Put your fears aside because today I’m going to show you How To Paint A Brick Fireplace!
Have you ever thought about painting your brick fireplace? We’ve all heard the horror stories of someone’s fireplace turning pink the minute they hit it with white paint so maybe like us you put it off out of fear which is totally understandable. A Fireplace is a big deal and having one that’s messed up is the last thing any of us want.
Ever since we stepped foot into our home three years ago we’ve had a plan to makeover the fireplace, at first it was an entire fireplace resurface, then it went to shiplap and the longer we thought about it the more we felt we should at least try paint first before spending more on something else.
When you walk into our home the fireplace is the first thing that catches your eye, its big, double sided and a major focal point.
Before we continue let’s take a look at what it used to look like, in all of its red orangey glory!
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When we first moved in I feel like I tried to decorate to match the style of the home which ended up being a total mistake because the 90’s just wasn’t our style. We choose brown furniture because the fireplace was red/orange and within a year I was kicking myself for it.
Once we sold the brown furniture and went with a more updated look the fireplace was sticking out like a big red sore thumb in a sea of whites and blues.
Because not only is Paint a super cheap way to update almost anything, if we ended up hating it we could always go back to one of the more expensive options.
So after mulling it around for a year or so we finally took the plunge and boy are we glad we did!
It not only changed the look of our fireplace but the entire look of our living room as well and once it was completed we just stared at each other in disbelief that we had waited so many years to do this!
If you have been putting off this project because you’re afraid of the outcome, DO IT! It really is so simple and once it’s complete you will be so happy that you did.
Supply List
Paint Color (Behr Ultra Pure White)
Note: The Zinsser primer was the star of the show on this project, it covered extremely well and allowed us to only apply one coat of paint to the entire fireplace! Also, we completed our entire double sided fireplace with one gallon of primer and one gallon of paint and still ended up with leftovers.
How To Paint A Brick Fireplace
Step One:
This step is probably one of my least favorite steps of all but when it comes to a flawless paint job its all in the prep work. So before you break out the paint brush you’ll want to make sure the entire surface of the brick is clean. Using water, a sponge and a 5-gallon bucket clean the entire area, being sure rinse off any debris with clean water.
Step Two:
Once the surface has completely dried its time for the primer. This step completely eliminated the need for multiple coats of paint which is something people often run into when painting brick. Take your time and make sure every inch of the surface is coated well and allow to dry completely.
Insider Tip: When painting brick is can often be hard to get into the mortar lines, this is where the mini roller comes in. Use the mini roller to get those harder to reach areas, this small tool made things so much easier for us.
Step Three:
Once the primer is dry its time for paint. This step is going to give your fireplace a flawless look so be sure to go over the entire surface well. Once you have completed this, step back and give the fireplace a good once over and check for any spots you may have missed. Then clean up and admire your handy work!
Once we had everything painted we decided to add a rustic mantle made out of reclaimed cargo flooring from a shop that specializes in reclaimed wood called Vintage Reclaimed Lumbar, if you are local to Oklahoma City go check it out because this place is truly amazing!
This post is in no way sponsored and I was not paid to say this I just love this store y’all!
They can build pretty much anything you can think of out of the vintage lumber like mantles, tables, coffee tables etc. their products are gorgeous but here’s the part that I love and what I think sets them apart from the others, they will also sell you the lumber so you can do it yourself!!
Most stores would just refuse this type of thing because you’re obviously spending less when you do it this way but they will tell you exactly how to make it and how much material you will need and that right there is what will keep me coming back again and again!
Now the faux wood beam mantle is the first thing your eyes are drawn to when you walk into our home and it is hands down my favorite part of our living room.
This is honestly one of the cheapest yet biggest impact projects we have done and I cannot believe we waited so long to do it. Within hours it felt like it had always been white and I will never be so slow to pull the trigger on something like this again.
Knowing that we could have spent days resurfacing the fireplace or adding shiplap which no doubt would have been more technical and more expensive I am so glad that we chose to try this out first. If you’ve been on the fence about painting your fireplace get your paint brush out and just do it already!
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It looks so amazing, friend! Mine used to be that nasty orange too. What were people thinking back in the day? Beautiful job!
Hello Ashley, Looks beautiful! Question how is it holding up? I have a large wood burning stove in Bend, Oregon surrounded on two sides by the lovely orange red bricks. I’m concerned if the paint can with stand the heat the wood burning stove puts off. Great Post!
We did this approximately six years ago and have used and abused the area, it has held up great! We have a few chips here and there from demoing tile floors but aside from that it still looks wonderful.