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Make the fireplace the best thing in the room.

Dark dated brick, chipped faces, a look stuck in 1978 — we reface and rebuild existing fireplaces in real stone and brick. The firebox stays. Everything you look at changes.
✓ 30+ years in Central MA✓ Free estimates✓ ★★★★★ on Google
Square and rectangular stone fireplace makeover by JB Mohler Masonry

Every fireplace below is a real makeover — an existing fireplace we refaced or rebuilt in stone or brick for a Central MA homeowner. Drag the slider on any photo to see where it started. Planning a makeover of your own? Start with what Massachusetts homeowners should decide before choosing materials and scope for a fireplace remodel.

Fireplace after natural stoneworkBrick fireplace before stoneworkBEFOREAFTER
Fireplace after makeoverFireplace before makeoverBEFOREAFTER
Fireplace after makeoverFireplace before makeoverBEFOREAFTER
Stone fireplace after makeoverOld stone fireplace before makeoverBEFOREAFTER
Outdoor fireplace after constructionOutdoor fireplace before constructionBEFOREAFTER
Fireplace after makeoverFireplace before makeoverBEFOREAFTER

Most fireplaces don't need tearing out — just rethinking

Here's the thing about that fireplace dragging your living room down: the masonry behind it is often the soundest structure in the house. What's failed isn't the fireplace — it's the face. Dark brick nobody would choose today, a mantel that never quite fit, proportions from a different era.

That's good news, because it means the fix doesn't start with a sledgehammer. We can reface solid brick in thin stone, rework the hearth and mantel, or take the stone floor-to-ceiling and make the fireplace the whole wall. We look at what you've got, tell you which options your fireplace actually supports, and price them straight.

The work

Makeovers we do

From a reface that takes days to a full transformation — matched to your house, not pulled from a catalog.
Stone & brick refacing
Thin stone veneer laid right over sound existing brick. Fieldstone, ledge stone, granite, classic brick — stone picked to fit the house, fitted by hand, without tearing the room apart.
Mantels & surrounds
A mantel changes the whole read of a fireplace. We set reclaimed timber, granite, and stone mantels — supported properly in the masonry, not glued on and hoped for.
Hearths — raised & extended
A raised hearth gives you a bench by the fire; an extended one gives the fireplace the footprint it deserves. Stone or brick, built to take feet, dogs, and firewood.
Floor-to-ceiling build-outs
Stone from the hearth all the way up. Taking the face to the ceiling turns a fireplace into the focal wall of the room — the single biggest visual upgrade a makeover can deliver.
Inserts, set in masonry
Adding a wood or gas insert? We do the masonry around it right, so the insert looks built-in — because it is — instead of parked in a hole.
Outdoor fireplaces
The same makeover works outside. Tired patio fireplaces and fire pits refaced in stone that stands up to New England weather.
Straight talk

What we'll tell you before you spend a dime

A makeover is cosmetic. The decisions behind it shouldn't be.
The firebox gets checked first
There's no sense putting beautiful stone on a fireplace that doesn't draw right or has structural problems behind the face. We look at the guts before we dress anything up — and tell you if something needs fixing first.
Thin stone is the right tool for a lived-in house
Full-bed stone in a finished home means demolition, serious weight, and a jobsite where your living room used to be. Thin stone delivers the look without any of that. Full stone has its place — new construction and down-to-the-studs remodels — and we'll tell you if that's actually your project.
Paint is a one-way door
Painting the brick is the cheap fix, and some days it even looks fine. But you can't unpaint it, and refacing over paint later means extra prep. Worth knowing before the roller comes out.
Match the house, not the feed
Trends date fast — that's how the fireplace you have now got there. Stone chosen to fit your home's architecture still looks right in thirty years.

“It has transformed our house to the next level. Stonework adds so much to the finished house… he really takes pride in his work. It is so refreshing to work with people that do not need micromanaging.”

Gina Fitzsimmons · Google Review
The process

How it works

1
We come take a look
We come out and look at the actual job on site — what you've got, what you're after — instead of guessing from the driveway.
2
You get a free written estimate
What we'd do, how, and what it costs, in writing. If there's a simpler way to get you there, we'll tell you.
3
We do the work — properly
Owner on site, jobsite left clean, and work built to last, not just to get through the season.
Common questions

Questions homeowners ask about makeovers

Can you reface my fireplace without tearing it out?
Usually, yes. If the existing brick is sound, we lay thin stone directly over it. The firebox stays put, and the mess stays manageable — that's the whole point of a makeover.
How long does a fireplace makeover take?
A straightforward reface runs a few days. Reworking the hearth or taking stone floor-to-ceiling runs longer — usually a week or two. Your written estimate spells out the schedule before we start.
Should I use thin stone or full stone?
For a makeover in a lived-in house, thin stone — full-bed stone means demolition and weight your finished home shouldn't have to absorb. Full stone earns its keep in new construction and full remodels, where the structure can be built for it from the start.
Can you do a makeover in winter?
Interior makeovers are actually good winter work — we're inside, and you get the finished fireplace during the season you use it. If you want it done before the holidays, book early; those slots go first.
Do I need a permit?
A cosmetic reface usually doesn't need one. Structural changes and anything involving a gas line usually do. We'll tell you what your job requires and handle what's ours to handle.
We remodel fireplaces for homeowners across Central Massachusetts, including:
ConcordSudburyBoltonHarvardWaylandGrotonStowWellesleyAll of Central MA →
Keep exploring

Related work and guidance

Before covering an older fireplace, understand how structural fireplace repairs correct failed fireboxes, cracked masonry, and unstable surrounds.

For the material most often used in a retrofit, see why thin stone veneer is often the practical retrofit choice for finished Massachusetts homes.

A straightforward place to start

Send a photo.
Get a straight answer.

No site visit needed to get started. A phone picture and your town is enough for us to tell you what’s wrong, what we’d do, and roughly what it costs.
(978) 365-6800
Reply within one business day · Free, no pressure
JB Mohler Masonry
Homeowner's photo of a dated brick fireplace
We've got this dark brick fireplace from the 80s — would love to update it without a full tear-out. What are our options?
Good news — the structure's solid. We can reface it in thin stone right over the brick — no tear-out, and you keep the firebox. If you want the full look, the stone can run floor to ceiling. Want me to price it? — Jeff
Replied next business day
(978) 365-6800