'This looks pro': I made a $150 Kmart dupe of a $7400 fireplace

The savvy Aussie saved thousands on a luxe heater with some clever DIY, and the help of stone tiles from Kmart.

Eleanor Katelaris

2 min read

August 17, 2023 - 8:52AM

Woman‘s ‘stunning’ Kmart hack goes viral

Lifestyle

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A savvy Aussie woman has gone viral for sharing her cost-effective 'dupe' of an expensive stone-look heater.

Michelle Odine took to the Kmart Hacks and Decor Facebook page to explain how she transformed a cheaper heater using just Kmart supplies and the end result is seriously similar!

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The cheaper fireplace she bought and then made over. Image: Facebook

"The makeover cost less than $150"

Instead of purchasing the $7400 heater she had originally spotted at popular home retailers, she opted for a $2500 one and gave it a new look with stone tiles, wood look vinyl and chalk paint, all from Kmart.

Michelle explained, "So I really wanted the rustic stone-looking heater from Harvey Norman but at $7,400 it was a hard no, so instead, I bought a cheaper one and hacked it with [materials] all from Kmart.

"The makeover cost less than $150 (not including the heater of course) and I am super proud of my very first hack that wasn't a total fail. 🙂 "

Later in the comments, Michelle clarified the details of the process, including how she hot-glued individual stones to plywood in order to recreate the rustic aesthetic.

"Hubby cut some ply to fit the sides and across the top, because the original had bits that went in, which was impossible to put the stone on, so the ply just made it so that it was flat. I pulled apart the Kmart stone tiles and then hot glued them onto the ply," she said.

The expensive Harvey Norman heater. Image: Harvey Norman

Michelle continued, "The top, middle shelf and hearth I simply covered in wood look vinyl and then painted the original marble look surround around the actual heater in chalk paint, as I didn't want a shiny/glossy look."

She then asked the group for their thoughts on her DIY project, writing, "Does it look authentic enough?"

Michelle's cheaper dupe. Image: Facebook

"Very impressive"

Kmart fans and home renovation enthusiasts told Michelle in the comments just how impressive her hack looked.

"I like your one better than the original one, nice job!" wrote one person.

Another said: "Looks like a pro did it, great work!"

And a third said: "I always wanted something similar but never thought about this, amazing idea!"

Some people had questions about its structural integrity, with one person asking, "How will the vinyl go with the heat?"

Michelle replied, reassuring them it was fine: "It's an electric heater, so the heater is built in and protected so no heat transmits to the surround. Heat blows out with the fan at the front only. I put candles on the top just to test this though, and so far no melted candles so all good."