Creating an Accent Wall

The small living room in the 1886 cottage we are renovating has wonderful windows. And floors. And that WAS about it. Those were the only redeeming features in the room, which is smallish and has a low ceiling. 

We decided right at the start of this project to create an accent wall in the living room and add an electric fireplace. The photo above shows the wall we ended up changing. Why an electric fireplace? Price and safety. The house is being renovated for use as an STR (short-term rental), so our objectives are centered around preserving the character of the old house but also financial viability and heavy use by renters. This is our third STR in the neighborhood, since 2019, so we have a little experience with renters and are applying that experience to make this house work well for everyone.

So, to make the living room into a welcoming, comfortable space, the electric fireplace was a good fit. An antique fireplace mantel was considered, we have a nice selection of them, but ultimately we decided to make an accent piece to accommodate both the TV and the fireplace. One of my pet peeves is a TV mounted above a fireplace but in this case, it works fine with the electric fireplace and tiled wall. 

We sketched out the fireplace size right on the wall and decided we would add some salvaged barn panels and floating shelves on either side of the fireplace. So the wall was divided into three sections. We decided the mantel would be a salvaged barn beam from our inventory, and the hearth another barn panel.

The tile I selected was a favorite design that we sell at the store. Click here for details. I love everything about it. The blue color, the star or compass rose design, and the distressed finish. Even the scale - this design is sold in different sizes and this size worked out perfectly on the framework we had roughed in. Our electrician added a line for the fireplace in the framed in fireplace and then Jim got to work closing it in and tiling it.

We added the salvaged pine barn panels, and then we made the mistake of polyurethaning it. Unlike the oak barn panels we have used on a previous house with great results, the pine panels darkened up considerably when we coated it. So the finished look is darker than we had planned on. 

After the tile was finished, the compass star design emerged as a theme. Our proximity to Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal, and the Finger Lakes, along with our wish to make stays at the house feel like a vacation, ended up leading me down the path to a somewhat cliched but charming (I think) nautical or marine inspired theme. Artwork by Lake Ontario Press fit my color scheme so well that I blame them. Other accents we found at flea markets, auctions, and tag sales continue the theme.

Our ceiling light fixtures ended up matching the shape, more about our lighting in another blog. The blue also carried over into the dining room which opens up into the living room. 

We had the floors finished right after the tiling was done, and opted for a light neutral stain on the old pine floors. The furnishings we added are in a dusty blue, like faded denim, and beige. Ivory linen curtains enhance the elegant floor to ceiling windows. I had two old Lazy Boy recliners reupholstered by Fabrics and Findings, and they did an amazing job, we love these chairs now.