Before & After: A DIY Fireplace Fix

published Dec 16, 2015
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(Image credit: Submitted by Jen)

My husband and I recently moved into a brand new townhome in San Diego, California. We absolutely love the new place but for some reason, the builder created really awkward and unevenly sized “designer nooks” above the fireplace. We tried to think of ways to design around them but ultimately we knew we needed to cover the holes up and create a mantle.

(Image credit: Submitted by Jen)

Since my husband and I had absolutely no experience with tiling or wood work of any kind, we originally got a quote from a contractor and it was going to be close to $5,000! That was out of the question. So, after about 30 trips (no exaggeration) to our local Lowe’s and watching countless YouTube videos, we took it one step at a time and completed the fireplace remodel completely on our own for only $700.

Thank you, Jen!