Fireplace Makeover: German Schmear
The Why
After a year of living in our home, it was finally time to tackle the fireplace! I knew it would be a challenging project, but the benefit of my vision finally coming to fruition was worth the risk. The fireplace is often the focal point of a living room, and in my case, the entire first floor. I felt a tremendous weight to get it right. And at this point, it was far from right.
During the building process, I chose a stone fireplace. I am very drawn to European design and my hope was for the fireplace to be reminiscent of the textural, old world stone you see throughout Europe. The look is effortless, irregular and adds so much historical charm—be it in landscapes or interiors.
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I was able to select a natural limestone and asked for it to be over grouted. Unfortunately, the execution was starkly different than the picture I had in mind. The grout was pink and the final result looked very linear and modern, not organic and old like I’d hoped.
The What
The stone itself I loved, but I needed to get the grout messier and lighter somehow. I went to Pinterest to find more inspiration photos, this time of fireplaces that looked similar to mine, but had much more texture.
These fireplaces were over grouted too, but the grout was also smudged a bit, which was the look I wanted. After further digging, I finally found that this technique is called “German Schmear”. I researched several tutorials and decided to give it a go! My Mom, an expert DIYer, was a huge help and I was so thankful to have her along the way.
The How
I was able to find everything I needed at Home Depot and the materials were pretty inexpensive. I went with a premixed grout (Simple Grout in Alabaster) so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting the consistency or color right. I also picked up a few putty knives in various sizes, grout sponges, a masonry brush and a utility bucket for having water on hand during the project.
We had to experiment with the technique, but what we found worked best was to wet the grout a bit, smudge it on with a putty knife and then smear it with our fingers to round out the square edges. We also added some chunks of the grout on top of the stones to give it more irregularity. Before it dried, we went over spots with a damp sponge to smooth the grout lines. I wanted to ensure all of the old pink grout was covered and the new color looked uniform. With the masonry brush, we stippled a few areas to add a light amount of grout on top of the stones and feather in the corners.
Here is the before and after! The look is much softer and the grout is creamy and bright. It feels like an old stone fireplace that has been around for ages. This new look grounds the room and really adds that European feel that I was hoping for!
I spruced it up with a dramatic mirror and greenery and I am in love with the final result!
“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”
Squire Billy Widener
Do you have a project you’ve been dying to tackle in your own home? Whether it be small or large—if you feel something is out of place or not working, I encourage you to gather some gumption and just DO IT! Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are. There is nothing like putting your mark on your home and making it feel truly yours. I hope this small tutorial has inspired you today!
