This month’s Project Design with Mary Ann and Cindy is all about refreshing the living room for spring! It’s still very much winter here in the northeast, although it has been a mild winter for sure. Still, everyone is ready for a little refresh after the holidays. For me, that means a few new plants and something I have been debating about since moving into this house a year ago. The stone fireplace. We had wonderful results when we painted our stone fireplace in New Canaan, so I can’t say for sure why I have been reluctant. It makes no sense! (You can read about that makeover here). We painted it black and we l-o-v-e it!
Toward the bottom of this post, you’ll see links to the bloggers that have joined us for this late winter/spring living room refresh. Everyone has a different take on the subject which is what makes them fun!
Updating the fireplace with paint
I know it’s a tough decision to paint brick or stone because although it’s just painted, it would be a total mess to remove it. So you want to be sure it’s what you want. I’m never sure! But we did it and it looks so much better. My friend Mary in Southern California texted me last Saturday and said she saw my Instagram post and was inspired to paint hers as well. And she’s so happy with the results!
We added simple plywood shelves to the industrial bookshelf
We have two of these simple white shelves that I bought for this post. We moved them to this house and use one in the living room and one in the kitchen. The size was perfect, but for the living room, I wanted to do something to change up the look ever so slightly. We cut 1/2″ plywood shelves to fit perfectly inside the existing metal shelves. Plywood is having a moment and I quite like it! The total cost was around $18 to update the shelf which was around $175. This one from Schoolhouse Electric is what inspired me to add the simple plywood shelves.
A few collections on the coffee table
I love this new book from Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel, Travel Home. It’s a book that shows you how to take your favorite places and experiences and bring those feelings into our homes. Pretty much everything in my home has a story attached to it in some way. The Redwing pottery dish is from my friend Diane and it’s filled with white rocks that were collected from our favorite beaches. The woven basket is an Etsy find and the beads are from flea market adventures with my friend Elizabeth. The simple gray felt coasters are from HAY in Copenhagen on a memorable trip with Madeline a couple of years ago. It’s always the little things, isn’t it?
This area of our living room was empty space because of where the tv is located. We decided to bring down the Saarinen table from the attic and now this space is perfect for working or having coffee with a friend after a beach walk. The terrazzo tile is new from CB2 and the small basket on the floor holds chargers so that when I want to work at this table, I don’t have to move chargers from one space to another. The sheepskin throws are from Ikea and the linen pillow covers are from Garnet Hill.
Brass, concrete, wood & terrazzo
Collections of sand, stacked stones, and plants…the little things that bring us joy.
Make sure to check out these talented bloggers to see what they have come up with for a spring refresh!
I was so excited to see this fireplace full on! I LOVE it! Every one of your homes has your own signature style that you do so well Annie. Love the addition of the wood to the shelves (good job Brent!), and your coffee table is sublime. You really know how to rock a coffee table. I hope you never get rid of that table. Every incarnation it just works. Love it all!
You were brave to paint your fireplace but the outcome was such an improvement. I’m trying to talk my current clients into doing the same. And, I LOVE your collection of sand! What a wonderful idea. It’s interesting to see how different each one is. What a special addition to your Living Room.
Annie,
What can I say? Anyone who paints a rock fireplace black is my kind of woman! I loooove it. And most of all I absolutely love your design attitude. After you make a decision like that, there’s a certain amount of ‘just going for it’ that comes with a black fireplace. And that’s what I love. But this entire room could be in a magazine, it feels so fresh and current and ….like soooo, cool. You know what i’m saying? I just want to sit in this room and be a cool person. Hahaha Seriously though, I absolutely love coming to your blog because it’s just so inspiring. Your taste is impeccable and I need to come back and browse your posts. I just enjoy them so much.
Bold and beautiful! You know how much I love black and this looks absolutely fabulous. Clean, fresh, and wonderfully curated…
Ok so that black fireplace!!!! LOve it. Seriously this room looks so much like James Perse with the surfboards and the artwork. I like how you always keep it simple and uncluttered and yet it is so personal. Pretty darn wonderful Annie.
Thanks for including me. It was probably what I needed to get back at it. xxoo Kelley
Hi Annie
fresh, fun & original as always!! fireplace looks cool, love how you do not hesitate to try something and go for it.
cheers,
debra
“Bold and brazen design decisions energize” . . . ( said the girl inside the little black house! 😊) Annie, you always give my creative mind the energy it requires . . . plus the courage to make it happen!
I L🖤VE your, fireplace!
I painted OUR BRICK 1940’s fireplace!Wish I had an old CHATEAU type but that ITALIAN has VETO that idea for years saying the foundation of the house will NOT hold what I PICK OUT!
I think too in CALIFORNIA fireplaces will be a thing of the past sooner than later we are already restricted on when we can BURN!Has that happened back EAST?
ONce it happens here I will turn it into a PIGGY BOUDIER!IF HE CAN FIT!!!
LOVELY AND REFRESHING POST!
I need to get in the CLEANING MODE!
MAYBE TOMORROW!!!!
HAVE A NEW PRODUCT TO TRY!!!
XX
Hi Elizabeth! Did you paint it in your signature color? Our fireplace was converted to gas because when we tried wood burning, the house would fill with smoke. We don’t have restrictions which is a little surprising since we are only about 36 miles to midtown manhattan.
You will love the Thieves cleaner! It’s 100% toxic-free which is so important with your health!
xoxo
annie
I love your boldness in decorating, Annie!!! You always have these interesting elements that are SO intriguing and make me want to scrap my whole house and start over. Love the meaningful touches everywhere too, the stacked stones, labeled sand collection, and curated books on display. This is what design inspiration is!!!! Thank you for including me in this esteemed group this month. I love joining you all for Project Design and seeing what takes everyone has on the subject at hand!
Annie, love the fireplace and the plywood on the shelves! Your home has so much style and always looks ready to sit in and enjoy a cup of coffee and great conversation. Always love how you mix in so many personal details, too.
Hi Annie! I love all the rustic simplicity and ease of your space which is so inviting yet chic. You have reminded me how much I love green foliage with black and white and just how much life simple plants can bring to an interior. Thank you for the inspiration and loveliness! xox
Annie,
The fireplace looks wonderful. It fits your room perfectly. I’m the same, it’s hard for me to pull the trigger on big decisions that might be impossible to change. It looks really good. I have always loved your style.
Karen
Hello…I’m new to your blog. Could you please give me information about the white multi-at Ed chandelier in your dining room? Thank you so much.
Hi Carolyn! First, thank you for reading! The chandelier is the Fairmont Chandelier from Serena & Lily. What I love about it is that it fulls the room with light. It’s on a dimmer, so I can turn it up when I need it or way down when I just what ambient light in the space. There’s a link to the exact one under SHOP MY HOME. Hope you have a beautiful weekend. annie
I’m absolutely in-love with all of this! I painted our fireplace Tricorn Black and I get so many compliments on it! What floor did you choose? I love how it compliments everything you have! The sand collection is a great personal touch!!
Hi Jennifer! I would love to see your tricorn balck fireplace! Can you send a photo? You can text if that’s easiest. 917-349-4215
I love everything here! Where did you buy this white, squarish bowl for white stones on the table? Great idea!
Hi Meg- It is a vintage piece of pottery from a friend. Thank you for reading!
What type of paint did you use and did you have to prime or prep the fireplace? I have a stone fireplace that I want to paint black, but I have no idea where to even start.
Hi Melissa! We painted our stone fireplace in my current house black and we love it! We just used matte black paint (I think it was Tricorn Black from Sherwin Williams)-and we painted it using two coats. The only things we did to prep it was using a stiff brush, we went over it clearing any loose dirt, grout whatever, and then painted two coats. The first coat is the hardest, the second goes on much faster. Don’t use a new expensive brush beacuse it will get ruined. You can also use a small roller for some areas. We love it black! Here’s a link to the post! https://mostlovelythings.com/black-painted-stone-fireplace/
I would love to see your before and after photos. You can text them, 917-349-4215. Annie