Faux tin tile fireplace makeover | How About Orange

February 04, 2014

Faux tin tile fireplace makeover


Mission accomplished! The antique spinach dip tile on the dining room fireplace has been successfully disguised with removable panels. Apologies, Rookwood fans. But don't despair. If someday you buy this house from us, you can pull off these sheets of embossed thermoplastic and the spinach dip will be yours to enjoy. Yum.

I used Fasade backsplash sheets for this makeover, which I first saw in a rack at Home Depot. They're lightweight, easy to cut, and since this isn't a working fireplace, they're not going to melt. After gleefully hatching my plan, I contacted the manufacturer to see if they'd send complimentary tiles for this experiment in exchange for reporting on the project (success or epic fail). Score! So a huge thank you to Fasade.


Fasade panels come in different sizes for walls, ceilings, and backsplashes in a variety of finishes and designs: modern, traditional, and industrial. I chose from the traditional category to match the look of the mantel, and selected the pattern with the smallest repeat so that more than one square would show along the sides of the fireplace cover. Traditional 6 in Brushed Nickel was my pick (the left-most swatch in the Before photo and the top swatch above).


I measured the swatches and determined that each repeat is a 3" square. I made a quick diagram in Illustrator to see how many 18" x 24" backsplash sheets I'd need, color coding each panel to show where the leftover cutouts could be used. Six sheets would do the job.


Supplies included a cutting mat, utility knife, ruler (this plastic quilting one didn't slide around as much as my metal cork-backed one), tape measure, kitchen scissors for trimming off extra bits, and a Sharpie. I hung the panels with a combination of poster putty and self-adhesive foam tape.

Removal instructions on the mounting tape state that brushing rubber cement onto any left-behind goo will make it easy to rub off the sticky residue with your finger. So I'm confident these will come off without harming the tile.


Each panel is covered with a protective plastic film you remove at the end of the job. I marked my cuts on the film with a Sharpie, and after the film peeled off, no markings showed on the final panels. For each cut, I scored the panel by sliding a utility knife along a ruler a couple times. No need to cut all the way through— just bend the panel back and forth along the score and it will snap apart.


The fireplace required a ridiculous number of cuts in the floor panels to get them to fit around the mantel pillars. I drew a diagram on paper for those and labeled the length and placement of each of the dozen-or-so cuts needed for each piece. They ended up too snug in a couple spots so I trimmed off bits with a scissors until the panels fit.


Tedious but worth it.




Once all the pieces were cut to size, I peeled off the protective films and stuck the panels to the tile. In a couple spots the old tile was sunken in, so I built up those areas with poster putty. I put small pieces of foam adhesive tape in the corners of each panel and one or two along the seams. Fasade panels are designed to overlap one another at the edges, so I made sure to apply the panels in the right order.


So much better! (Hey look, there's the head.) Next project: more wallpaper. Why stop with just an accent wall? We're going to cover the whole room. It's going to be crazy and wonderful. Or crazy and terrible, which is a distinct possibility, but we're going for it. If you think this is a bad idea, don't tell me. I'm sure I've already had every thought that has just flitted through your mind, and then I squelched them in my enthusiasm for making a room that is unlike any dining room I've been in before.

30 comments:

Grandma G said...

So THAT'S how you did it! Looks awesome! And I loved the photo with the head in it.

Continue.... can't wait to see the next installment!

Mum

annie dee said...

That looks really cool. Love the way use poster putty to build up those low spots. Have to say, I wasn't a believer but I am now. Nice!!

Jessica Jones said...

Thanks. I love it. I'm still trying to decide what I think about the level of shininess, though. Maybe I should spray some sort of clear dull or matte acrylic on it. I might have some Krylon stuff. I'll do the wallpaper and then decide. Maybe it should be shiny to help bounce some light around in the cave I'm creating. Ha!

RhondaBuss said...

I like the shiny aspect of the tile. Your makeover is perfect for the room and the period. Too bad you can't use the fireplace.

Jessica Jones said...

We've got 2 others we're going to try to make work, so hopefully there will be no shortage of fire.

Unknown said...

This looks so great! I personally like the shiny, but it would look great matte as well. I'm actually really excited you're going so full force with this room - I can't get enough of that wallpaper!

Grandma G said...

Looking at the pics again, I'm thinking your shiny tiles are going to look pink after you get the other walls papered. Is that good or bad?

Mum

Jessica Jones said...

I think they'll reflect pink in some places and brown wood in some places, and my face in other places when I put my lips up there to kiss them. It will just generally be a mix. I think it's okay.

Grandma G said...

Your. Lips. ......

kansasgirl1 said...

Wow, what a difference, and a wonderful difference. The tin tiles look great!

Susan said...

Love these tiles. Have them on my kitchen backsplash and on the ceiling of my tiny bathroom. Totally worth the small investment in time, money and skill.

Sal said...

It looks so pretty! I'm really enjoying reading your makeover posts!

Mary Catherine said...

Bye bye Spinach Dip! This looks wonderful! Now, what do I have that I can cover with Fasade tiles...

jabbott said...

Looks a million times better now x

JanetJ said...

That is so freaking cool!

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

Oh my word...you have me in awe!!! Excellent idea to get the Facade for this post....you know I'll be out shopping for some!! Love, love, love the fireplace...I would have never had that idea and it is perfect.

Smiles,
Kelly

JenHoney said...

Wow, that's an enormous improvement. I like it shiny. I think it'll be easier to clean as-is than if you put something matte on it, too.

Unknown said...

Please don't put up more of that wallpaper. Usually your design sense is so spot-on, but really - that wallpaper in that architecture is already a problem. Please no more.

Amy in PA said...

Love it!!

cma21317 said...

I saw this post a while back. I'm glad I did because it has help me decide this is they type of backsplash I want in the kitchen. Thanks so much for posting!!!!!

Unknown said...

LoveloveloveLOVE it! I like the shiny and the thought of it reflecting all the things. Nice work!

Shannon said...

Good choice with the tile!

Unknown said...

My girls and I love your dining room so far and think everything you have done is wonderful. The parlor is fabulous too!

Pat said...

Wow, looks great! I think more wallpaper will be very dramatic and cool. Candlelight on the table and you'll have some fabulous dinners.

bubblegum casting said...

Holy cow , that's incredibly different and it looks 10 times better . thanks for the post.

Jennifer said...

This looks great! Thanks again for sharing your DIY adventure with us. I posted your "before" and "after" pics and posts on our blog: http://diyalogue.com/
Thanks for choosing Fasade!

Jessica Jones said...

Thanks, everyone! I'll keep you posted on my progress. I am totally in favor of candlelight dinners. It's gonna be awesome.

Anonymous said...

I love the result - and even more I love that you didn't smash up the original tile and still made it your own!

Anonymous said...

Hi. Looks great. Are the tiles bendable - I am looking to cover a curved 1930s fireplace

Jessica Jones said...

No, they flex very slightly if you try to bend them, but they're too rigid to apply over a curved surface.