Sometimes it's ok to FAUX it

I can't believe it.  This is my LAST FRIDAY of summer. :( What makes it even more upsetting is the home projects will most likely have to come to a halt until the school year ball starts rolling and I have my old routine back in place. {Feeling sorry for myself-I'm done now} Since this will be my last home post for awhile, I wanted to make it a good one.   I know I may be a little bias, but I think this is the most beautiful and fun reno I  we have completed this summer!  *I say we because I was in need of a strong, burly man to help me with this one--B to the rescue!

I don't know about you, but I just hate looking at the black hole they call a fireplace pit. Living in North Carolina, we don't particularly use our fireplace that often.  I love having it on at Christmas time for the ambiance, but other than that, here we sit...looking into a boring, lifeless, black hole...blah.

I recently updated the fireplace using AirStone from Lowes! Oh.my.word. It is the easiest way to update your existing fireplace and took no time at all.  No one can believe I did it myself {the nerve, right?}.

Before: BOOOORRRRIIINNNGGG

After: AHHHHHH-much better

After looking through home decor catalogs, I have seen stacked logs EVERYWHERE- Ballard, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and even an Art magazine.  After looking at these issues back to back, I knew they were trying to tell me something.  I felt like Nicolas Cage in Knowing, scrambling my brain to figure out what to do with it.  Stacking the logs in the center was not an option since our fireplace is electric, so the center console had to stay in place.  Hmmm....When life hands you a problem, google it.

I googled "stacked log fireplace" and found some beautiful photos. All of them seemed to be real working fireplaces--which wouldn't work for me.  However, it was this one that stuck out as to what I wanted the overall "look" to be:

photo credit

"Recreating this will be a piece of cake," I said to myself.  "All I need is a piece of plywood, black paint (which I already have), and wood.......oh snap.....wood. Perfectly cut, round, wooden logs.  Shouldn't be too hard to find right?" I told myself over and over in my most convincing tone.

I searched all around my neighborhood for a few pieces of wood, but nothing was large enough for what I was looking for.  Resorting to my sweet friend Facebook, I posted my request online.  A friend said to come by her house because she may have something in the backyard I might be able to use.

I have never been any good at directions but this was the one time it paid off!  I, of course, got lost on my way to her home. As I turned around to head back, I saw this glorious sight:

 Looking back, I don't know how I managed to pick these puppies up.  I like to think of it as the story of the woman who lifted a car to get her baby out from under it.  Well the fireplace was my baby and the logs were the car.  Bring it on!

The chosen ones

The assembly of this project was a piece of cake (or plywood in the literal sense).

Step 1: Find logs--getting lost while driving around will help with this.

Step 2: Purchase a piece of plywood from Lowes and cut to fit for the opening of the fireplace--check it before going any further.

Step 3: Paint a piece of plywood black (or whatever color your interior fireplace may be).

Step 3 1/2: Enlist help from a dashing fellow to help you with step 4.

Step 4: Slice logs as if it were a baguette. We varied the thicknesses to make it appear more realistic.  Trim up any sharp edges for a cleaner look. I also used a large brush to dust off any excess dust, cobwebs, or tiny critters lurking about.

Step 5: Arrange logs into a puzzle so they all fit, appear sitting on top of one another, and stay inside the square of the plywood.

Step 6: Glue on using wood glue and let dry.

Step 7: After glue is dry, nail logs to plywood {from the back} using a nail gun .  Dust off with large brush one last time.

Step 8: Place into fireplace opening and WAH-LA! Bye-Bye black hole!

This project took 2 days and will probably be used for 10 months out of the year.  It adds such a warm, fuzzy feeling to our living room and is certainly more appealing to the eye.  Sometimes is ok to faux it--No one will ever know...