Fireplace Re-Surround

So, the previous owners of our house, ...they built a fireplace surround for the electric insert and, well....

'nuff said.  Yes.  That's actually wallpaper.  AMAZING.


So, be it that we can't afford to replace it at this time and we like having the extra heat for the basement -  this is my quest to prettify it.

Since the wallpaper revealed a mixture of odd lumbar, drywall, and panelling - they obviously had "wallpapering" in mind - none of the sides were flat.  So, I boxed it in with some MDF for a little more interest and put solid plywood panels on the side so it was paintable.  I then primed the sides and front columns.


And my amazing husband laid ceramic tile around the insert.

The top had had been tiled and trimmed with wood baseboards.  Mmmmm.


So - we put a new top on it and just painted out the insert with black flat paint.  and now...

and this is where I'm stuck.  it looks deceiving finished from the front but the moulding is just currently tacked...cause,....turns out....I SUCK at cutting crown moulding.  thus, the sides don't line up with the front - which incidentally was cut too short - ummm,... twice - and thus is remains the view from the sides.  SO SAD.... :(

so - back to the store for yet another six foot piece of moulding - happy I picked the cheap stuff..... :)