This is my first home and my first DIY project.

After moving in, I really wanted to personalize our new home. Since the fireplace was the first thing that stood out when entering the house, we wanted to start there.

Step 1: Deciding on How and What to Change

The first challenge was deciding on what to do. As you can see in the picture, the fireplace was very outdated. 1990 style I think? Green marble and brass.

Step 2: Coming Up With a Unique Design

I wanted to create something very different from all the cookie cutter looking fireplaces. I drew the initial design on the wall and used that to rough in the fireplace. The idea was to put a light in the center behind a interchangeable stained glass triangle. It could be changed out by season and etc...

Step 3: Tearing Out the Old and Building the Top

After nailing up the top and adding plywood, I started on the bottom part. This is when I nervously realized that I would have to basically tear apart almost all of the old fireplace. There was no turning back now. I added two 4x4 to help support the weight of the coming AirStone.

Step 4: AirStone Delivered and More Progress

I added a 2x4 top mantel and painted it black to give the fireplace a little more character. I decided to extend the fireplace to the ceiling and add a slight angle.

Step 5: Applying the Stone

This was a lot easier than I thought. Very time consuming. My wife would stand back to get a better view and hand me the stone she thought would work the best. This took several days, but we got into a groove.

Step 6: Painters Came Early.

We had the painters scheduled a while back. This gave me a break for a few days. It was actually a good thing. The walls were painted before the stone was applied to the sides. This was great because I didn't have to worry about them getting paint on the stone.

Step 7: Finishing Up the AirStone

More stone... The was a daunting task. But we got most of it finished.

Step 8: Now the Center of the Fireplace

I originally was going to use the AirStone, but my wife suggested we use slat that matched the floor. It was a great idea. I also used slate around the fireplace opening. This made it a lot faster. I had to rent a Slat cutter from Home Depot.

Step 9: Painting and Finishing

At this point my wife was VERY pregnant and I wanted to get the fireplace finished enough for the baby shower. I used 2x4s to hold the AirStone in place while it dried. To my horror, I noticed that the 2x4 I used had a slight bow in it. The Stone was already set and dry. My wife said it wasn't very noticeable, so I left the stone up.

Step 10: Baby Shower and Final Touches.

I completed all the stone and slate. My sister made a cute sign with Gage's name. We decided to add it to the fireplace for the shower. We purchased a few decorations for the final touches. The fake fire hydrant was my idea.. LOL thought it was cute. The stained glass center is still a work in progress. The girls did a DIY painted one. We were thrown back by the cost of having them made. $350 and up. So I guess we'll get the stained glass for all four seasons and holidays very slowly...