Updating a 1970s Stone Fireplace: From Retro to Modern

Having a vintage 1970s fireplace in your home is an excellent focal point of your living room as they give your home a retro feel.

As popular as 1970s homeware is, some people are looking to update their 1970s stone fireplaces to a give create a more modern look in their homes. 

How To Update A 1970s Stone Fireplace

If you are looking for ways to update your 1970s stone fireplace, there are several ways that you can make it look more modern.

Having an outdated fireplace can make your room look disconnected, so having a more modern fireplace will bring your room together and make it look well designed. 

This article will show you how to update a 1970s stone fireplace to create a modern look in your living room.

Find out more about updating your fireplace below to bring your living room together and make your fireplace look high quality and modern. 

How To Update A 1970s Stone Fireplace

There are several ways that you can update a 1970s stone fireplace to make it look more modern, but how?

You can find out more below about how to update your 1970s stone fireplace below for easy and effective ideas

Use Tiles

Using patterned and colorful tiles to decorate your 1970s stone fireplace (see also ‘How To Whitewash A Stone Fireplace‘) will create a brand new look that will most certainly revamp your fireplace.

You can purchase tiles in any pattern or color that ties in with your room to update your fireplace to make it look more modern and stylish in your living room. 

Tiles are very popular to add style to your living room, but they are also very easy to clean. If you are not comfortable adding tiles to the fireplace yourself, you can seek advice from a professional.

Your fireplace will look high quality and fashionable in your living room. 

wood burning fireplace. brown tile surround. wood stack to one side. small tiled hearth.

Add Wooden Panels

Adding wooden panels to a 1970s stone fireplace not only make it look more modern, but they create warmth in your room.

Stone is a very cold material, so adding wooden panels creates a warm atmosphere throughout the room.

There are lots of different options of wood for your panels so you can choose the one that works best in your front room. 

When you are choosing wooden panels for your fireplace, you can choose from white, mahogany, black, and many more. You can choose the color that suits your front room the best to make sure that it brings the room together. 

Electric fireplace in TV centre. Shelves above. Wood surround.

Apply Concrete

Concrete is a very easy material to apply and it helps to update your 1970s stone fireplace. By adding concrete to a stone fireplace, you can fill in the gaps to refine the finish on the original 1970s fireplace.

This will make it easier to add paint to the fireplace or to just leave it bare as it will look professional and refined. 

Filling in the gaps will create a warmer atmosphere in your front room and it will give life back to the fireplace.

It will create an updated version of the 1970s fireplace with the original stone still present, but the gaps will be filled in for a more refined look. 

Fireplace wood burning. concrete surround.

Install Stone Veneer

Stone veneer is a popular design for fireplaces and it gives a modern feel to your front room. Although it is still using stone, the stone veneer creates a modern look for your fireplace that keeps using stone, but in a more updated style.

It is important to invest in stone veneers that are high quality to make your fireplace look good quality and more stylish.

Stone veneers are not difficult to install, but there are professionals to help if you are struggling. This will ensure that the stone veneers (see also ‘Stone Veneer Fireplace Ideas‘) are installed correctly and there is no danger of them coming loose.

They are light and less cold than the stone used for 1970s stone fireplaces

Install Stone Veneer

Paint The Stones

Painting the stones creates a modern appearance for your fireplace that will make it look more updated and better suited to your front room.

You will need to clean the stones and fill in the gaps, and you can then begin to paint the stones in the color that best suits your living room. 

White is a popular color to paint the stones, but it is up to you which color you choose. Painting the stones white when the walls are white gives your room a fresh and updated look that brings the whole room together.

Make sure that you choose white paint that is the same as your walls to avoid the fireplace looking out of place. 

White washed fireplace with christmas tree and stocking

Other Ways To Modernize Your 1970s Stone Fireplace

If you want to keep the 1970s stone fireplace the way it is but add modern elements, there are other ways to make it look more modern. 

Install A TV Above A Mantel

One way that you can update your 1970s stone fireplace is to install a mantel and a TV. This will create a more modern appearance for the fireplace and make it look decorated.

You can keep the original fireplace as it is but add modern features like a TV to update it. 

Add Side Cabinets

Adding side cabinets allows you to have more storage in your front room, but it also adds a modern feel to your stone fireplace. If the side cabinets look modern, they will create a retro appearance in the front room. 

Dark green marble fireplace. Space for TV above. Wood book Shelves either side. Wood flooring.

Decorate The Mantel

Decorating the mantel with plants and modern art will make the fireplace look updated and more modern. Be careful not to clutter the mantel, but this gives you the chance to be creative and add more design to the room. 

wood burning double sided fireplace with wood beam mantel and comfy chair

Final Thoughts

To conclude, there are a few ways to update a 1970s stone fireplace. You can update the stone by painting, tiling, adding concrete, adding stone veneers, or adding wooden panels, but some people want to keep the original stone. 

If you want to keep the original stone, you can decorate the mantel with plants and modern art, or decorate the fireplace with modern side cabinets and a TV.

Stevie Morris