Do-it-yourself fake fireplace from a chest of drawers. False fireplace from an old sideboard. Drywall - an indispensable material for the manufacture of the portal

The desire for comfort and coziness is inherent in each of us. The warmth of the hearth is not empty words. What could be better than spending evenings by the fireplace watching the flames? Owners of private houses can afford a real fireplace, but for residents of city apartments, this, unfortunately, is an unaffordable luxury. But for real masters, nothing is impossible, and today we will tell you how to make a false fireplace in an apartment.

What is a fake fireplace and why is it needed

In a city apartment, conditions will not allow you to install an ordinary fireplace. The absence of chimneys, ceilings that are not designed for such loads are the main obstacles to obtaining permission to build such a structure. False fireplaces come to the rescue, which you can easily assemble on your own, without having special skills in construction work.

Of course, you can buy an electric fireplace - such devices are now common, and their installation will not take much time and effort. But making a fireplace with my own hands- a very exciting activity, it gives vent to fantasy, allows you to make an exclusive thing. In addition, an open fire in an apartment is optional (and it is unlikely that you will be allowed to do this), and a false fireplace will serve as a multifunctional decoration for you.

Note! Although you will not light a fire in a false fireplace, still do not put flammable things below. Especially if the building covers heating batteries or you plan to put electrical appliances in the furnace.

The fake fireplace looks like the real one

At artificial fireplaces there are such advantages:

cheapness - you only need money for materials;
availability of materials necessary for the manufacture of the structure;
the ability to change the decor at any time according to your mood;
use in decorating inexpensive, but original and beautiful materials.

False fireplaces are divided into 3 groups:

Reliable artificial fireplaces completely imitate the real ones, respecting both the dimensions and design principles. Inside the firebox, you can install a bio-fireplace burner, which will provide an almost exact effect of a burning hearth. Quite an expensive option, but it looks the most believable.
Conditional false fireplaces have a portal protruding from the wall. They can be decorated according to your taste and desire. The furnace hole is usually filled with firewood or candles are placed there.
Symbolic ones can be made from any materials. Their peculiarity is that they are not at all like an ordinary fireplace. It can even be a picture made on the wall with some decorative elements.

Manufacturing options

For the manufacture of artificial fireplaces, the simplest materials are used, which can always be found not only in the store, but also at home:

drywall;
plywood;
Styrofoam;
cardboard;
tree;
brick;
polyurethane.

You can make such a structure even from old furniture that has already served its purpose, but it’s a pity to throw it away.

This is the simplest and fast way. You only need to buy a polyurethane portal for the fireplace. The most difficult part of this task will be the choice of style and size suitable for the room, and everything else will take you a minimum of time and effort.

If you want to insert an electric fireplace, consider its installation and dimensions, the method of connecting to the mains and the quality of ventilation.

The lightweight polyurethane frame of the raised fireplace saves you a lot of installation hassle.

You will need:

polyurethane portal for a fireplace;
contact adhesive;
putty;
materials for finishing the firebox (for example, decorative bricks).

And now we will tell you step by step how to install such a fireplace.

The best place to install such a fireplace is one of the side walls of the room. The structure should not clutter up the room and interfere with the passage.
If you decide to place an electric fireplace or decorative electric lighting inside the portal, first take care of the wiring and socket.
Make the frame of the furnace from a profile or wooden blocks, and the walls from plywood or drywall.
Install the portal, carefully fix it on the contact adhesive. Carefully fill the gaps between the portal and the firebox with finishing putty.
Finish the firebox in the style you have chosen, or install an electric fireplace. If desired, you can install a mantel made of artificial stone or wood.

Such portals are made not only from polyurethane, but also from wood. They are much more expensive, but among them you can find real masterpieces, additionally equipped with, for example, a built-in bar.

plywood construction

This idea comes in handy if you need to hide some flaw in the room, such as an old heating radiator, which will cost a lot to replace. A false fireplace will come in handy here.

The need to cover an old heating radiator is a great opportunity to install a false fireplace

Carry out calculations and make a drawing of the future structure. This will help you not to waste extra money and time.

Drawing of a standard fireplace

Note! When you develop a drawing, refer to ready-made options for fireplaces made of stone. Based on them, you can easily design your false fireplace.

First of all, install the frame right in place. Wooden blocks are suitable for it.

Frame made of bars for a raised fireplace

Next, sheathe the frame with plywood. Fireplace design and appearance may be adjusted during operation. For example, you can add a podium to the portal. A heating battery is located inside the structure, so it is better to assemble the frame on screws: nails in conditions high temperature do not guarantee a snug fit of plywood to the bars in the future.

Frame covered with drywall

On the back wall, fix a firebox on the bar that imitates a fireplace. Cover all exposed surfaces with self-adhesive tape.

Install the firebox and cover it with foil

Close the corners of the portal with a wooden layout, also paste over it with a film of the same color.

The corners of the portal must be closed and also pasted over with a film

This design turns out to be easily removable (it is not attached to the wall at this stage), and you will easily get access to the radiator. The fireplace insert needs to be decorated with something, so you can put a metal mesh tray on the battery.

A metal mesh tray that will become the bottom of the firebox

You will fill it with pebbles, firewood or other decorative elements.

Fall asleep in metal mesh pebbles or other filler

You can order a fireplace grate or make it yourself. To do this, you will need a copper profile. If it is not available, aluminum wire inserted into a PVC tube and painted with gold paint will do. Such a grate is attached to the fireplace body with copper wire in 4 places.

Scheme of a metal grate

Pipes that fit the battery can be closed with a continuation of the podium.

Close the heating pipes with a podium

So that useful space is not wasted, make a bar under the mantelpiece.

Use of additional space

As a result, you will get such a fireplace, almost indistinguishable from the real one.

Finished fake fireplace

New life for old furniture

This is the most a budget option. You probably have an old wardrobe or sideboard. Do not rush to throw away this piece of furniture: based on it, you can easily make a wonderful imitation of a backlit fireplace.

you will need:

plywood sheets;
wood grinder;
jigsaw;
screwdriver;
acrylic paint;
putty;
LED Strip Light;
stucco molding, decorative elements, gypsum finishing stone;
surfaces.

Remove the doors from the old sideboard, remove the lower cabinet. The top section will remain, put it on its side.
Preparing an old sideboard for work
Screw two beams in front.
Screw 2 beams
Top and bottom, fasten two sheets of plywood to the bars. Thus, the required thickness will be given to the fireplace.
Fix plywood sheets
Cut a hole in the door of the side cabinet (which is now at the bottom) for the "blower". Here you can store firewood, as in a real fireplace.
Cut a hole for the "blower"
Your fake fireplace will need a plinth and a mantelpiece. Two backs from the old bed can act as them. Don't forget to unscrew their legs.
The headboards will serve as a pedestal and a mantelpiece
The design is ready, now you need to start finishing work. Roughen polished surfaces with a grinder to make them rough. Prime the walls; after they dry - putty and level the surface. Dry the putty, sand the bumps. Paint the body with acrylic paint, finish the corners with brick or artificial stone. Stick decorative elements, install a mantelpiece.
Finishing a fake fireplace from old furniture
Set up a firebox. Glue around the perimeter led strip. Suitable red or yellow - they perfectly imitate a smoldering fire. Fill the bottom with shells, pebbles or sand.
Decorate the firebox: glue the LED strip, put pebbles, shells or sand on the bottom

As a result, you will get such a magnificent fireplace in vintage style.

Ready-made false fireplace from an old sideboard

Imitation of a plasterboard fireplace

This time we will consider the option of a corner false fireplace made of drywall. This task will be more difficult than the previous ones. Why a corner fireplace? Because in a small apartment, the corner is the freest place, which is ideal for installing such a structure.

Corner false fireplace made of drywall

So, you will need the following materials:

metal profile - 13 pcs;
moisture resistant drywall 9.5 mm - 3 sheets;
tiles - 5 m;
self-tapping screws - 200 pcs;
grout for tiles;
LED Strip Light;
decorative grille.

Calculate the dimensions. In this case, please note: if you need to close the battery, you need to do it so that it can be easily reached. For possible emergencies, it is better to let the battery through the bottom opening.
Approximate diagram of a corner fireplace
After the calculations are made, and the fireplace diagram is drawn up, begin to mount the frame. A ceiling profile will do for him, besides, it is cheaper.
Immediately make the wiring for the backlight. As you can see in the first photo, in our case there are three output points: two on the facade and one above the shelf. An LED strip is used as a backlight.
The furnace hole can be made with double walls. A non-combustible insulation will be laid between them.
Finishing a false fireplace with decorative tiles
For decorative finishes, you can use stone tiles. It is made of plaster, so it is not suitable for work surfaces.

This fireplace takes approximately 1.6 square meters. A small electric fireplace or a small alcohol burner can be placed inside the firebox.

Finishing

It is very important that the fireplace harmoniously fit into the interior of the room. You should carefully choose the style, color. But in addition, decorative trim should please the eye and create comfort.

How to achieve imitation of fire in a fireplace? Above, we offered options with LED strip, which provides lighting with a burning effect. But progress does not stand still, and an electronic photo frame can serve you well. It is a liquid crystal display, which is adapted to display pictures. You need a model capable of playing animated files such as GIFs. Upload an image of a burning fire to the photo frame and enjoy!

Many owners of false fireplaces are very fond of decorating niches with spaced candles of different heights. It looks beautiful, stylish, and gives a real live fire.
An excellent choice would be to install a mirror in the depth of the furnace niche, on the wall. A mirror will multiply the reflections from candles or electric lighting and add mystery to the fireplace.
Artificial stone will help you to provide the effect of an expensive finish. It comes in a variety of colors and textures. Tiles, bas-reliefs and decorative tiles will give expressive individuality to the building. But do not overdo it: excessive pomposity may be out of place in your interior.
Doors for false fireplaces will probably be superfluous, but if you decide to install them, make them from plexiglass. They can be transparent or tinted, but the light and glare of the "fire" are simply required to pass through.
It is better to arrange a fireplace imitation firebox with a forged metal grate. It can be bought or ordered from the workshop.

Photo gallery of artificial fireplaces

An original and concise version - a simple niche with candles

Video: how to make a fake drywall fireplace with your own hands

As you can see, building a fireplace at home on your own is not at all difficult, and also cheap, especially if it is only an imitation. Accuracy, attention, the desire to do something original and creative imagination - that's all you need in order to enjoy the comfort, like the heroes of classic films. Share with us your experience in implementing such ideas, or ask any questions you have about this topic. Easy work for you and comfort for your home!

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Without a doubt, a beautifully designed fireplace portal fits perfectly into any living room interior. And it doesn’t matter that this is a snag, because not every owner of a private house, not to mention the residents of apartments, is able to build a real wood-burning hearth with a chimney. But anyone can make a false fireplace with their own hands, and how to do it right - read our material.

How to make an artificial fireplace

The first thing that comes to mind is to fold a fake portal and a brick firebox in order to achieve maximum similarity with the original. The idea is not too good, because such a building will cost a pretty penny and, in addition, will load the ceiling. Imitation of brickwork can be implemented in other, cheaper ways, for example, to assemble wooden frame, sheathe and then tile under any artificial stone. But first things first.

The manufacture of the pseudo-hearth takes place in 2 stages - the assembly of the main structure and the lining. To make a portal, home craftsmen most often use the following materials:

drywall sheets on a frame made of metal or wood;
Chipboard laminated and plain;
plywood, fiberboard;
polyfoam, expanded polystyrene extruded.

Reference. Fake hearth for a while new year holidays You can even build from cardboard. How to make a similar fireplace out of cardboard boxes is described in.

Styrofoam raised fireplace with decor made of polyurethane elements

A fireplace portal assembled from drywall is the most popular design. It allows you to use a variety of types of cladding - wallpaper, polyurethane moldings, tiles and decorative plaster. There are quite a few design options for such homemade products. It is much more difficult to paste over a false fireplace made of plywood or chipboard with tiles, but polymer materials afraid of mechanical damage (for example, from cat claws).

Design selection and drawing creation

If you decide to make an imitation of a classic English or other fireplace yourself, then first determine its place. The choice of one of the two existing designs also depends on this:

wall-mounted;
angular.

An artificial portal of the first type is placed near a free section of the wall, usually in the living room. Often it is placed in the middle of the room, and suspended plasma is fixed on top. If the mantelpiece rests on metal frame, then desktop TV models can be placed on it, as shown in the photo.

Reference. Sometimes, with the help of false foci, it is possible to solve 2 issues at once - to decorate the room and hide the old terrible-looking heating radiator, which is done in the photo:

Corner versions save space and fit well into various premises- a hall, a bedroom and even a nursery. Building such a layout is somewhat more difficult, but the result is impressive.

After choosing a place and design, determine the size of the portal and its niche, simulating a firebox. The width and height of the recess for the hearth should look proportional to the external dimensions of the product, which you assign arbitrarily. As an example, we suggest taking a drawing of a decorative fireplace with an arched vault, you can use it to make your own sketch.

The dimensions of the corner structure are also taken arbitrarily, except for situations where it is necessary to build an electric fireplace with flame imitation inside the portal. Then design the size of the firebox according to its dimensions, as is done below in the drawing. Also take care of bringing electricity to the future false fireplace and install an outlet.

How to make a fake drywall fireplace

To make a simple fireplace portal from GKL you will need the following materials:

galvanized UD and CD profiles or wooden beams;
drywall sheets;
plate for countertops;
fasteners - dowel-nails and self-tapping screws 16 mm long.

Installation steel profiles by markup

Advice. When installing an electric fireplace, it is better to sheathe the opening imitating the firebox with GKLO brand plasterboard (fire-resistant, painted pink).

Frame assembly from profiles

First, mark the wall and cut the materials into blanks. To do this, draw the contour of the future portal on the wall with a pencil, using the building level to determine the vertical and horizontal. Then work in accordance with the following step-by-step instructions:

Cut the UD profiles to size and attach them to the wall with dowels, as shown in the photo. Install the racks and horizontal jumpers, fastening them together with self-tapping screws.
Assemble the frame with the step from CD profiles and screw it to the floor. The arched vault of the hearth is formed from a rail, which must be cut and carefully bent, and then fixed to the frame.
Sheathe the frame with GKL sheets on self-tapping screws, whose hats should be recessed into the drywall. For an electric fireplace, provide air openings on the sides and a hole for wiring.
Install the tabletop and screw it to the frame.

Sheathing the frame with plasterboard sheets

Note. The inner lining of the arched vault is made of segments of drywall strips. Their ends should be hidden behind the front panel.

After assembly, it remains only to veneer your decorative fireplace, made by yourself. The most popular finish is imitation natural stone and bricks with tiles. If you do not want to buy it, then cut the foam bricks and glue the portal, and paint it with acrylic on top. Another common method is gluing with fake columns and polyurethane stucco. Detailed description installation of a drywall raised fireplace is shown in the video:

The order of assembly of the corner structure does not differ from the wall structure, only the frame is formed differently - the profiles are joined at an acute angle, as can be seen in the photo. The second point is the triangular shape of the upper shelf, otherwise there is no difference.

Corner pseudo-fireplace frame

Hearth from an old chest of drawers

A false fireplace can also be made from old furniture made from chipboard. Let's consider an example of a sideboard with a built-in mirror, which will serve as an element of decor. The height of the structure is not a hindrance; after the alteration, it will begin to resemble an outdoor stove with a shelf for laying firewood, arranged at the bottom of the firebox.

We turn the old sideboard into a large pseudo-fireplace

Now about the order of work step by step:

Remove doors and other fittings from the chest of drawers. If it is equipped with additional side sections, then simply cut them to the desired size.
Form a fireplace opening from boards, chipboard sheets or plywood, screwing them to the sides of the sideboard with screws. Make the bottom shelf the same way.
From above, pin a tabletop that protrudes 3-5 cm beyond the dimensions of the cabinet. If desired, make a pedestal for a false fireplace.
Fill all cracks with wood filler, and after drying, level it with sandpaper. Then stick polyurethane molding on the body and paint.

Note. To finish the portal, you can use any materials that are planted on glue - plastic, polystyrene, various decorative panels.

Making an artificial fireplace

One of the common options is a fake candle fireplace with a mirror on the back wall of the opening. It is implemented simply: candles are placed in front of the glass, on the top shelf and on the pedestal, which are lit in holidays. The decoration can be supplemented with dummies of firewood and an iron grate. The latter is bent according to a drawn pattern of thick aluminum wire inserted into a PVC tube. At the end, the grille is painted with bronze paint.

A few words about how to make an imitation of a flame. We have already talked about an electric fireplace, but there are other ways:

lay on the bottom of the firebox, strewn with pebbles, LED strip of red or yellow color;
install a safe alcohol burner in the opening (their decorative models are commercially available);
use an electronic photo frame with an LCD display, where a GIF image of a flame is loaded, after which it is placed in a fireplace niche.

This is how the LED strip imitates fire

How to make an artificial eco-fireplace with a real flame from an alcohol burner is available on the video:

Conclusion

Let's omit the hackneyed phrases about the ease of making a false fireplace with our own hands, but instead let's give little advice. When you decide to throw away pieces of furniture, an old TV or a mirror, first think about whether you can make an imitation of a fireplace. The drywall system is a beautiful and reliable option, but at the same time expensive, and unnecessary things are a free resource. By putting your hands on them, you will get a pleasant decoration for the interior of an apartment or cottage.

Structural engineer with over 8 years experience in construction.
Graduated from East Ukrainian National University. Vladimir Dal with a degree in Electronic Industry Equipment in 2011.

For a long time from me there was no detailed step-by-step technologies, but I decided to correct myself and talk about how to make a beautiful decorative fireplace from an old closet and decorate it in a cool way. It will be a great decoration for your home!

DIY decorative fireplace - side view

It was decided to use boards that remained after the dismantling of the old cabinet as the starting material for the construction of the fireplace. The second alternative to chipboard boards was drywall sheets, but I decided to abandon this idea, because. then I would have to build a frame from a metal profile, but due to the lack of skills in working with a metal profile, I decided to do without it. You could also try to make a decorative fireplace out of boxes, but then it would not turn out so strong and durable.

By the way, the site already exists on the portal step by step guide about how to make beautiful using metallic profile. In addition, the same article talks about fireplace decor options, so read a very interesting material!

Drawing of the future fireplace

So with source material they decided it would be a chipboard board from the cabinet. Now let's talk about the dimensions of the boards that will need to be cut. In order not to fully describe the sawing process and dimensions, I am attaching a photograph with a drawing of the future fireplace.

Drawing description:

Tabletop width - 100 cm.
The length of the tabletop is 25 cm.
The height of the side, rear and front boards is 115 cm.
The width of the fireplace is 95 cm.
The length of the fireplace on the side is 22 cm.
The width of the front boards located on the sides is 30 cm.
The width of the front middle - from above - 35 cm, height 45 cm.
The width of the front middle - from below - 35 cm, height 30 cm.
Dimensions of the "furnace" - width 35 cm, height 45 cm.
Inner wall 1 - width 15 cm, height 40 cm.
Inner wall 2 - width 15 cm, length 35 cm.

In the next photo you can see a cabinet that was dismantled and taken to the garage where my husband cut the boards into its constituent structural elements.

old wardrobe- this is a great material for a fireplace

You can file the elements that will make up the future fireplace using an electric jigsaw, but please note that all elements must be clearly marked with a pencil and a ruler (you do not need to rely on the eye). By the way, if it is difficult for you to cut the boards yourself, then you can order the elements at the furniture factory, having previously provided the dimensions. If you bring your own boards, it will come out cheaper, about 200 rubles for 1 element.

Do-it-yourself decorative New Year's fireplace: step by step instructions

After all the constituent elements are ready, the most intriguing part of the work comes. The intrigue lies in the fact that if miscalculations were made at the previous step, then at the assembly stage, the structure will not assemble into a single component and some elements will have to be cut out again.

Assembling the back wall

The back wall in my case consists of 2 elements, it so happened that we failed to cut out a single component 95 cm wide and 115 cm high. But this is not a problem, because. you can fasten 2 boards with a bar, and putty the joints between the boards decorative plaster, which remained in our house after the repair.

Sequence of work:

We file the bars for attaching the rear walls to them;
We fix the back walls with self-tapping screws;

We fasten the side ribs to the back wall

We figured out the back wall, pay attention to the previous photo, I deliberately left a few centimeters from the sides in order to attach the side ribs to the back wall “butt”. The sequence of operation is also quite simple:

We fasten the side ribs to the bars with self-tapping screws.
We fasten additional bars to the side ribs for attaching the front wall and cover.

We assemble the front (front) side of the fireplace

The front side consists of 4 constituent parts, among which:

Front top beam;
two sides;
Bottom beam;

The width of the “firebox” hole is 35 cm wide and 40 cm high. I draw your attention to the fact that later I regretted a little about the small dimensions of the hole in the fireplace, so I suggest you increase the furnace hole to 40 by 40 cm or 40 by 50 cm. This will give a more aesthetic look to your fireplace.

Decorative fireplace prices

decorative fireplace

Please note that in order to fix our hole with the “firebox”, we will have to fix 4 bars on the back cover, and attach the inner walls to them.

Fasten the top cover to the frame of the fireplace

Well, the frame is almost ready with the exception of some details. What is missing? Right! The top cover is missing. That is what needs to be attached. The dimensions of the top cover differ from the dimensions of the fireplace, because it should protrude 5-10 cm from all sides. Its size is 100 cm wide and 25 cm high. Next, consider an example of its attachment to the frame in the photo below.

The frame of our decorative fireplace is assembled. The next step is his decoration. In fact, the decorative design of the fireplace is the topic of a separate article in which you need to describe all the points, but for your convenience I will try to reflect in this material all the main points on the decoration of the fireplace.

Find out how to do it yourself in an article on our portal.

Finishing a decorative fireplace with your own hands

When the fireplace is ready, it's time for creativity, here everyone can try themselves as a designer. I really liked the role of the designer, I decided to decorate the fireplace with the help of decorative stucco molding, which I myself decided to paint.

So, here is a list of the steps I want to take to make my fireplace look like in the picture:

Plastering the fireplace at the joints of the boards and at the places where self-tapping screws are screwed in.
Painting the fireplace with white water-based paint.
Sticking moldings to the fireplace.
Decorating the "firebox" with mirrors and LED strip.

Fireplace plaster

When the fireplace is plastered, there is a waiting time. The plaster needs to be given time - 2-3 hours to dry, and then we will need to sand the fireplace with fine sandpaper.

After painting the fireplace, you need to give the fireplace 10-12 hours to dry. At this time, you can do the decoration of stucco.

For painting the fireplace, I recommend using water-based paint, because. exactly this species paint has such qualities as: cheapness, lack of smell. It is the second argument that is decisive in this choice of the type of paint, because. if you are doing repairs in the apartment during the cold season, then leaving the fireplace to dry on the balcony will not work, and the smell of paint in the apartment may make you dizzy.

Please note that painting the fireplace water-based paint will need two layers. This is done in order to completely paint over all the elements.

Fireplace decor

As I noted above, I decided to choose plaster moldings as decorative elements. It is sold in hardware stores and has long earned respect from people in creative professions. I would like to note right away that if your main task is to make an economical version of a decorative fireplace, then foam plastic decor elements will be a good alternative to stucco molding.

I did not use them, because. It seemed to me that the stucco molding looks somewhat more expressive when painted. In addition, if you paint the foam with ordinary paint, then it is likely that it will dissolve under the influence of chemistry.

The next material that I used to finish the fireplace is ceiling plinth(not made of foam), but made of the same material as the stucco molding (most likely it is a solid polyurethane foam). The plinth is useful for decorating the firebox of our fireplace; the photo below will show a sample design of the firebox.

In addition, decorative bricks were used to decorate the firebox, the cost decorative brick(decorative stone) is about 600 rubles per box, but I left it after (my husband wrote about this technology).

The process of finishing the fireplace insert with decorative stone:

From the outside, carefully apply glue (in my case, Bergauf) to the outside of the decorative stone;
Apply decorative rock to the side wall of the fireplace;
We fix the decorative stone by pressing the hand and wait 10-20 seconds until the glue “grabs”;
Using a similar technology, we cover the second wall of the furnace and the bottom.

Making a fireplace insert with LED strip

I continue finishing the fireplace. The next material I will be using is LED strip. LED strip can be purchased at almost any electrical store. I decided to use a red LED strip, because. it is the red color that will emphasize the unforgettable atmosphere of warmth and comfort that looks like burning firewood.

I will attach the LED strip to the corners of the firebox. Before you fix the LED strip in the fireplace, of course, you need to assemble it into a circuit in the following order: socket, cable, transformer, LED strip.

LED strip prices

LED Strip Light

When connecting the LED strip, observe the polarity.

Photo - stuccoed fireplace

On this, my step-by-step photo report on how to make a decorative fireplace with your own hands has come to an end. If you like my work, then please put likes under this material.

Good luck with your work and a beautiful fireplace!

Creating a decorative fireplace with your own hands is not very difficult, but you still need to have at least a little experience with carpentry tools. If you still decide to diversify your interior, then, before starting work, you will have to stock up on tools and materials. To create a fireplace you will need:

old closet;
grinder or sandpaper;
jigsaw or hacksaw;
screwdriver or hand drill and a set of screwdrivers;
plywood sheet;
dye;
putty;
self-tapping screws;
decorative elements;
glue.

Work order

First of all, you need to draw a sketch of your future fireplace and make a drawing of it. It is not at all necessary to follow all the drawing rules; you can draw by hand. The most important thing is that all dimensions are indicated on the drawing, and you yourself understand what you want to get in the end.

When the sketch is ready, you can start dismantling the old cabinet. Depending on the size of the future product and the cabinet itself, old furniture you can either disassemble it into separate boards, from which the fireplace will subsequently be assembled, or simply remove the doors, leaving the cabinet body intact. In the latter case, the work will be much easier, since you do not have to make a fireplace frame.

Elements for the future fireplace should be sawn in accordance with the drawing. The most important thing here is to accurately mark all the elements. The concept of "by eye" in this case will not work, because during the assembly process, if the parts are sawn incorrectly, they will not come together into a single whole and they will have to be cut out again. By the way, if the fireplace is assembled from an old cabinet, then you will have to buy a chipboard sheet or donate another piece of old furniture.

After all the elements are sawn, you can begin to assemble the structure. As mentioned above, there are two options - to assemble the case yourself or use the case from an old cabinet.

Fireplace assembly

Let's consider both options. In the first case, it is necessary to saw the bars for fastening the rear wall and side ribs. When attaching the back wall to the bars from its sides, it is necessary to leave a gap so that the side walls of the fireplace are attached end-to-end. The walls are screwed to the bars with self-tapping screws. By the way, so that the caps of the self-tapping screws do not stick out, you should make sockets in the boards with a screwdriver or drill. Subsequently, with decorative finishing, these places will be puttied and the fasteners will not be visible.

When the case is ready, you can start finishing the front side of the structure. The front side will consist of five parts:

front top beam;
two side panels;
bottom beam;
furnaces.

First of all, you need to arrange a firebox. To do this, four bars are attached to the back wall, cut to the size of the future hole. The inner walls of the furnace hole are attached to these bars with self-tapping screws. Then the remaining parts of the front side are attached to the fireplace body. After the front of the structure is assembled, you can replace the housing cover. To make your fireplace look exactly like a real one, the lid can be made 5-10 centimeters longer and wider than the body. Or you can spend money and buy a real fireplace mantel in a hardware store.

If you are assembling a fireplace based on a body from an old cabinet, then only the front part will need to be decorated. The front part is made in the same way as in the first version. Despite the fact that the body of the old cabinet already has an upper part, you can also attach a board a little large sizes or a finished fireplace mantel.

Fireplace finish

The base of the fireplace is assembled, but so far it is only wooden structure. And it is the decorative finish that will make it a real work of art and decoration of the interior. Finishing a fireplace includes steps such as:

preparation for finishing;
painting;
decorative design.

Before proceeding with decorative work, you need to prepare your product. If the structure was assembled from polished parts, they must be processed with a grinding machine. Otherwise, putty and paint will not adhere well. Putty must be allowed to dry for 2-3 hours, depending on the brand of material used, and then process the product with a grinder or sandpaper. After that, the most interesting part of the work begins - decorative trim.

Choose a decorative finish according to your taste preferences. In addition, the fireplace must match the style of the interior. There are many ways to decorate a decorative fireplace:

pasting with a self-adhesive film with a pattern "under the stone" or "under the brick";
gluing with special panels in the form of stone;
decoration with decorative bricks;
painting and finishing with decorative elements.

The easiest and most economical way to design a fireplace is to stick it with a self-adhesive film. By the way, you can use wallpaper and the corresponding pattern. Such a finish will be inexpensive, but the result will be impressive.

In construction stores, there is now a huge selection of panels, both plastic and based on fiberboard, with any texture. You can give your fireplace a brick, stone, or even wood look. The color scheme of the panels is presented in a huge assortment, so choosing exactly what you like will not be difficult.

Also on sale is an artificial (decorative) stone or brick. Working with such material will require financial, time and labor costs, but the result is worth it.

Freedom for creativity

Most interesting way- This is painting and finishing with decorative elements. The color of the paint is chosen depending on your interior and taste preferences. Use better paint water-based, acrylic or water-based, as it is odorless and dries quickly. In addition, such paint costs much less than enamel or oil, and it is much easier to work with it. By the way, with such paint, work can also be done in the cold season, when the product can be left to dry at home. The product must be covered with paint in two or three layers in order to completely paint over all the elements. If you wish, you can experiment with colors making smooth transitions from dark to light shades.

Since all parts of the fireplace are wooden, after painting it must be sanded. The fact is that when using water-based paint, the wood becomes rough, which can prevent further decoration of the product.

Anything can be used as a decorative finish: gypsum stucco, foam plastic decorative elements, artificial stone. And if you are fond of creativity, you can use special stencils and putty to create a relief with your own hands.

The most budget option is the use of foam decorative elements. However, they must be used with extreme caution, as under the influence chemical substances contained in paints and varnishes and glue, the foam can simply dissolve.

It is not at all necessary to decorate all visible parts of your product with artificial stone. You can lay out only a small part of the fireplace with them, giving it originality. Artificial stone goes well with other types of decor.

Gypsum stucco is sold in hardware stores. It is quite expensive, but the result is worth it. These decorative elements will not dissolve under the influence of chemistry. Their disadvantage is that they are quite heavy, and therefore the glue should be chosen very high quality and quick-drying.

Furnace finish

The heart of any fireplace is the firebox. The firebox itself can be decorated in any style. If it is important for you that the fireplace looks like a real one, then fold decorative logs inside. You can also make them yourself or buy them in the store. And you can lay out the bottom of the firebox with sand, shells, pebbles, or even put a mirror.

Since in this case the fireplace is only a piece of furniture, there can be no talk of any real fire in the firebox. In order for the fireplace to still please the eye with a burning firebox, you can use an LED strip. The color of the tape can be any, but it is better to give preference to red, orange or yellow - the color of a burning fire. The LED strip is placed around the perimeter of the firebox. Before attaching the tape, it must be assembled into a chain.

And, of course, what is a fireplace without a grate? The grate can be purchased at the store, but it is much more interesting to make it yourself. In order to make a fireplace grate, you will need:

copper, steel or aluminum wire with a diameter of 3-5 mm;
thin copper wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.5 mm;
soldering iron;
pliers;
round nose pliers;
acrylic paint
pencil;
paper.

First you need to draw a sketch of the future fireplace grate. Sketches can be found on the Internet, or you can let your imagination run wild. If the fireplace grate is symmetrical, then it is enough to draw only half of it.

The next step is the most interesting. From a thick wire, you need to lay out all the details of the future lattice according to the drawing. The easiest way to work with aluminum wire, as it is soft and ductile. Its disadvantage is fragility. It is most difficult to manufacture parts from steel wire, as it has great rigidity. The most optimal metal for creating a fireplace grate is copper.

When all the main parts are laid out according to the sketch, it is necessary to fasten them. You can fix them with a soldering iron, or you can connect them with a thin copper wire. The last option looks original and interesting. If a soldering iron was used, then the soldering points must be cleaned and polished. The finished fireplace grate can be painted in desired color and install in the furnace.

The owners of city apartments can only dream of a real fireplace with comfortably crackling firewood - the floors of typical houses may not withstand such a load, and chimneys in high-rise buildings are almost always absent.

But this is not a reason to abandon the design in the style of a classic living room! Decorative false fireplaces create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth, especially if you equip them with an electric firebox with flame imitation.

Building a fake fireplace with your own hands is quite simple, just find or draw a sketch, choose the material of the frame and finish. A variety of building materials are suitable for the manufacture of a false fireplace: drywall on a wooden or metal frame, polyurethane decorative elements, tiles and porcelain stoneware, MDF and chipboard, plywood, foam plastic and even ordinary cardboard. The shape of a decorative fireplace can be completely different, from imitation of a classic hearth to an original design, complemented by other decorative elements.

In this article, we will try to describe in as much detail as possible the process of creating a false fireplace with our own hands, we will provide all the drawings, photos from different angles and a video with the finished product, good luck in construction!

The fastest way to do this is to buy ready-made polyurethane. The range of portals is quite wide and you will certainly be able to choose the style and size that suits your room. An electric fireplace can be built into a ready-made polyurethane portal, for this you need to know its overall and installation dimensions, as well as the requirements for ventilation and connection to the mains. If you want to do everything with your own hands as much as possible, you can go shopping and take measurements from ready-made portals, by purchasing a piece of polyurethane you can make a similar model much cheaper than its finished counterpart!

To create such a fireplace, you need purchased polyurethane, contact glue, putty and Decoration Materials for a firebox, for example, decorative brick.

Step-by-step process of installing a raised fireplace

Ready-made portals can be made not only from polyurethane, but also from wood. Their price is much higher, but among them there are real masterpieces, for example, with a bar inside.

Drywall false fireplace, simple and fast

In order to reduce the cost of the budget for a filsh fireplace as much as possible, use the drywall and profile left over from the repair. Such a decorative fireplace will easily fit into any niche or corner, and can also be an element of a whole composition of shelves.

False drywall fireplace - photo

To create a false drywall fireplace, you will need: a galvanized drywall profile or wooden blocks, sheets or trimmings of drywall or plywood, a screwdriver and a jigsaw, metal scissors, putty and acrylic paint, decorative stone or brick.

Manufacturing technology of a false fireplace made of drywall

The main guarantee of success is a well-thought-out sketch of the future, indicating all the dimensions and the junction of the frame. Measure the room and decide on the location of the fireplace. Calculate required amount material, and boldly get down to business.
A frame is made from a galvanized profile, connecting its elements with the help of self-tapping screws for metal and a screwdriver. Cut the profile with a hacksaw or metal shears. For stability, the frame elements are connected by transverse jumpers. The frame must be attached to the walls and floor if the structure is bulky, heavy or too narrow - i.e. if there is a risk of structural instability.
Sheets of drywall cut out according to the sketch, try on. They trim and fasten with red-hot black self-tapping screws to the profile. The caps of the self-tapping screws are slightly deepened in order to putty later. Drywall is easy to cut with a knife.
Joints and attachment points are puttied and leveled with putty for internal works in two layers, the corners are additionally reinforced with a masking net.
Level the surface of the sheets, if necessary, using putty.
The resulting structure is painted or finished with other materials: artificial stone, tile or stucco. They are glued to the glue intended for this material, diluted according to the instructions on the package.
Decorate the firebox with materials that imitate brickwork, a mirror can be installed on the rear wall of the firebox.
Candles or an imitation of a hearth with illumination are placed inside the firebox.
Such a false fireplace is absolutely safe, it can be installed even in a nursery. The fireplace mantel serves as a stand for photos, toys and knick-knacks, while the softly shimmering hearth creates a cozy atmosphere.

Corner decorative plasterboard fireplace (video)

The most budget option, which allows you to make a false fireplace with lighting from an old unnecessary sideboard or cabinet. For work you will need:

jigsaw;
wood grinder;
screwdriver;
plywood sheets;
putty;
acrylic paint;
finishing materials: stucco molding and gypsum finishing stone, decorative elements.

Technology for making a false fireplace from an old sideboard:

At the sideboard of the old model, the doors are removed and the lower cabinet is removed, leaving only the upper section. She is placed on her side.
The facade is sewn up with plywood so that a firebox and firewood are obtained. Plywood is attached to self-tapping screws using a screwdriver.
Polished surfaces are processed with a wood grinder to make them rough. The walls are primed with an adhesive-based primer, and after the primer dries, putty and level the surface. The putty is dried, the irregularities are sanded and painted with acrylic paint, the corners are trimmed with artificial stone or brick. They glue decorative elements - stucco, install a mantel made of MDF.
They decorate the firebox: a red or yellow LED strip is glued around the perimeter, and the bottom is decorated with pebbles, colored sand or shells. You can also install candles inside the firebox.