Homeowner Finds Amazing Art Nouveau Surprise Behind Boarded-Up Fireplace
Imagine buying a house with a fake fireplace... only to later discover that it was covering up an absolutely stunning original Art Nouveau fireplace!
That's what happened to Stacey Dyer (known on social media as @end_of_the_row), who often posts about her renovations of her period home. The creator recently shared a series of videos about her home's hidden cast iron fireplace - which she finally finished restoring after two years. Read on for a look!
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This Home Renovator Discovered an Incredible Antique Fireplace in Her Bedroom
"Curiosity got me asking, what is behind this board that had been covered up for decades?? We couldn't believe our luck when we exposed it," Stacey Dyer wrote on an Instagram video. In the beginning of the clip, there is a white fireplace frame set atop floral wallpaper in a bedroom.
Using a crowbar, Dyer popped a wallpaper-adorned piece of drywall off of the wall - to reveal a gorgeous Art Nouveau iron fireplace behind a set of wall studs. Art Nouveau is an artistic style that was prominent in the U.S. and Europe from around 1890 to 1915.
"Jackpot! We couldn't believe our luck," Dyer wrote. But the discovery only meant she had tons of work ahead. She got to work unearthing removing drywall, studs and wallpaper from the wall, and endless layers of paint from the fireplace frame.
Eventually, once she stripped and scraped away all the paint, she used an iron paste to bring the cast iron fireplace back to life.
The Art Nouveau Fireplace Restoration Turned Out Gorgeous
"She's done. It's only taken 2 years to get the fireplace to this point," Dyer captioned a video. "Fireplaces are a massive labour of love, they take a lot of effort but once they're done, then they're done. The gift that keeps on giving."
And in the comments, Dyer's followers applauded her dedication to this project.
"Oh it looks beautiful - what a find! ," someone commented on Dyer's video. "Stunning. A couple candles in there for ambiance and I would never leave that room. Lol," another commenter added.
"Well done absolutely gorgeous!," someone else wrote. "That fireplace deserved such a fab restoration and the green tiles look beautiful. That would make me smile every time I stepped into the room. ," wrote another follower.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 6:16 PM.