DIY Stone Fireplace: Cottage-Style Overgrouted Fireplace

To say this cottage style overgrouted fireplace was a labor of love would be the understatement of the year.

But, despite the evidently controversial look, I love how cozy it’s made our space.

After finishing our kitchen renovation a few months ago, the living room was looking extra unloved (especially since it’s a newly open concept space). We had already painted it white and added beadboard ceilings so it wasn’t quite as lackluster as it had been, but the TV had been mounted to the wall with nothing underneath or around it for more than a year waiting for us to do this project and it was time.

This was one of those projects that seemed intimidating to begin with, but as each step got completed I could see the vision coming together more and more.

The overgrouted fireplace look is one that can really skew cabin, but I was aiming for more of a cottage vibe in this space. So, I went with thick gaps between the stone and blended the grout a little onto the face of the stone for that old world feel.

This project took me a couple of weeks between working and parenting and all the other stuff (including one all-nighter when I stressed about the overgrouting process), but now I’m so happy we can curl up on the couch and turn on the fireplace.

It’s such a vibe, especially since we recently got a new sectional to replace the old one that gave us five good solid years before our dog acting like a cat and sitting along the back cushions finally got the best of it. 

Before & Afters

We’re breaking down the how-tos of this project – how to DIY stone veneer and how to overgrout a stone fireplace – in other posts with more details over the next few days so we can really dive in and explain the tips and tricks we learned along the way.

In the meantime let’s enjoy some satisfying before and after photos.

Details

It just makes such a difference to fill this blank wall and give the living room some much-needed purpose, and we’re so happy to see how it turned out.

• Stone veneer: Eldorado Stone, Shadow Rock (in the color Somerset)
• Fireplace insert: Touchstone Home 40″ Steel Mesh Front fireplace
• Mantel stain color: Weathered American (a mix of Weathered Oak & Early American)
• Wall color: Behr Shoelace
• Trim color: Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige

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