My Visions and Plans for our DIY Farmhouse Fireplace Project!

_{This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, you can read my full disclaimer here.}

The last time I wrote about this chippy mantel here on the blog, I shared a few photos of fireplaces that I love and find inspiring as I plan our own fireplace project! This is one of the bigger DIY’s we’ve taken on up to this point! So I’ve put a lot of mental energy into the planning stages. And today I am ready to reveal my vision and plans for our DIY farmhouse fireplace project! I am so so so excited for you to see my ideas!!

I am designing everything for this project around two main details… This antique mantel from an 1800’s era estate, and this shiplap feature wall made from the original shiplap from “the old house”. That’s what we always called the original farmhouse that we rebuilt! “The old house” has been in my family as far back as we can trace, and you can take a virtual tour by clicking this link. The wood actually has the names of some of my ancestors in their own handwriting. So while I love white painted shiplap, I love the history of these so much that I just can’t bring myself to paint it! But I think this project will really lighten up the space and break up some of the wood.

It was always my vision to have a fireplace, or at least a mantel in our living room! And I can’t believe we’re finally adding one to this space! There are several elements we want to include in our DIY fireplace project. The first would be built-in storage on both sides of the mantel! The second would be an electric fireplace insert in the hearth to really bring the cozy factor to our living room. And the third would be a wall mounted frame tv above the mantel that we can disguise as art.

Lately I’ve become my family’s furniture and home goods donation center… I’m pretty much everyone’s “Good Will”! And it’s a role I love to play! It also comes in handy when you’re in the planning stages of a big project like this one. And so when my brother offered me this tall shelf, I gladly accepted it! It’s not a very old piece, but it is wood and I think it’s beautiful! It belonged to my grandparents on my dad’s side so it also has a sentimental value to me. This shelf was originally one of three pieces that all fit together to make one large entertainment center.

Ok this is where it gets good y’all! I actually already have one of the other pieces!! I’ve been undecided as to where to use this new shelf from my brother… And today it came to me clear as day! These two shelving units, the one from my brother and the one I already owned, could totally fit on either side of the mantel. They could be my “built-in” storage!! They’re the right size for the space. They have open and closed storage as is. And they don’t have a lip at the top so it could be butted right up to the fireplace!

We plan to frame out a wall, studs and everything, and panel it with beadboard instead of drywall. And when we do the framing, we’ll be sure to build in a box for the fireplace insert, and add ample studs to support the weight of the tv. The shelves can be “built in” around this new wall. Then we’ll attach the mantel to the face of the wall, and mount the tv.

I created this image on Canva to give you a visual! It’s obviously a rough image… but I think you get the picture! I would ideally like the mantle wall to be around 12 inches deep. However, the shelves are 21 inches deep. So they would stick out further than the mantel which I do not love! So our idea is to have them cut down to match the desired depth of the fireplace wall. I’ll also remove the beadboard on the back of the cabinet on the right. We could consider building the fireplace wall to match the depth of the shelves, but then we’d be losing a lot of floor space in the room. This week I actually contacted a local company that does woodworking and furniture repair to get a quote on cutting these down. So as of now, that’s the route we’re gonna go with!

Next steps in the plans for our DIY farmhouse fireplace:

• refinish the chippy mantel (seal in the chippy paint, layer on some white to cover most of the blue)
• shop for an electric fireplace insert
• drop off shelving units at the shop to be cut to size
• sketch out detailed dimensions and building plans for the fireplace wall
• purchase materials and build the wall
• paint shelves and new wall to match
• attach mantel
• hang tv, possibly DIY a frame?

For now, you can catch me warming my feet by the glow of this candle… and dreaming about the cozy glow of the fire! I am so excited for these plans for our DIY farmhouse fireplace project to become a reality!! And I hope you enjoyed seeing more of the planning stages and the behind the scenes progress for this project.

Want to see this project unfold from start to finish? Take a look back at where we started… (Today’s post would be part 3 in this series of posts!)

The Swoon-Worthy 1800’s Mantle That Started It All… (Part 1)
Gathering Inspiration & Ideas for a Farmhouse Fireplace (Part 2)
My Original Visions & Plans for a DIY Fireplace Project (Part 3)
DIY Fireplace Project Updates & Our Samsung Frame TV (Part 4)
How to Build a DIY Fireplace for an Electric Insert – (Part 5)

It’s one of our biggest DIY’s since finishing up construction on the farmhouse. And we’re taking our time on this planning phase because we want to do it right! Leave me a comment or send me a message and let me know what you think! I love hearing your thoughts and connecting with you! And as always, thank you so much for following along…

Love, Brittany