A Fireplace Mantel Makeover

We used a water based gel stain to transform our fireplace mantel in minutes and bring it back to life without sanding or prep. 

Way, way back in 2002 we moved into this house.

We'd been looking for a long time, for the perfect home in our tiny beach cottage neighborhood, but nothing seemed to fit the bill.

Until this place showed up for sale.
Located literally across the street from our old home, it was the gem we'd been hoping to find.

Built in the 1920's, it had tons of old world charm and original details. There were archways, built-ins, wood floors and skeleton key locks. 

Best of all, there was a big old, floor to ceiling, stone showstopper of a fireplace in the living room. Dreamy.

Except for the mantel.

Years ago, the original owner stained the wood paneling on the walls gray and the mantel to match.

Unfortunately, now with painted walls and updated decor, it just didn't go.

The beams on the ceiling were a rich, dark brown and while there was gray in the fireplace stone, the beige and brown tones were dominant. 

Plus, it was faded and chipped.

It desperately needed a makeover.


Of course, with a growing family, a teeny kitchen that needed a renovation and outdated plumbing and electrical systems, a mantel makeover wasn't really the priority in this old house. 

Then when things finally calmed down and I could focus on that that gray mantel, the refinishing process always seemed too complicated.

Sanding it in the middle of the living room, and then staining it in place, in the house, was a major no with my bad lungs. The dust and odor issue was something I couldn't get past.

When my husband examined the mantel to remove it, so he could do it outside, we realized that the process might damage the mortar and stone, so we decided against that route as well.

I was crushed, but resigned to live with my mismatched mantel.

Then one day, an email from The Dixie Belle Paint Company appeared. They were offering me an opportunity to try some of their products.

How wonderful.

I jumped at the chance, their paints are top notch, however, while I was checking out their website, I spotted something I didn't know existed.

Their water based Voodoo Gel Stain. 


Wait, what? Water based? Hmmm. I was intrigued. 

You see, we've used gel stains before, but they've all been oil based and they smelled for days on end...and it was potent. 

But water based I could do. No odor, no messy clean up and, as I read further, I found out that the Voodoo gel stain could be applied on top of the existing finish. So no sanding either. 

I could put it right over the old stain. 

It was a no brainer.

How To Stain A Fireplace Mantel With Gel Stain

I have to say that I was extremely impressed not only with the products I received, but with the how to use the tools they provided.

I read the instruction book and watched the videos on their site before I dug in. 

Very helpful. 

You can also peek at my video on Instagram. 

Supplies:

Voodoo Gel Stain in Tobacco Road
2" Chip Brush
Stain Applicator Pads
Paper Plate
Satin Clear Coat - optional 

There are seven lovely Voodoo gel colors to choose from, including a green which I've used:

• to decorate some very colorful wooden crates
• to repurpose an old cabinet door
• to create a sign for my family room

For this project though, I ordered a bottle in Tobacco Road which is a warm brown, to coordinate with the other wood in the room.

The process was unbelievably easy and the results were dramatic.

Honestly, I can't believe we waited this long to tackle this project. 

Step 1: We started by removing all the decor and vacuuming off the mantel. Then we gave it one good wipe with a dust free rag.

It was very clean, no sticky or dirty spots, so that's all it took as far as prep goes.

I had ordered the White Lightning Cleaner, but since the wood was so pristine we didn't end up needing it.

As I said, we also didn't need to sand. If the finish was super shiny, I might've been tempted to rough it up a bit, but as I said, not necessary in this case. 

Step 2: We squeezed some of the gel stain onto a plate and applied a bit of it to the mantel with the brush. 

We went slow, and used strokes in the same direction as the wood grain for an even application.

Step 3: Then we grabbed the applicator pad and used it to wipe away any extra stain. 

To be honest, the wood was very, very old, rough in some spots and super dry all over. It soaked up the stain immediately. 

We did lay it on pretty thick to start and with our first coat, there really wasn't a lot to wipe away, the mantel drank it up.

The pad was very helpful though. In addition to wiping away the excess, it also worked the stain into the wood.

We applied the stain to small areas at a time, since the gel does dry very quickly, but the difference was apparent immediately.

Problem areas, like water spots, disappeared like magic.


The gray was disappearing quickly, too and being replaced with a much warmer tone. The stain covered it all beautifully.

Step 4: After the first coat, we let the entire mantel dry, for about 15-20 minutes, then we went back over it with a second coat.

As I said, the coverage with one coat was fabulous, we just wanted a darker tone.

We considered sealing it with Dixie Belle's satin clear coat - an amazing product by the way, I've already used it on several other projects and am hooked. I actually prefer it over Mod Podge for decoupage, too.

However we liked the look of the stain the way it dried on its own

It had a nice, clean finish.  

It just fit the room. 


All in, this makeover took us less than an hour to complete. That's about how long it took to make the wooden leaf banner.

There was absolutely no odor and the stain washed off our hands, off the brush and off the applicator pad easily with soap and water. Mostly water.

My living room fireplace has never looked better.

That rich brown mantel makes me smile every time I walk into the room.

No more cold gray wood in a room full of brown. 


And no more unfinished DIYs in here anymore.

Well, not any old, overdue ones anyway.

I may have a few new ones up my sleeve.

After all, I have a lot of stain and some new paints to play with.

So stay tuned.


Have you used gel stain?

Happy DIYing, Friends!