Due to my recent obsession with Fixer Upper (damn you Jo and Chip! Just kidding, love you BBFFFFFFFF4evassssss!!!), I have been revamping a few things at home.  Lovely, lovely weekend therapy.

First, I took a look at my fireplace and knew it needed some work.  It was bad.  Of course, I love the rustic Jo and Chippyness (give me shiplap everywhere!!!) and I thought that might be perfect for the middle of fireplace.  I also wanted to update the brick without doing the whitewash that’s popular right now because I love the red look. Here is the before (eek)-

It’s rough. BBBUUUTTTT look at the magic of the concrete stain!

And when it fully dries it really looks nice and natural.

Now, for the added wooden amazingness.  I got standard (and cheap) 2x4s and a bunch of stains. It was super fun and really easy.  I just layered and sanded.  I LOVED the blue tinted and white stain, but I had to go easy because my husband lacks vision (and taste, not that I’m bitter, but I am).

And voila! I added some HomeGoods goods and am super happy with the results!  For my bookish friends, I am smitten with myself over my theme- I pulled from my hoarded collection of books and decorated with banned books…in the fireplace..get it?!

OK, for time and space’s sake, I’ll add my refinished side table all together.  I did a little work on the glass to make it look like mercury glass (with a vinegar and mirror glass spray paint party).  It doesn’t, but I felt like it wasn’t a total Pinterest Fail because I am on a roll and choosing to be loyal. Leave it alone. Then, I used some good ‘ol chalk paint and did some distressing.  Basically, I’m in love and we are getting married next week.

(PS- excuse the bad pictures and whatever that little piece of paper is next to the side table in the finished picture. I’m too lazy to take it again, so focus on the Buddha if it annoys our OCD tendencies as much as it does mine.)