Transforming a Blank Wall to a WOW Factor- A Fireplace Wall for our Family Room

For the entirety of the 3.5 years we’ve lived in our home, the giant wall  in our family room has plagued me. As someone who cannot stand clutter and fully appreciates minimal stuff when it comes to decor, nothing I’ve done with this wall has really worked for me. Because it’s such a large wall and the vaulted ceilings are so tall, it’s always felt either super cluttered (when I add stuff to the wall) or too blank, like we just moved in and haven’t decorated yet. For that reason, this wall is typically left out of pictures and changes CONSTANTLY.

Since we’ve been renovating almost our entire home since we moved in, this big, blank wall has always gotten put on the back burner. (We knew building what we REALLY wanted on this wall would be a costly investment.) Since we’ve completed most of the other big projects in our home, and since updating our family room this spring, I really couldn’t wait another second to bring to life the visions I’ve always had for this wall and make this room feel complete .

So, I went to my favorite trusty cabinet/countertop connoisseur Derek Adams at Adams Multicare and asked him how quickly we could get started. (If you’re in the Tampa area, and you’re looking for someone to help you with your cabinet and countertop needs, look no futher! Got questions about Adams Multicare? Just ask. I used to do a little freelance design work for them AND they’ve renovated a good majority of our home. Highly recommend.) Anyway… after a few pow-wows, we nailed down a design and were ready to get started. After much adieu, we are finally completed with the project…

I knew the number one thing I wanted to add to the wall was an electric fireplace. Living in Florida, especially the subdivision we’re in, it’s not always easy to find a home with a fireplace. So, this was something I’d been wanting to add since we moved in. After some research, I landed on this electric fireplace that I found on Amazon. The best part about an electric fireplace (especially in Florida)… you can turn your fireplace on any day, anytime and not HAVE to have it ommit heat. Honestly, there are few days in a year that we can use the heat down here. But I’ve had our fireplace on every single day since it was installed!

I wanted a VERY simple mantel. I didn’t want to disturb the clean lines of the unit, and I’ve really transitioned out of most of our farmhouse-inspired decor, so I didn’t want anything with a rustic vibe. I had such a hard time finding something that I liked! UNTIL… I stumbled upon this seller on Amazon that makes custom mantels at SUPER affordable prices in the color and finish you want. I went with the non-distressed white mantel in 72″ to cover the entire width of the fireplace build-out. Honestly, I think this mantel/ledge would be great on a wall even if you didn’t have a fireplace. It would work for so many different designs!

I also knew I wanted to add lighting to our unit. And, I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that I went with my go-to modern lighting source Lucent Lightshop. (You’ll see their light fixtures scattered throughout my home.) When we renovated our laundry room, we also went with all white shaker cabinets and chose a matte black hardware from my go-to source for unique hardware. (My kitchen hardware are from here as swell.)  I absolutely luv’d the simplicity of the design and the clean look. So I knew I wanted to go with the same hardware on this unit and match the lighting with a matte black finish. These drop arm sconces were the perfect fit for the bill. I actually had them create a longer arm for the sconces than the listing called for, and I think they turned out perfect! (Want to win one of these gorgeous sconces? Stay tuned to my Instagram to find out how!)

Finally, for winter, I decided to add a super neutral rug to the room to prepare for my Christmas decorations (that are very neutral, too). This rug is ridiculously plush and soft, and basically it just feels like you’re walking on a cloud. Super cozy for the fuzzy, winter vibes I’m going for… Makes ya just want to curl up in front of a fireplace. Oh wait… I can! 🙂

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the way the wall and the entire room have come together! The floor to ceiling fireplace with quartz-surround creates a wow-factor the room really lacked. The white shaker cabinets coordinate perfectly with the neighboring kitchen cabinets and the rest of the cabinetry in the house. And the simple black detailing really is the cherry on the cake for me.

Hope you enjoyed this little look at our most recent project. Next up… the nursery! 🙂

If you have any questions about the materials we used, the design or the companies we worked with, please feel free to leave your questions and comments in the comment section below.

Shop our Fireplace Wall Unit & Family Room:

*Some items in this room were sponsored, and some affiliate links have been used in this post. Thanks, as always, for your support!

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6 Comments

  1. Luv this! Thanks for sharing! May I ask where you ordered your drapes in your family room from? They are beautiful! Thanks! -carrie

    1. Yes they are the Wendy Bellissimo line by Smith and Noble and they are great! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Luv, Bec

  2. Love this! We are getting ready to do the same thing and I love the look of yours! We also have pitched ceilings. Would you mind sharing how far from the floor to the bottom of your fireplace and also how far from the top of the fireplace to the bottom of the mantle. Sorry so many questions, could you also share the mantle dimensions? I’ve literally looked at hundreds of pictures and yours is by far my favorite ?

    1. I’d say it’s about a foot from the bottom of the fireplace to the floor. Not sure the exact measurements to the mantel but the only strategy was to cover the seam in between the 2 slabs of quartz. So we just basically put the mantel where the seam was for the second slab. I believe the mantel is about 70″ wide. It was whatever the width of the slabs were that we went with and then I customized the fireplace mantel to that size! Hope that helps! 🙂

  3. I love your interior designs! What is the light wall paint color you used in this space? Also, what are your hardwood floors used in this house?

    1. Aw thanks! This is our last house, but the paint is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and the hardwood floors are are an engineered white oak. 🙂