DIY Installing faux stone indoors

Space underneath the stairs is often neglected yet the possibilities are endless with what you could do with this tiny space.  About 7 years ago when we tore down our family room wall we decided to have our contractor open up the space under our stairs. 1/4 of the space became our wine cellar and the other 3/4 a  place to hide all my junk!

Wine-Cellar-under-stairs

Recently, my fabulous hubby gave the cellar an update by installing left over stone from our fireplace.  First we made a mock up of how we wanted the wall to look outside by creating a template with chalk.  We played around with the layout until we were both happy with the way it looked.

How to make a wall with faux stone

Next, I painted the back wall using Amazing Grey to brighten the space up just a bit and gave the wall a good cleaning.

How to make a wall with faux stone

He applied a premium grade adhesive to the back of the stone and applied the stone directly to the wall.  (We used PL375)How to make a wall with faux stone

He started from the bottom and worked his way up to the ceiling. This will ensure that the seams on the next row will line up.  How to make a wall with faux stone

To go with the theme of our fireplace we installed random pices of wood that we stained for a more rustic feel.How to make a wall with faux stone

A few of the end pieces of stone needed to be cut. He used a Grinder with a concrete blade to cut stone to size.

How to make a wall with faux stone How to make a wall with faux stone

He simply adhered the wood by pre drilling holes for the screws in the wood.  Next, he applied liquid nails to the back of the wood then drilled the wood into the studs of the wall.  If the studs are not lining up you can use drywall brackets.

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Turning unused space under the stairs into a wine Cellar Turning unused space under the stairs into a wine Cellar

We are thrilled to have this little area under our stairs and love that it ties in with our fireplace.

 Applying stone to a fireplace is completely different then applying to a wall. Tar, metal, mortar and many more supplies are needed.Stone-Fireplace

I realized I forgot to snap a shot of the whole wall so pardon the Christmas picture, although it is kind of fun to look back.  The rest of that space is filled with all my decor “stuff” that I change out each season.  I have it covered with a hanging curtain and nobody knows, well, until now.

Turning unused space under the stairs into a wine Cellar

Do you have unused space under your stairs?  If you could, what would you turn it into?

We used Stacked Stone in Mountain Blend from Eldorado Stone for the fireplace and wine cellar.  

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28 Comments

  1. What a clever and fun use of space under your stairs! You and your hubby did a beautiful job and I love how it ties in to your fireplace. Your home is gorgeous Kristin.

  2. Kristin!!!! That is so totally and completely awesome!! Clearly I need one of those!!!!!! I love how you and your husband collaborate on projects. 🙂

  3. Wow – I’m on my way over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehe!! Gorgeous Kristin! I love stacked stone too and want to add it to our fireplace wall as well! !~ Heather

  4. We are wanting to add stone thin brick to wall and we were told that we had to first put on concrete board first then put brick to it. You just put yours directly to the wall. Can you tell me why you didn’t have to?

    1. Hi Monica- thanks for your comment. We used a product called PL375 which
      Bonds to a large variety of building materials including wood, fiberboard, metal, masonry, brick, concrete, drywall, fiberglass panel, wallboard and cork. We have not had any issues. When we have installed very large area’s (2 fireplaces) we had to use concrete boards, metal mesh and much more. This was the perfect solution for a tiny wall. where will you be applying it?

  5. I saw your post on DIY installing faux stone indoors and it was really helpful. I’m in the process of redoing my family room and I’m also trying to decide if I should put a wine cellar under the stairs. One thing that might help me make up my mind is what you did with yours.
    Thank you so much for sharing this!

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