Before & After: A Blank Living Room Wall Transforms with a "Cozy" $700 Fireplace DIY

"Having a separated entryway or mudroom area is nice, but in many homes, the front door opens straight into the living area. That was the way Erika Ver's (@ peonyandhoney) home is set up, and for a long time, the first view anyone got when coming in was a blank wall. "I put a console table there and put my TV above it, but it just never had that "wow" factor," Erika says. "It's the first thing you see when you walk into our home, so I wanted this wall to have an impact!""

"After some thought, Erika decided a fireplace was just the thing for this 9-foot-long wall in her 1950s home. "I had seen so many Pinterest pins of people building their own faux fireplaces, and I knew we'd be able to achieve a similar concept," she says. With the help of her dad, Dave Wasilewski, Erika was able to finish the fireplace project in about three days. The project started with a framing out the fireplace. The pair started by building a framing out a space for a new electric fireplace to live. To cover the frame, Erika chose a slatted wood design that used already cut-to-size furring strips from the hardware store. She stained the wood in a golden oak finish, then cut them to size before she and her dad nailed them up."

A 9-foot living room wall that faced the front door was transformed by adding a faux fireplace and slatted wood wall to create visual impact and hide cords. Framing was built to house an electric fireplace insert, then cut-to-size furring strips were stained a golden oak and nailed as a slatted facade with a mid-century vibe. The slat wall conceals cords for both the fireplace and the TV mounted above, while sconces flanking the TV complete a built-in look. The project took about three days with help from the homeowner's father and cost roughly $700.

Read at Apartment Therapy