DIY - Sandstone Finish

[Mel]

After visiting a fireplace showroom and seeing a lovely rendered fireplace surround, we dcided to have a go at revamping our fireplace brick work. The top half was original, but had been painted a very deep green (almost black) by the previous owners, and the bottom half was new...it kind of looked odd and out of place. So, we painted the whole thing in a textured, sandstone finish paint by Wattyl. It's quite effective, and it does lighten up the dining / kitchen rooms a lot - makes the space appear larger somehow. We've yet to put up a new mantle piece, but even as is we think its an improvement - what do you think??

BEFORE:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/devonlover/218-1805_IMG.jpg

AFTER:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/devonlover/221-2143_IMG.jpg

UP CLOSE:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/devonlover/221-2148_IMG.jpg
The colour isn't as dark as shown in this photo!

[Leigh]

That looks great Mel, a vast improvment! It will look fantastic when the new mantle is up. :)
What the paint hard to use?
Freinds of ours have just converted their garage into a room, and she used the sandstone effect paint on the walls. She said it was so hard to paint on, really thick and gluggy. Cost a small fortune too, as it didnt go anywhere near as far as normal paint. But the end result was great.

[Erin]

Wow Mel, that looks fantastic! What a big improvement! I bet you can't wait for winter so you can sit by the fire :) Your Devons will just love it!

Erin

[Marsha]

Hi Mel,

I love it! I bet it's made the room look bigger too! Well Done! Is that polished floor boards I can just see in the photo? We need a photos of a fire blazing away now :)

Love Marsha x

[Mel]

Thanks ladies :)

Leigh, the paint is thick, and it one tin didn't quite stretch as far as we would have liked it to LOL we had to end up buying another tin. We got the first tin on a really good special though (something like 40% off at Mitre10), shame we didn't know we'd need a second tin when we bought the first. Anyway, all up it cost us around $100 - which isn't too bad I guess.

Erin and Marsha, I think we'll probably end up putting in a gas heater - hopefully a 'log burning' look one. Just have to save up some $$$ and either find one that will fit in the existing cavity, or find someone who can widen the space a little. One of our cats has asthma, so I'd be a bit worried what effect burning an open fire would have on him. And besides that, open fires create such a mess...but they sure are pretty to sit and watch :)

Mel

[Mervb]

Looks great! Contratulations.

I'm about to open a new thread on artifical stone ("Fake Rock") but while on sandstone - I have some bleeding awful terracotta, cement and plastic planters peppering my balcony.

Does any one know of any recipes etc that will allow me to coat them so they have the look and textual feel on sandstone and yet be able to withst and being exposed to the elements?

..again a great job on the fireplace.

MervB
;)