*Lyrics from Lights Out, Words Gone by Bombay Bicycle Club from their album A Different Kind of Fix. I searched for artists that were similar to Local Natives (my fave), and this was one of the recommendations. I think I like them. Gotta keep listening to make sure.

BEFORE: Soot and smokey residue had collected after years of having an improperly lined chimney, and the mantle just looked tired.

No matter how many times I say it, it’s still true: new paint makes all the difference. When we had the floors in the house redone (during the Great Renovation), we were forced to freshen every inch of trim in the entire first floor with new paint. The only spot that I avoided – for at that time I was afraid of making a mistake – was the fireplace mantle. It had some smokey residue (from before we had the chimney rebuilt), and the old paint was yellower than the brand new, fresh, just-painted trim of the rest of the first floor, so I finally decided to tackle that last, niggling detail.

BEFORE: Even after cleaning the mantle with magic erasers, simple green, and just plain soap and water, there was still a bit of a grimy haze on the old paint.

I had previously tried to clean the mantle with every kind of tool I could – magic erasers, degreasers, soap and water, all-purpose cleansers, you name it – but to no avail. The tannins of the soot had taken hold, and the only way I could eradicate them was to paint over them (after rinsing all those cleaners off, of course). I primed with a stain-blocking primer, and painted with my favorite Benjamin Moore Aura paint. One coat of each was all I needed. Within a matter of a few hours on a couple of days, and with minimal cost investment, I was able to completely refresh our 1920s fireplace with just a lick of paint.

AFTER: Fresh, clean, bright, and crisp! A huge improvement, and another task I can tick off my list.

AFTER: Dressed simply, and with fresh paint, the whole room feels brighter and cleaner. Ahhhh.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and paint something already! xoxo