A New Fireplace, All By Myself

Drinking beer at lunchtime is never a good thing. Well, it is in the moment, but afterwards it's just draining. If I don't get a nap, the beer exhausts me, and after two Stellas, I have found myself completely wiped out. But with the sun finally peeking through after weeks of rain, a lunch outdoors with my boyfriend (that just happened to be at our favorite bar), was much needed. I've spent the past day and a half working hard and I needed to cop a squat with my favorite man, over a chicken wrap and some beeahs.

Yesterday, I exhausted myself with painting things. I decided, a few weeks ago, to use this week as a week of painting and planting. Everything (okay, not everything) is getting a fresh coat of something. It started in the morning, when I took it upon myself to paint an exterior door Farrow and Ball Drawing Room Blue. The color was enormous, and it's simple, structured elegance made me want to paint everything blue. I begged and cooed until W agreed to let me use it again on an interior wall.

Next, I began painting the family room with a bright neutral, Farrow and Ball Farrow's Cream. It's not quite yellow, but it has much more punch than any sort of beige you might find. As W spackled, sanded, taped, unplugged and moved furniture, I began painting. One of the four walls in the room was a deep crimson, and seeing it reemerge with this new, bright color was overwhelming. I am so in love with these colors.

In the meantime, there has been this brick-looking tile section in front of my fireplace. It doesn't make much sense being sandwiched in between the hardwood floors, and the painted brick face. I decided to prime and paint it. Here is the before picture; I remembered to take just after I started priming it.

Before. Yuck.

I primed it, and then prepared to paint the tiles to match the stone. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the name of the stone's paint color. I decided it might have been Benjamin Moore's Nantucket Fog. I went out and got a sample, but when I got the small can home, I realized it wasn't the right color. It was too blue. It was, however, perfect for a chair I'd repainted a couple years ago. I repainted the chair once again, along with a little yellow table that I'd gotten secondhand a few years ago.

Table and chair, painted Benjamin Moore Nantucket Fog. The tiles, behind them, are primed.

Today, I went to Anchor True Value Hardware and got a small bit of the color that was on the brick; the name finally came to me late last night. It's Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. After I painted my fireplace tile, though, things still didn't look right. The screen, a plain black screen that had been screwed to the brick by one of the home's previous owners, was lifeless. It made me want to paint the floor a glossy black to match, or...

Detach the screen!

Removing the screen was easier than I'd expected. 

A couple screws, some brute force and... it's off! 

I used my new drill that I'd been dying for (see above photo), the one that my loving boyfriend got me for Mother's Day, to detach the screen. Oh, one I started I was overwhelmed with joy. The effect of seeing it gone opened up the fireplace so much. It did require some cleaning and a bit more painting but boy, was it worth it.

Now, at 5:14 p.m., my fireplace is drying. Soon, I will have a new, beautiful screen and tools, and the result is just fantastic.

Great success! Can't wait for the new screen and tools.

I owe my friend KScorna her baking dish (so sorry, K, I promise tomorrow), and I didn't get to the post office to mail my friend JRA's birthday gift. Dinner will be served a bit late tonight. All for the sake of a fireplace that's worth company.