How HGTV's Jenny Marrs Puts A Modern Spin On An Outdated Fireplace On A Budget

A fireplace is often the focal point of a home. Whether you use your fireplace for actual warmth, or just as a place to hang your Christmas stockings, an outdated fireplace can be a big eyesore. Replacing your fireplace completely can cost you upwards of $8,000, but, assuming your current fireplace is safe, you don't have to replace it to get the look you want. Budget-friendly options include doing a glaze or painting it white. Jenny Marrs has renovated her fair share of fireplaces for homeowners, creating gorgeous, budget-friendly fireplaces by resurfacing them with tile.

In one renovation, Marrs turned a brick, dodgy-looking fireplace inside a lakeside home into a modern piece, simply using tile. "For the fireplace, we gave it a complete makeover by resurfacing it with new tile," Marrs said on her blog. "Now, it's a statement moment that takes up the entire wall. She used the same technique on a different renovation, taking a large brick fireplace and replacing it with boho-inspired, light-colored tiles. "It turned out modern, bright and clean," Marrs said of the finished result.

Jenny Marrs of "Fixer to Fabulous" is obviously a pro when it comes to renovation. By using tiles, she created modern fireplaces without breaking her client's budgets. In her lakeside home renovation, she opted for black tiles that gave the heavily wood-focused room a nice, warm focal point. She used the Celine 2.5" x 12" Matte Porcelain Floor & Wall Tile in Black from Bedrosians Tile & Stone, which cost $8 per square foot. If you want a more budget-friendly option that will give the same look, consider the Corso Italia Ray Black 12 in. x 24 in. Concrete Look Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile from Home Depot, which costs about $4 per square foot.

But black isn't the only option when it comes to fireplace tile. In a different home renovation, Marrs used textured gray tiles to appeal to the homeowner's Mediterranean style. To get a similar look, consider the Nomade 24"x 48" Parallelo Deco Matte Porcelain Tile in Argent from Bedrosians Tile & Stone for about $8 per square foot or the Leone Blanco Ceramic Wall Tile from Floor & Decor for $5 per square foot.

Once you have chosen your style, you'll want to determine how, exactly, you will use the tiles on your fireplace. If you have a brick facade currently, you are likely looking at some more work to remove and replace them. Using a maul and chisel, you'll want to remove the corbels before starting on the tile. You will need to cut your tile to size, or have the professionals at your place of purchase do it for you, before applying it to your fireplace. Start on the sides and edges before moving to the middle, placing the tile slowly and carefully using a thin-set mortar.

If this sounds like a bit too much work, you can also opt for peel-and-stick tile, which is the ultimate DIY hack and a less expensive option. Using a utility knife, cut your peel-and-stick tiles of choice — these gray vinyl tiles from Home Depot for $7 are a great option — and simply place them onto your fireplace, removing the adhesive backing as you go.