Our house has one fireplace that originates in the livng room and extends all the way through the master bedroom, the 3rd floor attic space and out the roof.  The tiles on the fireplace are really cool. It is a purple and green marbled look that we used to establish the paint scheme for the whole downstairs. There is also a really cool covering on the fireplace which adds a unique vintage feel to the room.

The mantle definitely needs some work though.  There is a huge gap (about 1″) between the wall and the fireplace which needs covered by…something!

The chimney runs through what was originally a closet in the master bedroom.  We knocked out the walls of the closet to create a nook space for the TV and also for a built in dresser. Originally we had plans to create an “exposed chimney” look.  The chimney, however, had been covered with cement and plaster so it wasn’t looking too naked 😉

I had the brilliant idea to create the exposed look by covering the chimney with thin brick or z-brick and then adding mortar.  Alas, my plan was doomed from the start. I think I searched every home improvement and tile store in the city but no one had exactly what I was looking for.  Either the product didn’t exist or it was the wrong color or it was too..fake looking for fake bricks. I found dozens of sites online but the total cost was ridiculous, especially when I would request pricing for a mere 22 ft².

While sanding the inside of the nook on Saturday I noticed that a bit of the cement and plaster had chipped away from the bottom of the chimney. I thought I might just try to remove a bit of the material covering my chimney.  A few (hundred) hammer strokes later and I had myself an original, turn of the century, genuine exposed chimney in the master bedroom! The process was extremely messy, not to mention painful (I walked away with at least 4 blisters on my hands and a nose full of gray gook), but I did save myself a few hundred bucks so it was well worth it!

We cleaned the bricks with water and soap to get the dust off of them but it looks like we may need to apply a mild acid to restore them to their original color.

I love the finished look. It really will provide the inspiration for the design of the master bedroom. Check it out below!