It's a Corker!!

I am patting myself on the back today. I had an idea in the middle of the night and it worked! Some of my best ideas come around 2:30 in the morning. I was trying to think of an easy way to do the brick inside the fireplace in the colonial kitchen.


There was a discussion on one of the forums about making bricks with foam core. It seemed to me that it would be rather fragile. I kept rolling the idea around in the back of my head. Then I had one of those "Aha!" moments. I needed something that had texture and something that was tough enough to stand up to the rough treatment that I give bricks with washes and dry brushing. CORK!!!


I went straight to my workroom this morning and dug out a roll of adhesive backed cork shelf liner and got to work.

First I washed the inside of the fireplace with Ceramcoat Hippo Gray. This is my weapon of choice for most mortar. I like it dark.

The back of the shelf liner is the usual Contact paper 1/2" grid. That's a great time saver in the scheme of things. I cut the brick 1/4" by 3/4". That's not the exact size of modern bricks but it is close enough for Colonials. I marked the back of the paper and started cutting. I free handed the cutting. That made them a little more irregular.


When I had enough cut to line the fireplace I started peeling the backing off and sticking the bricks down one at a time. This was the most tedious part.


By the way, if you need to get the back off of this stuff a straight pin helps a lot. You can dig into the backing with the point, flick it and it will lift right off.


I was surprised to see that the cork did actually have the texture of rough brick even without the paint.

After I finished that, I dry brushed on a coat of Ceramcoat Red Tile paint. Then I gave it another wash of the Hippo Gray, following quickly with a wet paper towel to take most of it back off.



This is what it looks like so far. I fitted it into the room.


The kitchens that I am using as a jumping off spot have the fireplace built right on the slate floor like this. I can't decide whether or not to add a brick base......Decisions, decisions, decisions.


I am going to stand back and look at it for the rest of the afternoon. I also plan to start gathering the furniture and accessories that I will use in here.


I also need to stain the door and window frame today.

Anyway, I am pretty happy with the results of the mad scientist experiment.

See you tomorrow.