I transformed my fireplace from Hobbit to Cottage Core… trolls are ‘sobbing’ and reckon I should’ve ‘left it alone’

A CRAFTY DIY lover has been brutally mocked after sharing her Cottage Core fireplace makeover, which has allegedly left people ''sobbing''.

Homeware enthusiast Lindsey Dobson took to TikTok to proudly share how she had renovated the fireplace area in her 70s house - however, the feedback was far from positive.

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According to the woman, from the sunny Florida, the USA, the property had originally come with a stone fireplace, which she lovingly described as ''Hobbit Core''.

But although the fireplace was indeed ''beautiful'', Lindsey was desperately trying to make the room appear ''brighter'' - and the stones, in her opinion, needed some transformation.

Many had suggested the DIY enthusiast to ''just clean the stones'' - however, she insisted this was not possible, as the large grout lines were filled with dirt and no amount of scrubbing was going to fix the issue.

Instead, Lindsey and her partner, who regularly share their home makeover progress on TikTok, decided to try something called ''the German smear technique''.

According to the DIY fanatic, this was an age old method that was even ''used on castles and buildings throughout Europe''.

This look typically involves ''applying a thin coat of mortar onto the surface of brick or stone and then smearing it off, leaving behind a textured and whitewashed appearance,” Alonzo Perez explained, chatting to Southern Living.

The technique, which has been around for centuries, has become increasingly popular, especially amongst those who like to add some rustic charm to their homes - such as Lindsey.

Explaining why the duo had opted for the German smear, she said: ''I think this is actually a timeless look that gives a fireplace an almost old world feel.''

Despite initially being sceptical - and even admitting that they, too, had to ''trust the process'' - the pair were chuffed with the glow-up.

''It was looking a bit scary before we started smoothing out the grout lines with a sponge.

''It took us multiple hours. But after finessing, it finally started to give us the look that matched our inspiration photos,'' she said in the video.

''We are planning to do a warm, lighted oak-style flooring and adding lots of brushed brass lighting, so I felt like the right move was to lighten up this fireplace.''

However, whilst the couple may have been pleased with the results, the reaction on social media was slightly different.

The video soon racked up more than a whopping 4.2million views in just three days, as an astronomical 11k people flocked to comments to share their thoughts.

One reckoned: ''This went from cottage core to Millenial grey real quickly…''

Someone else agreed, adding: ''As long as you love it but respectfully I’m crying for that fireplace,''

Another was totally gobsmacked, wondering: ''How do you even convince yourself it looks better then [than] before.''

''I really don’t think the German smear works with these large irregular stones. It’s not my house but it does look amateurish,'' a fourth chimed in, as someone else said they were ''sobbing''.

''Please please fix this,'' a fellow critic begged.

Luckily for the DIY duo, it wasn't all negative, as there were also some of those who raced to hit back at the harsh feedback.

One fan of the makeover said: ''I personally like it.''

''I honestly was sad when you said you were changing it but Oh My, I was WRONG! This looks AMAZING,'' a second was amazed.

''SO MUCH BETTER!! Can’t wait to see the room when it’s finished!'' another wrote.

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