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February 25, 2013 · 16 Comments

How to Transform a Boring Fireplace

DIY Projects

Wood-paneled walls. Theyย everywhere right now. Everyone and their dog seems to have tried their hand at making a planked wall, and everywhere you turn there are more ideas for how to make your own wood-paneled wall.

Sometimes I like to be stubborn and avoid trends just for the sake of avoiding them, but when it comes to wood-paneled walls I am hopping right onto that bandwagon.

I’m not ashamed to be a follower.

Especially when the results look like this.

This wood-paneled fireplace was created under an hour for about $30! The transformation is incredible, and this project is so easy! You can use this tutorial to make a plank wall anywhere you want!

Before this project, our fireplace has always been very, very boring. We have that amazing resin deer head that I occasionally have dreams about love so much, but the rest of it? Snooze-fest.

We knew that it would be fun to make that little inset panel stick out a bit more, but for the longest time we just weren’t sure what to do. We played around with the idea of painting it a different color, or even stenciling it, butย it wasn’t until one day when we were sitting around watching television and I suddenly shouted out “WOOD PLANKS” that we knew we had landed on a good idea.

You never know when inspiration will strike.

This wood-paneled fireplace was created under an hour for about $30! The transformation is incredible, and this project is so easy! You can use this tutorial to make a plank wall anywhere you want!

It’s almost silly how easy this process was. Corey grabbed several 2x4s from Lowe’s (for about $25) and cut them to size for the little nook in the fireplace. Then, I used my favorite stain – Minwax’s dark walnut – to get the wood to a nice, rich color, and we used some nails to toss ’em up on the wall.

We wanted it to look a bit like a wood floor would, with differing seams, so Corey cut down the pieces at random intervals before putting them up – that way it wasn’t just perfectly sized planks all the way across, and it looked a bit more random.

The result? It’s just enough of a changeย to make the deer head stand out nicely, but it’s nothing soย crazy that it competes with anything inย the rest of the room. Perfection.

This wood-paneled fireplace was created under an hour for about $30! The transformation is incredible, and this project is so easy! You can use this tutorial to make a plank wall anywhere you want!

This wood-paneled fireplace was created under an hour for about $30! The transformation is incredible, and this project is so easy! You can use this tutorial to make a plank wall anywhere you want!

 

This little quick & easy project completely transformed our fireplace and I’m head over heels in love with the result. It kind of makes me want to wood-panel every room in my house…although, that may be a bit much.

Where do you stand on the planked wall trend? Are you a bandwagoner like me, or are you resisting the call of the wood paneling?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cassondra K says

    July 13, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Hello,

    Did you apply a finish after the stain? I just bought a new home and I want to try a few DIY wood projects to make the place a little more rustic. I love the colour you stained this wall but I wasn’t sure if I need a finish or sealant on the wood when I make projects like shelves etc. I still want the matte look and you didn’t mention a sealant. However, I have been told I need one on wood projects.

    Thanks,
    Cass

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      July 13, 2016 at 1:03 pm

      Hey, Cass –

      We didn’t apply any sort of sealant. We do on most wood projects, but this is an area that doesn’t really get much direct contact or heavy use and we wanted a more rustic look so we skipped it. We always seal pieces that will see a lot of use and possibly wear & tear (like furniture, etc.) but for something on the wall it’s probably fine to skip. It’s been over 3 years since we did this and it still looks just as good as it did on day 1, so we definitely don’t miss the sealer!

      Reply
  2. Anne L. says

    April 9, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    Haha I have to say, you read my mind when you told us to ignore the peach fireplace. Once I blocked that out I am such a fan of the wood planks backdrop. Such a super cool look. And I would totally second the idea of having white as the border to the fireplace. I’ll look forward to seeing more of your projects.

    Reply
  3. Amanda says

    February 17, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Where is the deer from? Looks great!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      February 17, 2014 at 4:28 pm

      It’s from Z Gallerie!

      Reply
  4. Challie says

    February 26, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    This is probably my favorite project you have ever done. Love it.

    Reply
  5. Lauren says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:12 pm

    I actually haven’t seen anything like that (I’ve been out of the loop lately), but I’m in LOVE with it. That’s gorgeous!

    Reply
  6. Sara says

    February 25, 2013 at 1:27 pm

    I love it! Looks fantastic!

    Reply
  7. Amy says

    February 25, 2013 at 9:53 am

    Love this! I definitely think it brings in another layer of depth and texture to the room, and it really does make the deer pop!

    Reply
  8. Katie says

    February 25, 2013 at 9:39 am

    ZOMG this has got to be one of my favorite projects yall have done so far. Such a simple project, but it really brings warmth to your living room and makes the deerhead really pop! Great job!

    Reply
  9. Jenn(ifer) says

    February 25, 2013 at 9:03 am

    http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/06/fireplace-happenings/

    Reply
  10. Sarah says

    February 25, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Wow! This has to be the most perfect plank wall I’ve seen! It looks great, and it’s amazing what a difference it makes! This is hands-down my favorite project of yours…well, it may be tied with your dining room chandelier! Good work!

    Reply
  11. Lauren says

    February 25, 2013 at 8:25 am

    Love it!!

    Reply
  12. Sandi says

    February 25, 2013 at 7:43 am

    Looks great! It really does make the deer pop. I have been wanting to do this in my linen closet with cedar.

    Reply
  13. Jenn(ifer) says

    February 25, 2013 at 5:20 am

    LOVE it!
    Maybe you could paint the tile white (like YHL – ) to gloss you over.
    Greetings from Germany
    Jenn(ifer)

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      February 25, 2013 at 8:35 am

      Corey and I were just talking about that the other day! I didn’t realize John and Sherry had done it, though – I’ll have to look that up!

      Reply

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Overwhelmed by DIY? Let's do it together! I'm Amanda, and I live in the suburbs of Austin, Texas with my husband and two sons. I've taught myself how to make simple updates to help make my house a home, and I want to show you how to do it, too. Click here to learn more about us.

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