DIY stacked stone fireplace (where there was none!)

Well hello! I have a BIG reveal for you today! I worked so hard on this basement fireplace and I'm so so SO thrilled it's done. I'm excited to share it with you today! I took a ridiculous amount of photos so bear with me. :) 

I'll show you where we started first! We have this little bump out in our basement and from day one we knew what we wanted to do with it. When we finished the basement years ago we went ahead and bought an electric fireplace for that spot. It sat on a bench for four years. 😁

A few months ago we decided to have the fireplace built in since the whole space was torn up for the new floors anyway: 

Then I was craving a little more traditional look so we had the hearth added along with a mantel: 

Then it was time for me to do the rest! I knew I needed to stain the mantel and hearth before I tiled -- it would have gotten all over the tile otherwise. I sanded both down and then cleaned them really well. A wet paper towel does fine: 

I ALWAYS use a preconditioner for staining projects because it gives you an even finish when you stain: 

It takes just a quick swipe (I use foam brushes) and then you can stain immediately! 

I did two coats of Minwax dark walnut stain -- one of my favorites! I wanted to match the top of the wall of cubbies we have in the room: 

I know I say it a lot but staining is one of my favorite DIY projects. It's instant gratification! I always love seeing the details of the wood coming through. I like to remind you to make sure you have plenty of time to tackle your staining project -- you'll want to finish it all up at once and keep a "wet edge" while working. Otherwise you may see where you stopped and started. 

I usually let my stain dry for about five minutes but you can wait longer for a deeper stain. After that I wipe it down with a clean, lint-free cloth. Wearing latex gloves helps to keep the stain off of your hands! 

Here's the stain I used: 

Dark walnut is a deep brown that doesn't have any red tones -- I love it! It will vary a bit depending on the wood you use, but I always love how it looks. 

After the stain has dried, it's time to add the polyurethane on top to protect it and give it a beautiful sheen. Because I was working with vertical surfaces I used the Minwax wipe on poly: 

I applied it with a clean cloth and it goes on really easily: 

This stuff is perfect for spaces like this one where the poly would drip if you used a brush. I sanded down with a scrap paper bag piece in between coats: 

I shared more about that process here -- it's my new favorite way to knock down small bumps in between poly and after! Who would've thought brown paper bags worked so well? :) 

After it all dried I started the tiling process and I shared how to tile using stacked stone here. The large pieces were pretty easy, it was the smaller sections that I had to cut just right that took the most time. By the time I was done I may have cried tears of joy, ha! Seriously, I was ready to be done. 

But it's beautiful and exactly what we envisioned for this room for years!! We are obsessed with it! I added some Christmas touches to it of course: 

I took a ton of pictures in different light so you'll see a mix here today. I also ended up taking down the stockings and kind of like it with them down so you can really see the stone!: 

I'm head over heels for the dark wood combo with the stone -- it's exactly what I wanted! It's rustic but still feels modern: 

I had so much fun decorating this spot! It has completely transformed the basement -- literally it looks like a brand new space. When we finished the basement years ago and did our lighting, we made sure to add lights over this spot, knowing we were planning to do the fireplace wall. 

But this time of year I think I like it better with the lights off: 

The last thing I need to do here is put a dimmer on those lights -- we have them throughout the rest of the basement and I want that softer light here too: 

I'm just going to keep putting up pictures and saying things cause I worked my butt off on this project. 😂

The frames used to sit on the cubby built ins and I think they'll stay up here. Love how homey this spot feels!

We always put our flocked tree down here and it's usually decorating with green and blue ornaments. I went much more natural and neutral this year with white, silver and bronze ornaments instead. I'm obsessed with those colors on this flocked tree:

The hearth isn't super deep but it's the perfect size for accessories. You can sit on it too, but it's not deep enough to sit back really far: 

Stuffed reindeer butts fit perfectly.

Here's another look at the before of this spot: 

And here's how it looks today!: 

Here's another shot from a couple months ago: 

And that same angle, just closer: 

I have to clean up all of the tools and Nerf bullets and then I'll get a full shot of the room! :) 

Whoohoo, I'm so thrilled to be done with this massive project! We've spent every evening down here with the fireplace on -- we're definitely enjoying this space! 

If you have any questions about this project, please let me know! I'm off to finish up our Christmas decor to share with you later this week. I'm seriously just going to sleep all day long on Friday when I'm done! :)

I work with Minwax to share how I use their products in our home and they sponsored this post. I only work with brands I know and love!

How to install stacked stone tile on a fireplace wall

Hey all! I've been working my butt off (I wish literally) on this fireplace tile project in the basement! If you remember I last left you with the new mantel and hearth: 

Those tiles were just leaned up against there so I started with that bottom part -- because it was the easiest. :) 

I've been working on it on and off on this for the past couple of weeks and finally hit it hard again yesterday. I was so hoping to get it done but I ran out of steam. Today is the day! I'm determined! 

This is the stone we're using, from Lowe's: 

I've had to visit three different locations to find enough to use because some batches are more pinky toned than others. I prefer the more natural tones so I've had to mix and match boxes. The great thing about this stone is it looks fantastic no matter what! 

This is the adhesive I used, from Home Depot: 

This stuff is awesome and SO much easier than mixing thinset. You pay a little more but save in time and mess. It's nice that this is ready to go and you don't have to worry about getting the mixture just right. 

You'll need a trowel -- but make sure you get one with "teeth" that are the right size for your tile. Mine was the 1/4 by 1/4 size and the adhesive container tells you which one to use: 

After installing a few tiles and realizing not all of them are shaped exactly the same (most are), I started laying them out on the floor to make sure they all fit together OK:

Some tiles are shorter on one end and won't work, and I had to take a couple tiles down because of that, so this part is important. 

Tiling itself is actually quite an easy process, especially with this tile. It just takes TIME. You start by spreading your adhesive on the wall: 

Fill in the general size of the tile on the wall -- I've learned over the years that it doesn't have to be caked on. You're wasting the adhesive if you go crazy with it: 

The reason for this is, you'll add more to the back of the tile. I have found that I waste less if I spread it on with the straight side of the trowel first: 

Like frosting! ;) This stuff is so easy to work with. 

And then I'll use my towel and put the notches into it: 

The design of the trowel gives some more grip to the adhesive. 

And then you just put it on the wall: 

I wiggle it around a little and then leave it. You'll have a few minutes to easily work with it but it grips right away -- no worries about them falling off. I've tiled many times onto drywall and it holds up great -- you do not need special drywall or backing unless you're doing a wet location. 

As far as the install goes, straight lines go fast and easy with this tile. They fit together fairly well so you can go pretty quick. Areas like the sides of the fireplace took more time and work because I had to do a lot more cutting. You can see that sometimes I started on the left side, sometimes on the right, so the seams don't always match up: 

The beauty of this tile is it does not have to be perfect! It is very forgiving because the design is so irregular and natural. 

To fill in spots I would measure the width I needed and then mark my cut line with a pen or pencil: 

I borrowed a tile saw for this project -- I find this tool to be one of the easiest to use. You check your line with the saw while it's off, then turn it on (make sure water is running) and then run it through slowly: 

Things to consider: 

1. Think about where you want to start. I started in the middle for my long runs but this tile is so forgiving it's not necessarily needed. 

2. Always wear eye protection when using the tile saw!

3. I didn't have many problems cutting this tile but you do have to watch where your cut will be -- if it's going to leave a little sliver of a piece it will most likely get torn up by the saw. Tiny cuts are very hard to do with a saw like this so make your measurements accordingly. 

4. Keep all of your scrap tile till you are done -- you never know where you can use a small piece that may be too hard to cut. 

5. You do not need to grout with this tile, which saves a ton of time! There are a few spots where you can see the wall between the pieces (if you look really hard), so I may fill in a few spots with some tile caulk. 

You will have smaller sections to fill in and I've saved most of these for last, since I know I'll have scrap I can use:

Also, I originally planned to cut the tiles at the ends at an angle so they would fit against the wall. It was going to take SO MUCH longer to do that though, so I went with a straight edge and I'm so thankful I did. It would be so difficult to get mitered edges to match up perfectly. 

I will share the full reveal when I finish the tile, do the final coats of poly on the wood and after I decorate it! I can't wait! But here's an idea of how this looks installed: 

It has such a warm, cozy feel and we're so excited about this area! Can't wait to see it decorated for Christmas!: 

Have you used this tile in your home? Many of you shared photos of your projects on my Facebook page and I love it every time I see it used! 

Here's an image to pin if you are interested in tiling sometime in the future:

And you can see how I tiled a smaller area with marble tile in our family room here: 

Beautiful tile options at the hardware store

Well hello! Since I've been in the tile aisles lately (check out our basement fireplace project here), I've seen some AWESOME options that I had to share with you. Tile stores and showrooms are incredible, (and quite fun to look through if you haven't done it) but I have yet to purchase from them because the hardware stores have so many cool options at great prices. I've been incredibly pleased with the quality of them over the years too. 

I snapped some photos of my favorites from a couple stores to share with you (all on my phone so not my best photography). These first few are from Home Depot and I wish I had a spot for each one of them! This hexagon marble tile is gorgeous: 

I am going to use a pebble tile for our shower floor (someday...) and this is a favorite -- I love the gray tones:

I bet this feels awesome underfoot too. ;) 

I love this for a more traditional look -- it's a classic:

This small marble subway tile would be beautiful in a bathroom:

This basketweave has some darker tones and I bet it would be a stunner installed:

I LOVED this version too -- it had more of a natural stone look:

That one also had a lot of dimension to it that was really unique. 

This is a tiny, lighter version of the stacked stone we're using in the basement: 

These mosaic sheets of tile are so easy to install and this one above wouldn't need to be grouted -- always a bonus! 

THIS was a favorite and I must find a spot for it. This gray arabesque tile is gorgeous: 

I'm sharing mostly mosaic sheets of tile but I loved this large marble subway tile too: 

So pretty! I love the large subway look!

This one was a ceramic made to look like marble: 

No worries about etching or staining on that!

These last options were from Lowe's -- I've always loved a penny tile and they have two options:

This stuff was so cool -- it's itty bitty subway tile! It would be a bear to grout but I thought it looked really neat: 

This was another ceramic tile made to look like marble -- the look without any of the fuss: 

These were two more versions of the vintage black and white look:

This hexagon version is larger than the HD option above and there are stone tiles mixed in with the marble: 

As you can tell, I'm a sucker for the marble. I liked this oval tile too -- 

That gives you a more modern look with a traditional material. 

This marble basketweave was pretty too:

This one caught my eye -- each piece was huge and I loved the wavy look and the colors! This would be awesome in a bathroom!:

This one is one of my favorites -- I can't get over how cute this bubble tile is and I'm trying to figure out where I can use it: 

Again, it would be such a pain to grout, but I'm guessing worth it! Most of these sheets are at $10 each and are about a square foot. 

Have you used any of these I have pictured? If so I'd love to see them -- feel free to link in the comments. I love that there are SO many cool options so easily accessible. These stores have really upped their game over the past few years. 

Here are a couple of my favorite tile projects in our house...

See how I installed the marble herringbone tile to our fireplace surround: 

And we used really inexpensive octagon tile sheets in our basement laundry and I love them: