:
Sidewalls:
The next step is to build the sides of your fireplace. To do this you will need to know the height from floor to ceiling. Take the height of your ceilings and subtract 3 in. This will give you the height of your vertical boards.
You will need (4) 2 x 4 studs. You will also need to cut (4) 2 x 4 studs that are the final depth of the fireplace, in our case, it was 12” ( Top and Bottom Plate). To ensure your side walls are extra sturdy you will need cut (6) 2 x 4 pieces and equally space them in the middle of your frame.
Front:
The front-facing portion of the frame is going to require a few measurements. Here are a few things you will need to know before beginning.
The final height of the bottom of the fireplace from your floor. I made mine 18 inches from the floor.
The width and height of the firebox insert.
You will build a box on the bottom, similar to how you built the side walls with 3 studs and a bottom and top plate. The final height of your box should go from the floor to the bottom of the fireplace opening. Insert this box and screw it to the side walls already in place.
Next, you will need (4) 2 x 4 studs cut to the height of the fireplace insert. Screw these (4) studs into the top of the box you have just built from the bottom. (2) on the sides and the other (2) the overall width of your fireplace insert centered. Then place (1) 2 x 4 stud cut to the entire length of the opening over the top of these (4) boards and screw into place. This part of your frame should look like this:
To finish the front frame you will need (4) studs. (2) for the sides and (2) 16″ on center. Then you will need to cut one final board for the top. You can build this portion of the frame on the ground. Once secure lift into place and screw into the side walls
This is what your finished frame should look like!!!!
Step Two: Brick Paneling and Whitewashing
This is the brick paneling that I used! I bought three sheets and it was plenty for the entire fireplace. I had them cut the sheets in half so that they would fit in my car. I used my circular saw to cut the panels, making sure that the majority of my cuts occurred at the "grout lines" in the paneling to help hide the seams. I used my nail gun to attach the paneling right to the frame. As I was nailing on paneling, I was going back with a caulk and then some joint compound to fill in the seams. I used this paint color for my whitewash/German Schmear:
I wanted something on the creamier/warmer side. If you check out my "fireplace" highlights on my Instagram, you can see a video of my technique. Basically, I painted some of the paint directly onto the brick (mostly in the grout lines) then used a baby white to smear the paint across the brick and wipe off as much of the paint as I wanted. I definitely varied the amount to give the most realistic outcome.
As I was adding the paneling, I made sure to mark with blue tape where my "studs" were on the frame for hanging the mantel and tv:
.
Step Three: Trim and fireplace insert
In order to make your fireplace look "built-in," you'll want to use the same trim and crown-molding that is already in your home. I found this video helpful: video
The next thing that I did was fix the insert into the frame. This is where the box that you build on your front frame will come into handy! Follow the installation directions for the insert that you bought and screw your insert into the frame. The one I bought was super easy to install and took me about 20 minutes. I plugged the insert into a surge protector that I attached inside of my frame. I will use that same surge protector to plug in all of the TV electronics!
Step Four: Mantel and Floating Shelves
I built the mantel and shelves the same way, by basically making a three sided box.
The mantle was constructed using three 1 in x 8 in x 6 ft common boards. Cut all three boards to length desired, we used 4 ft-4 in as the final width of our mantel. If you purchase 6 ft boards you should have some leftover. You will need to cut 2 boards for the end caps. Once all your boards are cut, you can use a nail gun and wood glue to fix it together.
To create the secret door on the front of the mantel follow this tutorial:
Then you'll want to make the brackets that will attach to the studs in the wall to attach your shelf/mantel to. For the mantel I used leftover 2x4s and for the floating shelves I used 1x2 boards.
To attach your mantel and shelves, you'll want to use your stud finder and drill directly into the studs using your construction screws. Once your brackets are securely in place, you can slid your mantel/shelves on to the bracket. Using your nail gun, you will nail into the top and bottom of your shelf to attach the bracket and shelf together! Check out my "fireplace" highlight on Instagram to see a video of this step!
For a tutorial on how I added the sconces without running electrical, check out my blogpost on the "magic light trick"
I am over the moon with how this project turned out. It is hands down my favorite DIY to date and one that has pushed me out of my comfort zone and given me confidence to take on so many more complicated builds. I am really excited for more! I hope that this tutorial has inspired you to build your own fireplace and given you the knowledge do go out and try!
Happy DIYing!
-Laura
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