How to Update a 1970s Stone Fireplace

  • An old stone fireplace can be quite a delicacy in our interiors. Whether your home decoration is modern, farmhouse, or traditional, your stone fireplace can add immensely charming final touches to your interiors. 
  • Whether painted stone, a new fascinating tile color, wood paneling, or wooden wrap for your firestone stone facade inspires you most, you’ll find something exciting to revamp your fireplace room in our guide.
  • How to make your 1970 s stone fireplace turn into a modern household centerpiece? Keep reading to find out how to update a 1970s stone fireplace.

Stone fireplace—what do we know?

A stone fireplace can be made of limestone, granite, marble, slate, or travertine. Yet, the most popular choice for a stone fireplace surround is granite—the most durable and long-lasting firestone type with a scratch-resistant surface.

Why do we focus on a 1970s stone fireplace in this article precisely? 

1970s are famous for their engaging style spreading from clothing to home decor and interior design. 

People who lived in this decade remember disco platform shoes, pony cars, and massive and bulky stone fireplaces.

If you still have an old stone fireplace in your house, there are many possibilities to update its looks. 

Read our tips on transforming your stone fireplace facade for the better!

Stone fireplace makeover

Home improvement is not only about maintaining your place well-arranged but also monitoring the newest trends in home decor.

The distinctive look of the 1970s stone fireplace has been exciting for half a century now. 

You’re lucky if you have one at home because its rustic look can be a real home decor treasure! 

With today’s methods, it’s easy to update a 1970s stone, and believe us, simple actions can make a huge difference.

Below, you’ll find a few home improvement methods in the old fireplace department. 

Important: Give plenty of thought and planning ahead of time to renovating your stone fireplace. Mistakes in this department, such as painting over an unfortunate wall color, aren’t easy to fix. 

Fireplace makeover methods

Apply color paint

How to update a 1970s stone fireplace with color paint?

Simply paint your old stone or a red brick fireplace to revitalize your living space 180 degrees. 

Commonly, darker natural-colored stones give a more traditional look to your fireplace. Once, it was all that people needed and wanted, but times have changed. A little coloring will add charm to your old fireplace. 

Find the heat-resistant paint, which isn’t that difficult these days. You can also paint the stones with sheer chalk paint. 

Equip yourself with paint, paint brushes, trays, buckets, tarps, and painter’s tape when you’re ready to paint stone. 

Tip: White paint applied to any surface in your house will make the entire space look more spacious without adding square footage.

Using a sheer paint formula is vital to keep a touch of the original color and keep your fireplace from looking monochromatic. 

Also, if the ventilation in the room isn’t great, get a face mask to filter out the fumes.

Add tile

Just as an old fireplace is easily painted, it’s also possible to have a set of tile put on its surface. 

A tile will add color to your fireplace, it’s simple to install, and the market offer for colors and patterns is vast.

If it wasn’t enough of a good thing, maintaining tile cleanliness and good condition is more accessible than with a real stone. 

Important: Tiling is easier and costs less than a fireplace resurfacing with stone.

Wooden mantelpiece

A mantel (also known as a fireplace mantel or mantelpiece) is a part of the interiors that frames the opening of a fireplace. It also often covers part of the chimney breast. 

It was initially developed in the medieval period for functional purposes; it served as a hood to prevent smoke from entering the room by diverting it back into the chimney. (read more on Designing Buildings)

Install a new mantel to keep your interiors fresh and modern, independently from the style chosen. Go for the wooden surround if rustic glamor speaks to you. 

The rustic style is one of the most recognizable and appreciated; it loves wood in its most raw form. 

You’ll achieve the rustic look with warm browns, beiges, whites, and stylish accessories, such as linen tablecloths, woolen blankets, and rugs, woven wicker baskets, or wall decorations with a folk pattern. 

Massive and solid oak doors dominate the rustic style and stylish fittings, deliberately antiqued and stylized to look as if they have seen better days. 

You can interweave a rustic trend with glamor-style accessories—think of the lighting as crystal chandeliers or lamps with a lampshade, mirrors richly decorated with gold and silver, and stylized candlesticks.

One example of perfect farmhouse minimalism? Make your old stone fireplace look rustic and modern at once by creating a contrast between the floor-to-ceiling white stone and the rich mahogany finish on the new mantel made of wood.

Then, add a few neat accents like a framed mirror, and your living room will become genuinely stunning.

A combination of stones and deconstructed wood is timeless, making your living rooms with stone fireplaces feel cozy and elegant at the same time!

Tip: If your fireplace feels a bit unfinished, add a rustic-like wood mantel to pump it up. A new mantel will bring in a new, rich color and give you a space for personal decor in the form of photos and other small accessories. 

Wooden paneling

Wood paneling is an ideal-looking and simple method to refinish your stone fireplace. 

There are plenty of ways to dress up wood panels to give your fireplace what you’re looking for.

White-painted wooden panels will establish a farmhouse-style look. Mahogany panels are better for achieving an old Cape Cod style.

Wood paneling is also great for getting rid of stone quickly—they need no time for drying, unlike concrete (we’re getting there). 

You will even be able to hang up artwork on a wooden panel if this is what you want for your place. 

Add concrete

It needs to be said that most interiors don’t need unnecessary heft, typically coming from the traditional look of an old fireplace. 

Having a stone fireplace is nice, but massive stones add visual weight that sometimes needs to be balanced. 

There is a simple solution to solve this problem. You can resurface a stone fireplace by covering the stone masonry with concrete that fills in the gaps to apply a nicer and smoother look.

Tip: If you add concrete as a part of the fireplace makeover, you can also engage in a little coloring by painting it over when it is dry.

Using concrete will give your 1970s stone fireplace a modern, crisp, and refreshed look.

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Frequently Asked Questions

First off, gently collect dust, wiping away any dirt and soot from your fireplace. Don't exaggerate; a little dirt may add a distinctive charm to your old fireplace design. Forget about strong chemical methods and keep the cleaning simple. You can prepare an efficient cleaner yourself by combining three parts water to one part liquid dishwashing detergent and mixing it well before applying.
To make a stone fireplace look wet, as if its stones were just plucked from the riverbed, look for the proper sealant. The sealant also protects stone veneer from water damage and stains.
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