BEFORE: Julie's chimney was functional, but not much fun.

“We’re pretty proud of ourselves,” emails Julie, a FauxPanels.com customer from the suburbs of the Motor City, “and your product!”

She attached before and after pictures to prove it – of the incredible DIY project she undertook on the family room fireplace. “Let me know what you think.”

Well, we think she did an incredible job!

Through the use of our Carlton Fieldstone Tall Faux Panels, Julie managed to perfectly recreate the look of a solid, stone chimney surround right in the heart of her family room – mimicking a rustic design style that’s popular throughout America (and tricky to copy when you live in a more modern home.)

The results look incredibly impressive – and demonstrate all the advantages our stone veneer panels have over the use of real stone or brick.

Our fieldstone stone veneer panels created a vividly realistic stone wall look in just hours.

For a start, our fieldstone panels are breathtakingly easy to install.

Attaching right to the sheetrock with regular construction adhesive and screws, it took Julie just hours to assemble a new-look chimney that has the appearance of stone from top to bottom.

Even if it had been possible to build a real stone chimney surround right the middle of her home, it would have taken weeks to complete (and cost tens of thousands of dollars.)

Secondly, our panels are molded out of tough and durable polyurethane; which perfectly mimics the texture of stone, but can be cut to size easily with a regular wood saw. That means Julie didn’t need any special equipment to blend the new panels in with the existing decor.

“We used some trim at the ceiling to blend with the crown molding on the other walls,” she writes, revealing the secret of the seamless look.

The results of Julie’s fireplace remodeling and chimney transformation are dramatic – but if you think you’ve got a fireplace to rival hers, we’d love to know about it. Email us pictures at info@fauxpanels.com – we might even feature you right here!

Josh took his fireplace from eighties drab to stone veneer sophistication

For example, while Suzy and Josh got an incredible deal on their 1983 ranch house in Cranbury, New Jersey, they were faced with fittings and fixtures that looked like they’d been there as long as the house had.

“We got a great deal on the house,” Josh wrote to us. “The house had belonged to the same owner since new, and when he passed away his kids wanted to get it sold fast.”

“But the problem was he hadn’t done any modernization at all,” Josh writes. “Stepping into the house was like stepping right back to the eighties – tile worktops and white carpeting included.”

Josh and Suzy planned to keep their home renovation easy and affordable – with plain white walls and hardwood floors that would appeal to buyers when they sold the house in a few years.

“But we wanted to add at least a few cool details,” Josh explains. “Suzy picked out some kitchen counters she really liked, and I decided to do something funky with the fireplace.”

The original fireplace was pure eighties – featuring a wooden frame and classic tiling inside.

“It looked horrible,” Josh writes. “I wanted something classical and timeless to replace it – but after sourcing prices, I realized stone or brick was way out of my budget – not to mention I would have had to hire a contractor to install it.”

“Suzy managed to find an alternative option on your website. We chose a couple of your Norwich Colorado Stacked Stone panels in Sierra Brown and hoped they’d make a good looking replacement.”

And the panels didn’t disappoint.

“We were blown away when we unpacked them,” Josh writes. “They looked just like real stone. Until you touch them, it’s impossible to tell they’re not the real thing.”

And while they looked great, they were also a snap to install.

“I didn’t even have to remove the old tiles,” Josh writes. “I installed right over them. The toughest thing was measuring the space out right and cutting the stone veneer to fit. I could use a regular wood saw for that, but it was a tight fit and Suzy kept yelling at me: “Don’t you cut them too short!””

He didn’t, fortunately. “I used construction adhesive to attach them and the job was done in a couple of hours.”

As you can see from the before and after photo of the faux stone fireplace, the results are impressive.

“Everybody who visits tells us how great the fireplace looks,” Josh admits. “None of them realize it’s not real stone.”

Flynn's Inn Irish Pub was brought to life with stone veneer panels.

With a name like Flynn, it should come as no surprise that Kathryn and her family come from good Irish stock.

To pay tribute to that heritage (and their fondness for a pint of the black stuff) she created an absolutely stunning family pub as a basement remodeling project in their home.

Featuring a full wet bar, fireplace and even boasting a deer’s skull grinning at them from other the mantel, the interior of the new home bar, aptly named Flynn’s Inn Irish Pub, wouldn’t look out of place in some cobblestone side street of Cork or Londonderry.

Stone veneer covers the backsplash, for a totally vivid stone wall look.

The mirror above the bar claims “Est. 1847” and to make that claim look almost believable, Kathryn and her family used our Carlton Ledgestone panels throughout.

Kathryn writes: “I love the panels because they’re easy to use, look real and can be removed without destroying the house if we ever change our minds.”

Although that happening seems doubtful – we suspect this Irish pub will be in business for a very long time to come.

A beautiful fireplace, framed with Carlton Ledgestone panels, completes the faux stone family pub.

An example of how NOT to miter your stone veneer panels

Check out the picture to the left. It’s a photo of a stone veneer made out of concrete that we snapped in Manhattan over the weekend.

Why? Because it’s a fine example of why our faux panels are more practical, more versatile and easier to install than stone veneer products made out of other materials – and ours always look better as a result.

I’m not sure who did the job with the concrete veneer – but here’s where it went wrong: The corners.

When it came to installing stone veneer on the right-angled corner of this exterior wall, the installer simply stopped going, instead of using a miter to complete the joint.

As a result, you can see the flat, patternless concrete the veneer is made out of end abruptly, and it completely destroyed what would otherwise have been a seamless stone veneer look.

It's easy and straightforward to miter your stone veneer panels. Just make two 45 degree cuts.

Why did the installer do this? Most likely because concrete stone veneer is difficult to work with – it’s not an easy task to perfectly miter stone veneer that’s made from a substance as hard as the sidewalk. He saved money and man hours cutting corners – but the result looks horrible.

That’s why our faux stone veneer products are much better for the home installer, or even the professional.

Made out of molded polyurethane, our stone veneer panels are practically indistinguishable from real stone (and easily better looking than concrete stone veneer) yet combine ease-of-installation, economy and versatility.

They’re also easy to install on corners – even if you’re not a regular handyman.

When it comes to doing corners right, you have two installation options with our stone veneer panels – and the good news is that neither of them are difficult or expensive.

For those with some construction experience, you can simply miter the panel to create a seamless corner.

To do that, simply mark a line along the back of the panel where you intend to cut it, and then make two 45 degree cuts to remove a V-shaped wedge from the back of the panel.

It’s essentially the same process as putting a corner into molding or a baseboard.

You can create miters to suit almost any angle - like this awesome wall.

And the result? The panel folds over and every nook, cranny and crevice of the faux panel will blend together seamlessly – it’s astonishingly quick and simple when you get the hang of it, and there’s no additional expense because you’re creating the corner out of the same panel, with very little waste.

The only additional step it to tidy up the seam.

You might need to file away some imperfections or use caulk to fill some tiny holes. It’s well within the ability of almost any home installer and we have full and detailed instructions on how to miter stone veneer here.

There might not seem like much of a corner here, but this installer mitered his panels to create an authentic stone look where the panel finished.

The great thing about this technique is that you’re not limited to simple right-angled corners. With a regular wood saw and a bit of math, you can make seamless corner connections to match almost any angle.

But if you are trying to tackle a 90 degree corner, the next option is even easier – simply buy pre-made corners!

We have molded right angle corners for the majority of our faux panels, and you can simply use them instead of trying to miter your panels.

The only challenge is measuring the rest of your stone veneer panels so they line up perfectly – but because you can cut them easily with a regular wood saw, this is a challenge almost anybody should be able to meet.

Check out the full catalog of faux panel corners here:

As you can see – there are plenty of options to get your stone veneer corners right. Don’t “cut corners” and your project will end up looking beautiful.

BEFORE: Wooden walls gave a traditional, all-American look - but there was room for improvement.

When Tim Magee’s photos hit the FauxPanels.com™ inbox, we all agreed that we liked his style.

The combination of hardwood floors and Americana styling created a warm, welcoming look that we all admired.

So how do you improve on near perfection?

In Tim’s case, it was by stripping down the wood paneling behind his gorgeous cast iron stove and replacing it with our Regency Stacked Stone panels.

It took a good look – the classic wood-walled fireplace – and added a touch of timeless class that really completed the All-American atmosphere he was going for.

Two things make Tim’s faux panel project particularly noteworthy:

Tim installed the faux stone panels right on top of the existing wooden wall.

The first was how little went a long way.

Tim carefully selected one portion of his wall to cover in stacked stone veneer and just a few of our panels, trimmed down to size with a regular wood saw, did the trick perfectly.

Because they interconnect seamlessly, Tim’s installation really looks like an exposed stone foundation wall.

Second, Tim chose to install fire-rated versions of our Regency panels – the perfect backing for his fireplace fixture. Fire rating can be ordered for Oxford, Norwich and Regency lines right from our website, and special-ordered on Carlton, Cambridge and Wellington for larger volume orders.

Designed to resist ignition under open flame and high temperatures, our fire resistant products make a smart and safe option for getting a real stone look without having to call a stonemason.

AFTER: With dogs relaxing in front of fire, the finished faux panel project looks amazing.

There’s no doubt the finished design project looks impressive – even more so with the fire ablaze and three big dogs sprawled out in front of it.

We’re always impressed by the pictures our customers send us – but few are quite as homey and welcoming as these.

For more great inspiration on using our faux panels for fireplace design projects, check our fireplace design gallery.

Have you used our faux panels to complete your fireplace? If so, we’d love to see the finished results. Email them to us at info@fauxpanels.com. We’d love to feature them here!

The friendly frontage of Max and Erma's is an Ohio institution.

Max and Erma’s is an Ohio institution – a chain of restaurants founded by Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks in the early seventies.

Thanks to canny franchising and a great concept, their mouthwatering menu items are now being served all the way from South Dakota to Virginia Beach.

But for new franchise owners, one of the challenges is transferring that old-time storefront design and feel in a brand new location.

That’s where the talents of Steve Bitzer, president of Ohio-Based Deerfield Construction, and his team come in. He was recently tasked with the job of giving a new Max and Erma’s location a facelift; and he managed to recreate the chain’s iconic look with our Norwich Stone Wall Toasted Vanilla Panels.

Steve used them to cover the doorway arch of the new restaurant – and they contrasted perfectly with the existing redbrick façade.

This fabulous facade was created entirely using our faux stone veneer.

While the panels themselves were easy to install, with regular construction adhesive and screws, the look they delivered was anything but ordinary; perfectly recreating the color, texture and look of traditional stacked stone walling.

There are over 60 Max and Erma’s locations nationwide; but Steve managed to create a look in keeping with their iconic, but loosely defined brand footprint.

That means folks driving past will instantly be able to recognize the place as one of the new branches of their favorite burger joint.

Even close up, the panels are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Because of their affordability, ease of installation and consistent look, our faux panels have always proven especially popular with businesses small and large – for their store and restaurant fronts, trade shows, display designs and more.

You can catch some great examples of our faux panels in a professional environment in our commercial design gallery.

But what makes us especially proud is how veteran contractors with great reputations rely on our products to deliver the results their customers are looking for. Contractors like Steve Bitzer are known for only using the best materials: We’re very proud to have our products considered an example of such.

Taking inspiration from that pride and heritage, FauxPanels.com™ recently launched a rugged new line of faux brick panels molded directly from real Chicago brick. Here are some ideas of how to use them:

Worthy of any Chicago speakeasy, this stunning fireplace and drinks cabinet is framed by our Old Chicago brick veneer panels.

From Al Capone to Barack Obama, Chicago has been called home by many well known figures.

In fact, despite the harsh winters and baking summers, people who’ve lived there are fiercely loyal to the “windy city” and there’s something about the look and feel of Chicago that garners attention and admiration from every corner of America.

One typically “Chicago” element is brick – the tough, rugged and unpretentious material used to construct many of Chicago’s most iconic and historic buildings.

It was the impressive look of rainswept, wind-beaten brick that inspired FauxPanels.com™ to create their new line of Old Chicago Brick Veneer Panels.

Each faux brick panels interconnects; allowing for a seamless installation even if you're a construction novice.

Molded in tough and durable molded polyurethane, and perfectly capturing each grain, chip and texture from real Chicago brick, these panels offer an easy and affordable way to get the look of Old Chicago anywhere inside or outside your home for a fraction of what it would cost to use authentic reclaimed brick.

Each panel is interlocking, making it easy to seamlessly cover an entire wall with vivid brick texture.

They can also be cut to size with a regular wood saw, and installed in minutes with nothing more complex than construction adhesive and regular wood screws.

But despite that ease-of-installation, the finished product looks incredible.

The texture itself is captured so vividly that it’s impossible to tell that the panels aren’t real brick unless you reach out and touch them.

You can see the dramatic element our Old Chicago Brick Panels bring to a previously drab interior wall.

Likewise, our expert colorists have intricately detailed each panel to perfectly resemble the real thing; giving you eight different color accents to choose from depending on your needs.

As you can see from these before and after photos, adding old Chicago brick panels to your home is a simple way to create a stunning new look.

Go and check out our photo gallery for more inspiration.

Like what you see? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about how you could use these beautiful brick panels as part of your own new home design project.

The famous Manhattan wall-crawler would feel right at home in this stunning kid's bedroom project.

FauxPanels.com™ was proud to be able to contribute numerous panels and other products once again – sadly for the last time. Here are some shots from just one of the homes we donated products to.

Our Regency Old Chicago faux brick panels were used to bring some superhero style to one little boy’s room; by bringing to life the locale of New York’s friendly, neighborhood webslinger, Spider-man.

Our faux brick panels were used to cover the entire wall of the room; interconnecting seamlessly and providing a look that wouldn’t be out of place on a Greenwich Village brownstone. Paired with some heavy-duty industrial accessories and some beautiful high-rise murals, it’s hard to believe this little bedroom is deep in America’s heartland, and not right in the center of the Five Boroughs.

A close-up of our Regency Old Brick faux brick panels reveals their vivid detail and rich color.

This sort of imaginative theme is where our faux panels outshine the competition.

Using real brick would be outside the budget of almost any regular home decorator; and that’s if you wanted to invest the time and effort to build a non-functional structural wall right in your kid’s bedroom!

Our panels, on the other hand, perfectly recreate the look of reclaimed brick but can be installed in just hours; with nothing more sophisticated than construction adhesive, screws and a regular wood saw.

The secret to the vividly realistic brick finish is the design process. Our faux panels are molded directly from real brick work; and then intricately detailed with authentic colors to deliver astonishing detail in a panel that’s waterproof, lightweight and can be installed practically anywhere.

It’s that flexibility which helped Ty Pennington and the rest of the EM:HE crew create such a stunning room in just days.

Murals of New York skyscrapers and accessories modeled after tenement fire escapes complete the NYC look.

But although the Spider-man theme is great, what really makes this project heartwarming for us back at FauxPanels.com™ is simply how deserving the room’s new occupant is.

Some truly heartbreaking tragedies occurred the day the tornado hit Joplin; and Spider-man’s superpowers pale in comparison to the brave families who, right now, are struggling to rebuild their lives no matter what fate throws in their path.

We were humbled and honored to be able to contribute to the finale of EM:HE and help bring some comfort to the families hit by the tornado tragedy. Thanks ABC!

Photos courtesy of Love Tree Studios

Faux stone detailing really makes the exterior of Jeff's home stand out.

“I’ve become an expert in installing this stuff,” writes Faux Panels customer Jeff Wildermuth, in the email that accompanied the stunning shots of his exterior home design. “I’ve just finished my project using your awesome product.”

The product in question were our Wellington Dry Stack Earth faux panels – plus matching faux stone corner pieces and columns. Jeff cleverly used them as accent pieces to the exterior of his stunning Florida home; producing an effect that’s subtle and sophisticated.

Rather than side his entire home, Jeff used small sections of faux stone to detail areas like corners.

Jeff’s trick was to highlight specific architectural details, like the corners and siding, and elevate them by adding decorative stone panels.

As you can see from these after photos, just a few panels radically change the look of the house. It’s this kind of effect that our stone veneer is especially suitable for.

Because Jeff’s home was already built, it would have been difficult and expensive to add real stone details like the ones our faux panels stunningly recreate (although not as expensive as building a real home out of dry stack stone!)

Jeff also used our faux stone columns to add a craftsman look to his veranda.

Instead, Jeff was able to install our decorative stone panels directly to the existing wall, with a combination of construction adhesive and regular screws.

Using a standard wood saw – like almost every American has sitting in their garage – Jeff could cut the panels to fit and get exactly the look he was aiming for. Once installed, they’re practically indistinguishable from authentic stone.

The reason our panels look so incredible is because they’re actually molded from real dry stack stone; and then recreated using durable polyurethane foam that captures every nook, crevice and crack.

Then our panels are intricately detailed with vividly realistic colors; with a result so realistic most people can only confirm they’re not stone when they actually touch them.

Subtlety is the key to Jeff's stylish and sophisticated exterior redesign.

But while our panels retain the look of stone, they’re a fraction of the weight (and cost.)

That’s why Jeff was able to install them so quickly – and so well. In fact, after getting the hang of connecting corner pieces and intersecting panels, there’s pretty much nothing you can’t do with them.

Although the project took a little longer than that, Jeff became an “overnight expert” at faux panel furnishing!

What do you make of Jeff’s home transformation? Do you like his “less-is-more” approach? For a contrast, check out this recent exterior home design project – in which the entire exterior was sided with our faux stone panels for a starkly different – but equally awesome – appearance.

Terry Kline, from Missouri, sent in these incredible photos; which chronicle every step of the DIY project that turned their family room fireplace into a stunning centerpiece clad in our Oxford faux stone veneer.

A non-functional fireplace frame was the ideal place to start. An electric fireplace would eventually go in the center.

The task started with a non-functional fireplace being created in the corner of the room. “Non-functional” refers to the fact that the fireplace was not attached to an old-fashioned chimney; but instead would feature an electric burner. This gave considerable flexibility in where and how to build it.

The next step was to build a fireplace surround, using traditional wood board as a backing and installing our panels directly to them with construction adhesive.

Our Oxford Stacked Stone panels are easy to interlock, and can be cut to shape with a regular wood saw.

That made this fireplace makeover both intuitive and fun - and the results are seamless.

A minor issue was the edges, which didn't quite sit flush. Caulk and paint soon fixed that.

And the result? A stunning fireplace surround that looks like it's been there for years.

With the whole project taking just a few days to complete, the appeal of our faux panels seems obvious. Even better – and especially relevant to the enterprising Mrs. Kline – is that many of our panels can be ordered “fire rated” – especially suitable for use around the fireplace. You can view more beautiful fireplace surround photos in our gallery.