The Lilac Project: FIREPLACE!!!!!

Shortly after we bought the house, started the renovations on the floors, I knew what I wanted to do to the fireplace. We bought all the fire glass and carrara marble in a herringbone pattern back in January!!! We have been sitting on this project for over 9 months. I have had multiple tile setters come to give me a quote, but they turned me down since I had already purchased the tile. I am guessing they make a cut on the product and this project was just too small for them to bother with. Annoying.

This last Sunday, I was drinking my coffee on the couch and I just couldn't stand looking at this fireplace anymore. I am having my first Thanksgiving at our house and I cannot have this unfinished project showing up in any photos. PLUS, if it should turn off cold on Thanksgiving, I am going to want this thing lit! With my luck it will be 80+ degrees, like it always is. Haha.

To start this project, I grabbed some cardboard boxes from the recycling bin (we just bought new luggage so the boxes were huge). I measured the space and created a template:

This was what the room looked like before - old brown tile on fireplace.

Step 1: Create Template!

The next thing I did was lay all of the tile out to make sure I had purchased enough tiles. Keep in mind, I purchased this stuff 9+ months ago. Who knows where my head was at when I ordered it online.
Whew..... looks like I ordered just enough!

Always with the "helper" in the way!

By this point, I had convinced Scott that I could handle this project. He had been frantically searching and calling on people from Craigslist asking people to come give us a quote while I was laying all the tile out on the floor. However, I talked him into going to Lowe's and getting me a few items that I needed. I had gone two days prior and bought my thin-set, grout, and tools. I just needed one more item..... THE TILE SAW!

While Scott was out, I called my dad over to help me with the cutting.

Prepping my station!

The tile cutting station! It made a mess outside.

At the end of the day, the only way to set the tile is measure, cut, then place.... and keep going! This tile was particularly difficult because you have to make sure the tile is in the right direction when measuring and cutting so that all the pieces line up.

Me and my faithful sidekick applying thin-set and tiles!

My dad taking notes. I will be helping him with their bathroom remodel!

Praying that the tiles will all line up and connect as planned. This tile is TRICKY!!!!

Helping me fill in the empty spaces.

Putting toys in my thin-set. The wipes box makes a perfect trough.

Tiles up! Now we need to wait 24+ hrs before applying grout!

I originally thought that I wanted to gray grout. I didn't want the grout to be screaming at me. I had a bad experience with white grout in my other house so I wasn't sure I would be happy with it here. However, I bought both and tested them out on leftover tile. I am so happy that I did because had I gone with the Warm Gray (from Lowes), I would have been so unhappy. It was too muddy and made the tile look old, and not in a good way. The Bright White (from Home Depot) made the tile look clean and crisp. I didn't buy a white from Lowes because their whites were all too yellow. Home Depot had a better selection of whites. Also, I went with a un-sanded grout due to the high polish on this tile and the small area of grout. A sanded grout would have scratched.

Always test your grout colors! Left is bright white. Right is warm gray. I went with Bright White!!!

I started this project on a Sunday at 1pm, I finished setting the tile around 8:30pm that same day (with some drink breaks and dinner in there too). I woke up the next morning with very sore quads. Lots of squatting in this project.

I started the grout the following Monday around 11:00am. I finished the grout around 4:30pm. The grouting took the longest and was the most work. Getting all the areas smooth, even and free of air bubbles took a lot of time and elbow grease. It was a serious workout. In the end, I think I did a pretty good job. My hands were sore for a week and extremely dry, but I can appreciate this job so much more now. I bought sliding glass doors for the front, but right now, I don't think I am going to put them on. I like the way this looks. I'll just have to watch that no toys go flying in!

Now I need to decide on furniture for this area. Now that the fireplace is done, the rug and furniture are all fighting and screaming at me to fix this eclectic mess! Too many patterns and colors fighting.