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Before and After: A Plain Fireplace’s Renter-Friendly Redo Only Cost $57

Sarah Everett
Sarah EverettAssistant Editor, Home Projects
Sarah is an assistant editor at Apartment Therapy. She completed her MA in journalism at the University of Missouri and has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Belmont University. Past writing and editing stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and several outlets local to her hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
published Oct 4, 2022
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About this before & after
Home Type
House
Project Type
Living Room
Cost
$57
Style
Eclectic
Maximalist
Skill Level
DIY
Rental Friendly
Yes
Before: Plain fireplace
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Credit: Laura Bradford

Thinking of embarking on a peel-and-stick wallpaper project? If there’s one standout piece of advice DIYers have post-peel-and-stick, it’s this: Keep your leftovers!

You never know where you might be able to use that little bit of pattern left on the roll, whether that’s in a picture frame, lining the insides of drawers, or on a light switch plate. Repeating the pattern elsewhere in the space is the perfect way to make your new space extra cohesive and tie a satisfying little bow on your project.

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Credit: Laura Bradford

When DIYer Laura Bradford (@lessisboreinteriors) added a windowpane peel-and-stick wallpaper to her back living room wall, which you can see on Instagram here, she had a bit leftover, so she decided to spruce up her fireplace surround, too. Her quick £50 (approximately $57) project totally changed its look.

“The before was just a plain fireplace,” Laura says. “I wanted to put my stamp on it ASAP… it took me two hours to apply to the opposite wall and about 30 mins to apply to the fireplace. The best bit is it’s completely removable!”

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Credit: Laura Bradford

Laura used JesRose Vinyl’s grid-patterned vinyl, which she found via Instagram, for the project, and the material works in this case because her fireplace is non-functioning. Her advice for applying peel-and-stick material to any surface is to take your time and make sure you have a sharp knife for cutting precise corners around trim, baseboards, wall edges, and doorframes.

In the case of the fireplace, cutting was fairly easy because of the small surface area, straight lines, and right angles. “If I could, I would paint the wooden surround bit of the fireplace, but as I’m renting, I can’t,” Laura says.

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Credit: Laura Bradford

Still, she’s pleased that the easy DIY (plus some fun plants and candles!) ties the whole room together and that she did the project herself without help. The peel-and-stick helps make the fireplace is a major focal point in the room — that is, when there’s not an adorable scene-stealing cat in front!

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

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Before & After
Living Room