DIY Fireplace build with Ambe Fireplaces

Thank you to Ambe Fireplaces for sponsoring this project

When we first bought this house, it originally had a wood burning stove which was placed super awkwardly in the middle of what was at the time the dining room (we turned this area into the living room). It stuck pretty far into the room and took up quite a bit of square footage, so we ended up removing it and scheming a replacement that would fit the space better both in terms of size/placement, as well as design.

I came up with an idea to transform the whole wall with a modern concrete fireplace and built-in bookcase. After a few years of updating this house, it’s taken on an eclectic modern look so I knew this combination would not only fit the style of the house, but also add a ton of functionality.

I decided to recess the right side about 10 inches to create a raise hearth, as well as create space for a mantel so that the mantel wasn’t sticking out into the room, since the fireplace would be along the main traffic route through the house. It also made it so that if we (or a future owner) ever wants to put a TV above the mantel, it also won’t be sticking out into the room. This design feels like it takes a wall that was blank and unused and gives it so much storage and usability.

Ambe Fireplaces are electric which meant that we didn’t have to do any kind of messing around with the existing chimney, or putting in gas lines. There was already an existing outlet right where we wanted to place the unit, and since Ambe Fireplaces use a standard 120v outlet, we didn’t have to do any electrical to wire it up. They have a few different shapes and sizes, but I really loved the linear style and the 50in was the perfect size for our spot (though they also have a 72in version too!).

The directions were straightforward and included all the dimensions for framing out the hole for the unit, so I sketched up a framing plan and we got to it!

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We started by cutting out the flooring where the fireplace was going. since it’s a floating floor, we wanted to remove it so we could attach the framing directly to the subfloor. With the floor out, we framed up the wall for the fireplace. It’s just a decorative wall, so it doesn’t need to be a load bearing wall. We had to move the light switch for the room because otherwise it was going to be behind the area we framed it, and we added an outlet for a TV (which for the time being will be hidden behind the mantel).

Once the framing was done, we did a test fit to make sure the fireplace unit fit and everything was correct, then we drywalled the whole thing in. I covered the raised hearth with plywood instead of drywall so it’s more durable for folks to sit on there.

For the concrete finish, I used Henry Feather Finish and troweled it on. It took two coats and I sanded it down in between coats and at the end to make sure it was nice and smooth. Then the fireplace could go in for good!

The fireplace comes with a variety of different stones to put in to customize the look of the faux embers, as well as some faux logs. I loved the white stones, so I used those as well as the logs for a really cozy look. Once those are in, you can put the front glass on and it’s ready to install.

Before sliding it in, plug it in (the cord is long enough to make this easy), then slide the fireplace in, making sure each side goes in at the same time. Then you can attach the face frame, and you can turn it right on!

You can customize the color of the flames, as well as an uplight and downlight, which illuminate the rocks. I love a really authentic look so I picked the orange flames and red embers, but they’re super easy to change up with the remote.

The fireplace has a heater which blows warm air out the top of the front, so it does heat your space, but I love being able to have just the “fire” on throughout the day for the ambiance! You can adjust the temperature of the heater, and on super chilly days it was a great supplement to keep the living room warm.

The coziness of a fireplace is so much easier to add to a space than I had previously thought. You could even use an Ambe Fireplace to build a temporary fireplace that’s removable if you’re a renter! Since all you need to do is frame up a box for the unit to go in, and a standard 120v outlet, it can just sit against the wall, without having to permanently attach it to the home.

A fireplace can add so much coziness and be the perfect way to add a focal point to your space. If I had the square footage, I would 100% add another fireplace to my bedroom too!

The Impact Driver Cocktail (and Mocktail!)

At the DIY Awards Bash this year we’ll be serving up a signature cocktail to our attendees, but if you’re tuning in at home and unable to be at the event IRL, you can still treat yourself to the same bev, and we even have a non-alcoholic version as well!

Since this is the DIY Awards signature cocktail, going with a screwdriver was an obvious choice, but TBH I think a screwdriver is a somewhat gross cocktail. So instead, I decided to come up with something with a bit more kick to it, while still maintaining its OJ and Vodka roots. We punched things up by adding some ginger and pumped up the orange with Cointreau.

Because not all of you are drinkers, I put together a mocktail version too, which gives you that orange and ginger flavor with none of the alcohol!

Peep the videos below for the tutorial!

Impact Driver Cocktail

What you’ll need (makes 2 drinks):

1.5 Tbsp Fresh Ginger - chopped
2 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Vodka
2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
3 oz fresh squeeze Orange Juice
1 egg white (optional)
Cocktail shaker
Muddler
Ice
Candied Ginger
Orange Slice
Skewer
Coupe glass

1/ Muddle the fresh ginger in the bottom of the cocktail shaker

2/ Add your simple syrup, vodka, Cointreau, Orange Juice, and egg white. Add ice and shake!

3/ Divide equally between two coupe glasses

4/ Garnish with a skewered orange slice and candied ginger

Impact Driver Mocktail

What you’ll need (makes 1 drink):

1 oz Orgeat Syrup
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz fresh squeeze Orange Juice
Ginger Beer
Big Ice
Lowball glass

1/ Rub the rim of your glass with an orange slice, then dip it in cane sugar for the sugar rim

2/ Add the big ice to the glass (a few cubes of regular ice work too!). Pour in your orange and lime juice as well as the Orgeat Syrup. Give it a spin to mix.

3/ Top with Ginger beer (we used 1/2 bottle of Cock + Bull Ginger Beer for each drink)

4/ If you’d like, you can add the same skewer garnish as the cocktail version!

Enjoy!

I'm... giving up DIY

I've spent my entire life DIYing nearly everything. Does my DIY impulse have any limits? I don't know, I once removed my own stitches to avoid having to go back to the doctor, soooo…

But this year has revealed to me that by insisting on doing literally everything myself has totally overloaded my bandwidth and is ultimately unhealthy. So, the past few months I've been working on implementing things that can make my life a little easier, take things off my plate, and handle the things that I cannot do. 

I do a lot of things. On top of the full-time gig of creating content that revolves around home renovation (which sometimes feels like 2 full-time jobs), I also take on a lot of the full-time responsibilities of being a mom and homemaker. “Liz… that sounds like… a lot? How do you do it all?”  Oh, how nice of you to ask! Well, my previous method was to just grind until I burned out, which didn't seem like a great cycle to keep churning out, so here are a few things I'm doing to take more off my plate, help me manage my household, and take care of myself. 

Will I be DIYing stuff on my house? Absolutely. But the reality is, there just isn't enough ME to DIY EVERYTHING. And I've been trying (and failing) for way too long. Something's gotta give, and it has. I don't take care of my mental or physical health because I'm too busy DIYing every nook and cranny of my life. It's too much, it's not working, and it's not healthy. So, in 2023, we're not DIYing everything anymore. We're creating healthy balance, we're outsourcing, we're able to focus more on the areas of life that we're excellent at and love doing and bringing in HELP (what a novel concept) in the areas that don't fit that bill.

We can do anything, but not everything.

We can do anything, but not everything.

Okay, let's do this

The 2022 DIY Awards

It's time! The third annual DIY awards, celebrating the amazing women in DIY that inspire us all, is HERE!

Having a community of fellow women out there totally killin’ it shows us what's possible, keeps us inspired, motivated, and excited to keep turning our houses into dream homes, one DIY at a time.

WAIT... WHAT THE HECK ARE THE DIY AWARDS?

The DIY Awards is an annual event celebrating women who have been rocking the DIY space over the past year.

It's a community-based event, with all of the nominees being submitted by DIY creators and enthusiasts across Instagram, in a variety of categories like Best DIYer on a Budget, Best Paint Transformation, Best Rental DIYer, and more.
The top 10 creators in each category move on to the semifinal voting, then the top 5 go to the finals.

It all culminates in a live Awards Ceremony to present the winners with their trophies!

YOU ARE INVITED

〰️

YOU ARE INVITED 〰️

YES, YOU!!
I don't care if you have an instagram dedicated to your DIY projects or full of daily life and your kiddos. I don't care if you have a garage full of power tools, or a single hammer. YOU are invited to the 2022 DIY Award Ceremony Bash!

Okay, what even is that? 
The past two years the awards ceremony, where we announce the winners of each award, has been online via Instagram Live. But here's the thing: having a reason to get together and celebrate IRL? That's where it's at. 

I want to be clear that this event is NOT exclusive to influencers. This event is for anyone who loves DIY, loves being a part of the DIY community online, and wants to come celebrate.

We'll have a DIY Dress-making competition, red carpet so you can feel like a DIY celeb, DIY themed cocktails, photobooth, mini tattoo station, brand activity booths, the Awards trophy presentation (obvi), sweet swag bags full of stuff you actually want, and dancing

DIY AWARDS BASH
JANUARY 28, 2023  |  TACOMA, WA

Halloween Party Time!

In early October Jack begged me to have a halloween party and being one who loves putting a party together I said “of course!” and then as October 31st approached I was like ehhhhhhhhh. And then a couple days before Halloween my friends were like, “hey, didn’t you say you were having a Halloween party? We were planning on coming!” and so then I pulled a party together in two days.

A few of these snack ideas I’d had pinned for close to a decade, so it was fun to finally make them! I have appx 20 ghost bananas leftover so I think banana bread and banana smoothies are in my future, lol. I still can’t get over how cute the tangerine/celery pumpkins are. I think pretty much all of these snacks are over on my Autumn Pinterest board so if you want those details head over there!