Boredom sparks a fun fireplace facelift!
While everyone would quickly agree that 2020 has taken a lot away from us, we could also probably agree that 2020 has provided opportunities we could not have anticipated a year ago. Some have had the chance to spend more time with school-aged children, while others have brought a first child home to a slower-paced world. Some have had an opportunity to work from home for the first time, while others have worked in businesses that have sought ways to pivot plans to survive these times. Some have had the opportunity to become creative in day-to-day activities or outdoor time.
During 2020 I have spent more time at home than ever before. I have become comfortable in our house and have also taken moments to see things I want to change. One day while looking at my fireplace, I decided the tile no longer jived with my current style. I went down a rabbit hole, investigated all types of peel and stick tile, and then discovered I could paint ceramic tile to look just as I would like. So, after seven months at home and reading many blogs, I decided to jump into a little project. This is certainly not a detailed how-to, but below are some photos and possibly a little inspiration from my painted ceramic tile project.
This is the before picture of my tile. My end goal was to come up with a grayish tile to match my gray decor. I toyed with whether to try and go for a marbled look and, in the end, decided to go for a slate-style tile with white grout.
My first step was to clean the tile and sand off any glossy areas. After sanding, I cleaned the tile again and then applied a primer.
After the primer was dry, I chose my color and went for my first coat. At first, the color seemed to be pulling a bit brown, and I was nervous
but I continued.
I did several coats and touch-ups. I touched up the white where I got paint on the shelving. Finally, I used a grout pen in white to make nice straight, bright white grout lines. Below is my finished project.
I would rate this project as a fairly low skill level. I had to be patient in order to keep the lines clean and provide enough coverage, but otherwise, it was mostly painting and waiting for paint to dry. After two months in a house with two young boys and heavy use with fires and holiday decorations, it still looks just as it did the day I finished. I am so excited I jumped in and gave this a try, and I am so grateful for a little extra time at home to push me in that direction.
