Hearth-warming

We recently redid our hearth around the fireplace to update it.  It used to be an old tile original to the home, and while it was a huge decision on whether or not to change it, we decided to go ahead with the update.  I usually love to keep all original items in our house b/c I think it adds to the history and charm, but in this case some of the tiles were in very bad condition and were cracked and discolored.  They were also a marbled green/brown color that definitely does not suit our taste.

Here's the best pic I could find of the before:

Our process was a long and drawn out one b/c rarely do we ever come to a decision quickly.  We have to weigh out all our options and make sure the decision is right for us.  I first fell in love with a cement tile by villa lagoon that was an awesome blue/teal graphic design.  The tile can be found here.  The tile itself was actually quite affordable and I loved that the cement texture would mimic the style of our original cement tiles.  The tiles were also 8" just like the original ones.  I called and spoke with the owners of the company who were very friendly and helpful people!  But in the end the shipping on the tile (b/c they are so heavy) was what put it over the edge (aka out of our budget), and we decided that we could find something else we loved at a better price.

Here's a picture of that awesome tile:

Surf tile in aqua by Villa Lagoon Tile

 We really considered the age and style of our house and landed on an all natural slate look.  It's actually a charcoal honed slate that we picked up at Lowes (our favorite home improvement store!).  We put our own personal spin on it by doing it in a fun pattern and adding a little "bling".  We thought it would be fun to add some crushed glass pieces in a similar shade randomly so that it catches your eye and isn't too boring.  We definitely want our fireplace to be the focal point of the room!

Here are the Afters:

And not to worry we removed the old cement tile as carefully as we could and saved them.

Anyway, I hope you all like it.  I am really loving that the shape and material of the tile really give a nod to our Craftsman-style bungalow.  I love honoring and being inspired by our homes architectural details!  What do you think?!  Have you all taken on any small but permanent projects in your home lately?