After mucho requests for a fireplace tutorial, we’re here to deliver the goods.
As you can see, we’re no strangers to a painted brick fireplace…
…or two.
In fact, painting the fireplace in the living room and the den was one of the first things we did when we moved in. Dingy brick can really suck the life out of a room if you’re not careful. Especially the ugly dark red kind that we had when we moved in- and especially when paired with lighter furnishings and wall colors (which just happen to be things that we adore).
Natural brick certainly has a place in many homes (and also in our hearts, it just didn’t work for our light and airy aesthetic- and our brick was especially maroon). So here’s what we did to bring some soft beauty to both of our brick fireplaces in a flash and on the cheap. Gotta love a makeover you can accomplish in an afternoon (no power tools required).
Step 1- Wipe down your bricks with a moist (not sopping wet!) rag to remove any cobwebs or soot.
Step 2- If your bricks are especially soot stained, you’ll want to prime them with oil based primer to ensure that no soot stains bleed through your paint job. Neither of our fireplaces had this problem so we skipped right to step three.
Step 3- Use a nappy roller meant for textured surfaces to apply two to three coats of flat or semi-gloss latex paint (the finish is up to you). You also may need to rely on a paint brush to get into those deep grout crevices. Brick is an especially porous material (which explains why your fireplace may call for three coats) so be sure to have more paint on hand than you’d usually rely on for such a small surface area (our den fireplace took over a gallon of paint, and the one in our living room took nearly half a gallon).
Step 4- Do the happy dance cause you’re done. Easy, right? If you can paint a wall you can definitely paint a brick fireplace.
Good luck with your big fireplace transformation! Oh and why not take before and after pictures for us while you’re at it? Don’t be surprised if your newly painted fireplace inspires you to continue the makeover with new art above the mantel or a few fresh accessories. Homes are never really finished anyway, are they?
Looking for more ways to spruce up your fireplace? A woven basket full of firewood (we love birch for its crisp look) will add even more inviting ambaince.
We have the traditional brick fireplace too with the glass frame. Just curious – how did you guys paint the glass frame? Did you use the same paint?
And since we’re on the topic of fireplaces, did you guys put the mantel up yourselves? If so, can you let me in on how you installed it?
Sorry for all the questions!
Hey Priscilla,
We actually did paint the glass-framed metal fireplace doors with the same latex paint as the brick, although we would only suggest doing that if you don’t use your fireplace (the living room fireplace with the doors is wood burning and since we our gas one in the den all the time, we don’t generate enough heat from the living room one to make regular paint on the glass-framed doors a problem). Basically if you burn candles in your glass-doored fireplace like we do, you’re great with latex paint on the metal frame. If you burn wood, then you’ll want to remove the glass-framed doors (they easily unscrew inside the fireplace) and bring ’em outside and spray them with heat resistant spray paint made especially for jobs like these. Even if you go with white spray paint and it doesn’t match the white paint on your fireplace exactly, it should still look great because it’s a different material so your eyes won’t expect bricks and metal to be the exact same shade of white anyway.
As for the mantel, that was already there. Although I’m sure if you googled “DIY mantel hanging” or “how to hang a mantel” you’ll find lots of helpful stuff. Happy hunting!
xoxo,
Sherry
Thank you guys, I am so grateful for this diy tutorial! Now let me get back to your post, I haven’t even read it yet.
Your floors looks soo good in these pictures! I can’t wait until we refinished our downstairs so we can have floors that *hopefully* look as nice as yours!
When we moved into our house we had a ton of soot on our fireplace, too. Scrubbing alone didn’t work, but oddly enough, a Mr Clean Magic Eraser did the trick. We have ceramic tiles, but it should work on brick as long as the texture of the brick doesn’t shred the eraser.
Also, we painted the metal part on our fireplace doors too. Most of the surround was already black but on the doors and lining the frame we had brass. I taped off the doors and surrounding area and just used a black spray paint to refinish it. I didn’t sand it or anything. We’ve had wood burning fires going in it off and on for the last three weeks and it’s still as nice and beautifully black as the day I painted. Make sure to use a high quality spray paint–makes all the difference–and I’d suggest one of the spray paint handles/triggers/nozzles for even coating. That way your paint job has no brush strokes and it looks original.
We just painted ours and I posted about it last weekend. It does make a huge difference.
http://freckleschick.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-white-always-right.html
We painted our brick fireplace. We actually used a brick primer which actually sealed the porous brick first. We were so thankful we did that. One coat of that primer and only one coat of latex over that and it covered very well. I’d recommend that over putting layer after layer of latex on. Talk to your paint store – they’ll advise on which primer to use.
YES! I was just going to comment “Seal the brick first, please.” There are two good reasons for doing this:
1-If you seal the brick first, it’s easier to paint
AND
2-If you seal the brick first, then it’s reversible without having to spend thousands of dollars on sandblasting. Please think of the next DIYer! Some of us LIKE brick!
You are always one step ahead…I was going to ask you about the fireplace redo! Thanks!
I’m getting ready to paint my family room & the fireplace. I’m wondering if you have any recommendations about when to paint the fp the same color as the walls and when to paint a contrast color (as in your first pic). Also, we just installed a gas insert – is there any precaution you need to take re: heat/paint? Thanks!
Hey Julie,
We actually have a gas insert in our den fireplace and there’s be no issue with the paint holding up with the heat of the fire (of course we didn’t paint the inside of the firebox, which remained dark brick). Over two years later ours is as perfect as the day we painted (and we regularly use our gas fireplace all winter long).
As for when to paint the fireplace a contrasting color, and when to keep it the same color as the walls, we’d generally always recommend doing something to set the fireplace off and make it a focal wall. Our den fireplace, although it appears to be the same color as the walls, is actually a shade darker which subtly draws your eye to that wall as soon as you enter the room (and away from the TV). By contrast, the fireplace in the living room is a few shades lighter than our tan walls, which also makes it the center of attention in the space. The only time we’d suggest keeping the fireplace the same color as the walls is if it’s off centered or oddly placed and you’d like it to blend into the room as opposed to become the feature. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xoxo,
Sherry
Thanks for the tip guys!
I found your website because of the new DIY magazine – I’m on a home improvement binge since I’m not working currently. I was on a mission to find out what color you used in your kitchen, and I love that you have a map of your house with the paint colors – brilliant!
I’m going to be poking around a lot, but thanks for such a wonderful website.
Great how-to! Painting a fireplace can make all the difference in the world and these are great tips! I’ll be linking.
Thanks Sherry – actually our f/p IS off center and kind of in a wierd spot. So, we may actually paint it the same color as the walls as it really isn’t the focal point of the room. :-)
Looks great. Where did you get the hanging vase “thingy” with the pink flowers?
Hey Fawn,
They’re from CB2 for something like $4 each (called the “teardrop vase”). Such a steal. Happy shopping…
xo,
Sherry
Wow, great response time. Thanks, but I am not sure what CB2 is. If they sell something so cute for such a great price I hope they have one in my neck of the woods.
So what is CB 2?
Hey Fawn,
CB2 is Crate & Barrel’s more modern (and affordable) sister store (hence the initials CB). You can check out their site here: http://www.cb2.com.
Oh and here are those hanging vases. So glad they still have ’em!
xo,
Sherry
Hey. This has nothing to do with the fireplace, but please tell me about the shelves in the first photo. I’m looking for some like that in a natural finish (ready for staining). Where could I get them? Thanks!
Hey Jen,
The three white floating shelves in the dining area are actually Ikea’s lack shelves. They come in two different lengths and many different finishes so I’m sure you’ll find something that works perfectly! Just go to ikea.com and search “lack shelf” to see all the options!
xo,
Sherry
Sherry,
Have you ever had anyone show concern with painting fireplaces and that being a set back when selling a house? I mentioned the idea of painting our fireplace when we moved into our house, and my real estate agent balked at the idea. What’s up?
Thanks!
Hey Carmen,
We’ve actually heard realtors who advise against painting dark paneling and brick while others advise to do all that you can to expand and brighten a space (because lighter, brighter, and bigger-looking rooms sell more easily). We personally decorate our house for us since we’ll be here a while (we have no plan to sell anytime soon). And we think in our case that painting the fireplaces totally updated each room (check out our before gallery to see them without paint) so we actually think the revamped fireplace look will come in handy if and when we end up putting the house on the market. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
We have a double sided fireplace between our dining room and living room which is nice, but it is the old school red brick with the goldish looking surround so we want to paint it. My only problem is that the brick extends from the fireplace all the way down to a connecting side wall about 7-8 feet. How would you make it all look connected?
Hey Jen,
I would paint the whole darn thing the same color (both the fireplace and the brick that extends down to the connecting side wall). We actually not only had a brick fireplace wall in our den, but the entire left wall of the room was also brick- so strange! Two walls of the room were bad red brick and the other two walls were dark dated wood paneling. The moment we painted everything it was instantly neutralized and looked so much more current and fresh. Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Looks absolutely amazing! Would this same technique work for a tiled fireplace? Or would the paint make the tile & grout look cheap & unfinished because the smooth-ish surface of the tile would take on the inevitable texture of paint strokes or roller texture? This would be such a great way to improve our very out-dated brown tile without the cost of having it redone!
Hey Michele,
Good question! I would suggest doing a little google research and hitting up your local Home Depot or Lowe’s to ask the paint department people, but I’m fairly certain regular latex or oil paint won’t properly adhere to tile due to the super shiny texture (it will peel and flake off over time- ick!). There are newer paints and glazes these days that are actually designed to work on tile (you might want to google “DIY tile reglazing” as that’s actually what it’s called and see what you find). And remember to wear a mask when you use that stuff- it’s super smelly but will probably turn out magnificently! Oh and of course you can also pay a much smaller amount to get someone to professionally reglaze your fireplace tiles (look in the yellow pages for someone who does “tile reglazing”) than it would cost to get the tile gutted and replaced. Hope it helps!
Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry
Hi! I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment since it’s coming in so late, but I’ve actually bookmarked this tutorial because we are going to paint our nasty stone fireplace. BUT I’m having trouble deciding on a paint color. Did you go stark white or did you choose a white “color” for the brick and mantle? (I know you list your house colors on your site, but I didn’t see anything about the fireplace colors…sorry if I missed it somewhere!) Thanks a bunch!
Hi Sarah,
Good question. It looks pretty close to white, but we actually painted it a very light grey (Glidden’s Ruffled Feather). We did that because we have lots of white accessories (candles, coral, frames, etc) that we like to display on the mantle, and we wanted them to pop ever-so-slightly. Hope that helps!
-John
Hi, this is a really random question. How did you hang the mirror that is in the first picture. I have had no luck finding information on the best way to hang items on a fireplace. Can you please tell me what you did? Thanks!!
Hey Anne,
So glad you asked! There’s actually a secret to hanging things on a brick wall or fireplace. Lowe’s and Home Depot sell these clamp type things (they’re small springy thigs made of metal that you can find in the aisle with all the screw and nails and hooks and anchors) that are designed to squeeze between the cracks in bricks (on the grout line) and hold a piece of art or a mirror in place.
Just check out the aisle with all the hooks and anchors and you’re sure to see them (maybe they’re called “brick hooks”?) and of course you can ask someone who might be able to direct you there faster than looking at every doodad in that area.
If you have very thin spaces between each brick, or if there isn’t enough room to jam one of the hanging springs, you can always use a thin drill bit to carefully prepare a hole for a screw or nail to be gently inserted into the grout (always use the grout and not the bricks!) to hang something. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
hi there!
great tutorial – thank you. my house has a stone fireplace. the stones themselves are not too bad but the grout between is thick, gray, ugly, sloppy, and dated. i was thinking about just painting the whole fireplace. a question for you if you could please help me. can i just paint the grout? (and see if i like it. if i don’t then i’d just paint everything). would i just use regular paint? or should i just regrout over the current grout with a colored (white) grout (if there is such a thing).
any help appreciated! thanks!
Hey Jen,
Yup, you can definitely paint the grout with a small brush and some latex paint, but be sure to keep the paint off the stone as any drips probably can’t be removed (stone is super porous). It’s a great idea because you can step back and see how you like it, and if you’d rather just paint the whole fireplace after giving it a whirl, at least you tried the grout thing first!
It’s important to note that painting fireplace grout with latex paint will work while painting bathroom grout with latex paint won’t (along with any grout that’s on the floor). But since it’s on the wall and not in a moist environment like a bathroom, the paint should stick to the grout just as it sticks to the grout AND the stone in any other fireplace-painting instance. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xo,
Sherry
super! thanks sherry!
Hi Sherry. I have fallen in love with your site. I too, love all things relating to decorating. I get so excited when I find a fabulous deal! Anyway, love the brick painted….my question is: We have a 70’s stone fireplace. You know–that lovely stone that looks like huge boulders sticking out of the wall. My hubby doesn’t mind it since it’s neutral colors and goes with our wall color, but I was contemplating painting it a deeper shade of our wall color. Is painting a fireplace reserved only for brick?? Thanks for your help :)
Hey Brandi,
Some people are probably going to want to stone me with pieces of your fireplace for saying this, but a stone fireplace can look really fabulous when it’s painted. That’s not to say that we don’t like them au naturale (because there are many lovely cottage-rustic ones that look great all muted and grey and tan and fabulous). But if you think it makes your room dark, overwhelming, or cave-man prehistoric, then painting it a shade deeper or even a shade lighter than you wall color is a great idea! It’ll blend seamlessly and still become a soft focal point in the space with tons of character and charm.
We saw Thom Felicia paint a stone fireplace a deep chocolate brown and it turned out lovely. And of course we’ve seen them in glossy white about a thousand times and swooned every time. Just think long and hard about whether you’ll regret taking a brush to those stones before you do it, but as long as you’re sure you’d like them painted, just pick a color that you like and see how it looks. While it’s super hard to strip the paint and get back to the original stone, it’s easy to paint over it if you think you want something lighter or darker and sometimes the second time’s the charm. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xo,
Sherry
I’m so glad you posted this tutorial. When we bought our last house, the previous owners had painted the brick fireplace MAGENTA – and used high-gloss latex paint! I made the mistake of trying to strip it off, which quickly ended in a gloppy mess. I finally just did a quick sanding job on the glopped areas, primed it all with Kilz, and then used Ralph Lauren’s River Rock paint. At my Dad’s suggestion, I also sprayed the interior of the fireplace with high-temperature black spray paint. The whole project turned out fantastically well, and I highly recommend taking the plunge if you have an unattractive fireplace in your home. Thanks for all the great projects & suggestions – you’re very inspiring.
We have a stone fireplace, do you think paint would have the same effect or would it ruin the look of the room?
Hey Alicia,
It’s all about what you like, what type of stone you have, and what your decorating style is. There’s definitely no hard and fast rule about what will look good (because decorating is so subjective) but if you like a light and airy look and the stone feels heavy and dark it’ll probably look amazing if it’s painted a glossy white. If you have leather sofas and like deep red and gold tones then you probably have more traditional tastes and the look of the stone without paint is something that works better with your style. Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Hi there- I just discovered your site from the nest magazine, and I have wasted WAY too much time poking around. You have another fan! =) But anyway, your painted fireplaces look awesome. I’m considering doing the same but my husband is not for it (yet). ;) I was wondering what you’d suggest- It’s in our second living room, and is on the only whole wall in the room- one has windows, and the other two have door frames- and it takes up the WHOLE wall. The rest of the room has paneling up to the chairrail, and is currently painted two different colors (http://themcgfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/little-more-taste-of-home.html The last three pictures show what I’m talking about). I am completely at a loss as to how to pull this room together. Paint the brick or not? Paint the walls the same color on top and bottom? Paint it the same color as the brick? Paint those wierd cutouts?! We’re looking to turn it into a sitting/reading/conversation room. We want it to be homey and comfortable. Any suggestions!?
Thank you!
Kristen
Hey Kristen,
I checked out your living room and I definitely think that fireplace would look amazing with some white or even some rich creamy paint on it. But you definitely have to get the hubby in on the deal first. It’s something that’s pretty hard to reverse, so you certainly want his blessing. As for the walls, I would select a favorite color swatch (maybe in the neutral tan range) and paint the walls under the chair rail a color on the swatch and then go up one square and paint the walls above the chair rail that slightly lighter color. It will still be in the same color family, so they’ll really feel cohesive (the top part will just be a wee bit lighter, so it will add visual interest without being super drastic and visually cutting the room apart).
For example, if the fireplace were to get the cream paint treatment (with your hubby’s ok), then you could paint the part of the wall under the chair rail a nice mocha tan tone and the chair rail could also go cream (along with the rest of the trim to match the fireplace) and the part of the wall above the rail could be painted a lighter sandy tan (from the same paint swatch that you got the mocha color). Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Great suggestions! And thank you so much for the prompt response. Once the hubby gets home, I’ll show him your painted fireplace and how great it looks, and see what he thinks. :) Thank you again! I definitely like your idea!
HI –
just a quick comment on the tile grout painting for floors…..
In our last house we had inherited an off white tile with white grout – the contrast made the tile always look “dirty” vs off white – ugh!) in the kitchen/mudroom/dining room.
I purchased a small container of porch paint ($16) and painted the grout with a small brush – I did it in sections after my kids were in bed. I choose a medium beige/sand color and wow what a difference it made to the off-white tile to look clean! it held up for the 5 yrs we lived there with two kids and two large dogs.
Hey Joanie,
WOW! What a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing. We’ll definitely remember to keep that tip in our back pocket for anyone with the same problem. Mucho thanks for taking the time to drop us a note!
xoxo,
Sherry
Sherry,
Love, Love your website! I’m redoing a home that has a horrible red brick fireplace flanked with paneled wood bookshelves. I plan on painting the bookshelves with “whitewash” by Devoe it’s an off/white color and I do want the fireplace to stand out slightly by was going to paint it the same color as the bookshelves. But after reading your previous posts, should I paint the fp a slightly darker color?
grace
Hey Grace,
I would actually go with your initial instinct and paint the fireplace the same color as the bookcases that flank it for a larger, more expansive, and super cohesive effect. Happy painting!
xoxo,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I recently discovered your site, and very thankful I did. I will be moving into my new house in a few weeks and already have DIY projects brewing in my head. The first is a family room in which 2 walls are brick like your den. Can you give any advice/tips you discovered while painting the den? Will it basically be the same as your fireplace explanation just applied to a greater space? There is one wall that is not brick, more of an off white tone. Did you use different paint on the brick vs the other wall? Last question…what color is the paint you used? Thanks a million!
Jenny
Hey Jenny,
So glad you found our site too! As for painting the den, on the paneling we actually used oil-based primer followed by two coats of flat latex paint (in Wishes by Glidden). For the brick walls we didn’t use any primer but went straight to applying two coats of latex paint (the wall to the left of the fireplace is also Wishes by Glidden and the fireplace wall is a bit deeper- Water Chestnut by Glidden- since it’s the focal wall). Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xoxo,
Sherry
Can I ask what you did with the hearth in the living room? Did you paint that too, or replace it with something? I’m moving into a house with a painted fireplace that has a hearth just like the original one on your living-room fireplace, and I’d like to do something to better integrate it with the white fireplace/mantle. Would appreciate any tips you have for that!
Hey FRM,
Very timely comment indeed! This afternoon’s post actually talks about it a bit more, but our fireplace hearth is just painted with regular latex paint to match the fireplace brick (it was made up of these gross shattered terra cotta tiles) and then coated with about ten very thin coats of water-based polyurethane so that it holds up pretty well to foot traffic. It’s definitely more of a quick fix than a long tern solution (although it has lasted almost three years), but we’re hoping to retile it with something fun in the near future!
xo,
Sherry
Hello Sherry,
I am wondering if you painted those dark brown tiles below your fireplace, too? Or you re-tiled that area? I have the same brown old tiles with my fireplace and I am wondering if that’s a good idea to paint them with a different color…?
Thanks! Love your living room!
Hey Renee,
We actually did just paint the terrible dark hearth tiles while we had the fireplace paint out. Then we covered them with about a million thin coats of water-based polyurethane to create a slightly more durable surface. Of course this would never work with bathroom tile or any surface that is high-traffic, but since most people don’t walk on the fireplace hearth (except for Burger who’s only 8lbs) it has held up pretty well over the last three years. It’s certainly not the “proper” way to deal with tile (or a long-term solution) but it has tided us over until we can replace them with something white and lovely (like river rocks or marble or even glass mosaic tiles). Can’t wait for that!
xo,
Sherry
good evening. i love what you have done with your home. i am interested in the fireplace. you have inspired me to paint mine. with that said, i do have a question. are your fireplaces working or not working? i was advised at lowe’s i would need to use heat resistant paint if i use the fireplace. my husband and i want to convert our fireplace to gas logs. thank you for your assistance. please advise.
Hey Cathy,
Our painted fireplace in the den is a gas log fireplace and we use it literally every day in the winter and the regular latex paint has held up perfectly. If you’re painting the firebox (the inside of the fireplace) using heat resistant paint is definitely advised, but we’ve had no problems with our regular latex paint on the brick surround. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi,
We currently live in an apartment with a hideous fireplace-dark wood mantel with brown and flower tiles. Is there any way to cover a fireplace temporarily? We would love to paint it white, however, I’m not so sure the landlord would go for this. Any ideas you have would be great!!
Thank you.
McKenzie
Hey McKenzie,
Your best bet is to get a piece of plywood and cut it to cover those tiles and paint it white for a crisp little temporary paint makeover (since you can’t do anything too permanent and scare the landlord). Adding lots of lighter accents on top of the dark wood mantel (a large white framed mirror, white vases, etc) will also lighten things up in a flash. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi!!! LOVE your blog and I keep referring back to it lately as I am choosing paint colors for our new-to-us old house. I looked at your paint color/furnishings tour and wasn’t totally clear on what color(s) you actually painted the brick fireplaces. I want to paint ours but not sure if I should do it a plain white or a cream (this room will have a light beige on the walls). Thanks!
Hey Megan,
The brick fireplace wall in the den is Glidden’s Water Chestnut while the brick fireplace in the living room is Glidden’s Ruffled Feathers (which is no longer available in a swatch but can be looked up on the computer by the Home Depot guys). It’s basically a very soft gray so the white mantel and mirror pop a bit. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi, i love how you have transformed your fire place. We’ve been in our 1950s beach shack 12 months now and the fire place is still looking pretty offensive. I’ve wanted to paint it white all along, my only reluctance being that there is an ugly old gas heater in the fire place which might look all the more prominent against a white backdrop. The heater is fully functioning so we can’t remove it/cover it up. Any tips?? thanks for your help.
Hey Bridget,
Hmm, can you spray the gas heater with heat-resistant spray paint to make it blend in? Of course you should check with an expert or call someone before taking the project on to ensure that you won’t hurt the heater, but people spray paint the inside of their fireboxes and their radiators with heat-resistant spray paint all the time and it can really help them blend in. You could spray your whole firebox/gas heater black so it will just appear to be in shadow and paint the fireplace white and even snag a little fireplace screen to further obscure the gas heater. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I am going to paint the fireplace and the hearth has old brick on it that doesn’t match. I am planning on taking that out. The fireplace is wood burning but I want to convert it to a gas. There is a gas line right next to the fireplace how hard would it be for a plumber to move the gas line into the fire box and place a fake wood burning gas heater inside.
Hey Wanita,
Unfortunately we have no experience moving a gas line into a firebox but we would guess that it will probably run you a few hundred dollars. Definitely get a few different estimates to hunt down the best deal- and of course go with someone licensed and insured to keep things safe!
xo,
s
Our brick fireplace is already painted white but looks horrible. I would like for it to be crisp and white but not sure how to proceed. Should I just paint over the existing paint or should I try to remove it? Thanks!
Hey Missye,
I would definitely paint right over the existing paint as long as it’s not cracked or peeling. If it is, sand it a bit and them prime with oil-based primer and then apply two coats of latex paint. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I have dark (mahogony) trim in my house and kind of maroon paint. The fireplace is central and we would like to paint it. Any Suggestions on how to achieve a lighter look such as color choice?
Thanks in advance,
Kristine and Sam
How about a light sandy tan or even a warm caramel color? Layered with the dark trim and maroon paint it will feel airier without sticking out too much like stark white paint would. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I might have missed it somewhere, but what is the color on the wall you have in the den?
Thanks!
Jennifer
It’s Wishes by Glidden which unfortunately has been discontinued but if you ask for it by name the people at the counter (at Home Depot) can pull up the formula on thier computer and whip some up for you. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi, your house looks wonderful. After showing my husband your before and after fireplace, I think I may finally have convinced him we need to paint ours white as well. I wondered if you had any trouble keeping it clean? With all the crevices between the brick, does the white show dirt much more than the brick?
Thanks!
Laura
Hey Laura,
It’s been three years since we painted our fireplaces and we’ve not once had to scrub them down to brighten them up- they’re zero maintenance! Oh and the cracks between the brick are just as clean as the day they were coated with paint. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey! love, love, love the fireplace! We have a free standing fireplace that separates the living room and dining room and I think I’m finally brave enough to paint it. I love what yall did on top of the brick on the one fireplace…will you let us in on your secret to that look? Kinda looks like wooden slats?
Thanks!
My husband and I are getting ready to paint our fireplace and wonder if you’d mind sharing the colors you used for the walls and fireplace. We like the combo.
Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!
sincerely,
Jennifer
Hey Katie, if you’re referring to the fireplace in the living room, that’s actually just how the brick was laid (we didn’t add anything except paint). Instead of the traditional, offset “running” pattern our brick was laid on top of one another with wide deep-set grout lines for a very even, linear and modern look.
And Jennifer, the living room walls are Sand White and the brick is Ruffled Feathers (a light gray so white objects will contrast against it). In the den, the fireplace wall is Water Chestnut and the other walls are Wishes. All color are Glidden and you can check out a full breakdown of our home’s paint scheme here under the FAQ tab above if you’re wondering about colors anywhere else.
Hope that helps!
-John
I love the fireplaces in your home. The entire back of our home is one long, narrow space with a kitchen, open to the eat in/dining area and then open to a family room. They all are the exact same width with no dividing walls, and the effect is very tunnel-like. The end wall in the family room is entirely covered in brick, with a heavy dark wood mantle and a brick fireplace. If we painted the brick a creamy color, would it make the tunnel effect even worse? All walls are a creamy color with a slight yellow tint (Sherwin Williams Crisp Linen), and white trim. Thanks for your input. I love your decorating style.
We would definitely paint them for a much more open and expansive look. But it’s your call in the end, you gotta love the idea to take the chance. Good luck!
xo,
s
hi … i’m going to paint our brick fireplace a light cream/white-ish (it’s the same color as the ceiling and trim) to go with the light green walls … my question is that our fireplace is a working fireplace with a wood stove insert — we use it daily (and nightly) throughout the fall, winter and spring … do i need a special type heat-resistant paint?
thanks so much ….
You shouldn’t need any special paint for your fireplace brick, but if you’re planning to paint the doors or any sort if metal surround we recommend high heat spray paint (just remove them, spray, and put them back on). Hope it heps!
xo,
s
Thanks for posting these beautiful photos of your brick fireplaces. I’ve been wringing my hands for three years trying to decide whether to paint ours. After painting the cheap dark wood paneling a fresh mint green, painting the trim a crisp white, and installing bamboo flooring, I was hoping to leave the brick as-is. However, lightening up the rest of the room only accentuated how dark and ugly the red brick is. I’m going out to buy some paint right now! :)
Thanks for sharing your photos and tips. My husband is remodeling our 1970’s beach cabin. He put in wood flooring and stained cedar wall panels, looks great but our woodstove is an eyesore. We talked about painting the reddish/grey old brick but don’t know what color or if leaving it would keep the old cabin feel.. Everything in the little living room is wood, the floors are darker and the exposed beam cealing, but the cedar walls are lighter wood. Your help would be great! Thanks.
I would paint it a mocha or even a chocolate color to keep that warm and cozy cabin feel. You’ll want it to have the same undertones as the wall panels & the floor but be a shade or two darker for definition. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love my brick, but have been wanting to paint my brass fireplace surround a more neutral color, like a rustic brown. I know I need heat resistant paint, but I’ve been having trouble finding many colors? If I prime with the heat resistant paint, can I then use any other spray paint with my desired color & it’ll be ok. Just looking for a little guidance since I noticed that yours is also painted.
Thanks!!
Hey Holly,
Good question! We definitely think heat resistant primer can’t hurt, but it’s only half the battle since the paint will also be exposed to the heat so it might not hold up as well. That being said, we painted the metal hood of our fireplace in the den with regular latex paint and it’s held up perfectly (and we use that fireplace nearly every single day in the winter for the past three years). It’s always worth a try and if it doesn’t hold up you can get just strip it and get back on the hunt for heat resistant stuff (which you may be able to find online). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love your rooms! Just wondering what the color of the living room walls are? I would love to paint my ugly red brick that color….I think it might match well with my huge black woodstove..the floor around it is neutral cement w/ river rock surrounded by chocolate carpeting…Thanks so much!!!
Hey Corrina,
The living / dining room walls are Glidden’s Sand White, assuming you’re asking about the room with the glass coffee table. If you mean the Den (which has the TV), that’s Glidden’s Wishes – with Water Chestnut on the fireplace wall. You can see all of our paint colors right on this post if you have any other paint questions!
Hope that helps!
-john
Hello,
I love your blog and your fabulous taste!
I have a dark brick fireplace which actually looks fine in our house– it’s a reproduction colonial and the fireplace is two-sided and in the center of our home between living room and kitchen. For me, the problem is that the glass doors on it are very dated– a sort of antiqued brass that doesn’t go with anything. We don’t have the $600 to drop on two new sets of doors, nor do I want to add to the landfill. I would like to paint the metal around the glass doors with a matte black paint for a wrought-iron look. Is there a paint that is safe to do this with?
Kristen
Hey Kristen,
Yup, just visit your local hardware store to pick up a can of heat resistant spray paint (hopefully they’ll have some in the matte finish you desire). Then remove the doors, spray them outside or in another well ventilated area and scrape any paint off the glass with a straight razor for a totally finished look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s