Uploaded September 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
If you've always wanted a fireplace but never thought it was possible, think again! For just $120 i bought a second hand electric wall fireplace and painted it white to achieve a fresh new look. We weren't able to install the electric insert as the wall wasn't wide enough so i made it a faux / fake fireplace by building it out ever so slightly off the wall. This means no large holes in your walls so it can be done on brick, plaster or sheet rock walls.
The timber was a faux timber (MDF) so i prepped it with some PSP to allow the primer to adhere. I then a coat of primer, Zinsser 123 Undercoat which is a stain blocking primer. I then used 3 coats of topcoat, Dulux Aquanamel in an off white that i picked up from the mistint section of Bunnings for just $20.
I found some marble tile that someone was throwing away and cut it down to size for the fireplace hearth.
I removed the electric fireplace insert and just used the cast iron and fireplace surround. I built the fireplace out approx 7cm using some lengths of scrap timber and used a jigsaw to cut around any curved edges and to notch out where the baseboards sit. I then styled the mantelpiece with some simple decor and voila, a truly warmed room, without the pricetag or effort.
Theme music by Otis Mcdonald
Song: Complicate ya.
If you've always wanted a fireplace but never thought it was possible, think again! For just $120 i bought a second hand electric wall fireplace and painted it white to achieve a fresh new look. We weren't able to install the electric insert as the wall wasn't wide enough so i made it a faux / fake fireplace by building it out ever so slightly off the wall. This means no large holes in your walls so it can be done on brick, plaster or sheet rock walls.
The timber was a faux timber (MDF) so i prepped it with some PSP to allow the primer to adhere. I then a coat of primer, Zinsser 123 Undercoat which is a stain blocking primer. I then used 3 coats of topcoat, Dulux Aquanamel in an off white that i picked up from the mistint section of Bunnings for just $20.
I found some marble tile that someone was throwing away and cut it down to size for the fireplace hearth.
I removed the electric fireplace insert and just used the cast iron and fireplace surround. I built the fireplace out approx 7cm using some lengths of scrap timber and used a jigsaw to cut around any curved edges and to notch out where the baseboards sit. I then styled the mantelpiece with some simple decor and voila, a truly warmed room, without the pricetag or effort.
Theme music by Otis Mcdonald
Song: Complicate ya.
