Molly Tally is a content creator and influencer, living in Michigan. She recently transformed her fireplace into a look that she says feels trendy but is timeless.
Her inspiration came from a trip to Antigua, Guatemala, where she was awed by centuries-old buildings, featuring stone that had been quarried and carved into exact shapes. Tally wanted to replicate this look in her own fireplace. She began by covering the existing brick with mortar before placing cement board. She then added a rugged stone veneer profile that features random-sized stones throughout, which is reminiscent of the stone that composes Antigua’s buildings. Finally, Tally used a German schmear process in a white thinset but added a touch of orange and brown to warm up the color. She wanted to create a modern, on-trend aesthetic while holding true to the classic look she observed on the Guatemalan buildings.
In addition, by bringing 100 square feet of stone into her home, Tally is integrating biophilic design, which is exploding in popularity. There are numerous benefits to bringing the great outdoors into indoor settings, from achieving a certain design aesthetic to feeling more at ease and cozy, which is especially true of this retrofitted fireplace during the winter season in the upper Midwest.
Materials
STONE VENEER: Hillstone in the Verona colorway from Eldorado Stone
CEMENT BOARD: Durock from USG
PHOTOS: Molly Tally
