Good morning!! It’s officially summer, and I’m officially enjoying every minute of my break with my kiddos. Only a few more weeks and we will be a family of 5! Crazy!! Today, I wanted to share with you a practical DIY project that makes a huge impact on your home. I’ll be showing you how to paint a brick fireplace. It not only transforms your space, but it’s a very budget friendly project. So many of us have old, outdated fireplaces that are crying for a little TLC. My hope is that this post will help some of you take that leap of faith and paint your fireplace. It’s pretty simple if you are ready to put a little elbow grease into it.
When we moved in to our 80’s style home I did not love the fireplace. Actually, I hated it. Here is a little before picture so you can get an idea of why I wasn’t feeling it.
Orange brick…..
UMMM, NOOOO! This was not me or my style. I was nervous about getting started but the idea of having a white fireplace motivated me. So, after a little research here is what I needed.
Materials Needed:
- Chalk Paint (I used Annie Sloan Old White)
- High Density Roller
Note – These two items are the only thing I used on my fireplace. I did not wax or prime my brick. If you don’t want to go the chalk. paint route, simply substitute that for some Kilz Primer and the paint color of your choice.
I started by cleaning my brick but only in the spots where I saw it was stained with soot. After it was clean, I literally just started painting. I chose not to prime my brick since I was using chalk paint. It held to the brick beautifully so it saved me an extra step. Thank you chalk paint!!!!!
The first coat went on pretty well. Make sure to press pretty hard in order to get in all of the holes. After the first coat was finished, I immediately started my second coat. I only did two coats because I was going for a little more of an aged look. If you want a solid clean look then you might want to do a third coat. Do not use wax if you are chalk painting it.
This before and after picture will hopefully be your motivation for getting going on this project. I love how much brighter my space is now. I also changed out the mantel with the Benchwright shelf from Pottery Barn that works perfectly as a mantel. It looks like real wood but wasn’t too heavy to hang. You can also use barn wood, cedar, or a railroad tie for your mantel as well. So many beautiful options out there.
There you have it! I’m so glad I got over my fear of painting brick and went for it. I promise you will never look back. It has changed the entire look of my living room and become the focal point I wanted. It added that perfect farmhouse touch that I love so much and it brightened up my space so much! If you’re looking for a clever way to cover your fireplace opening, check out one of my DIYs where I created a wood slice fireplace cover.
I hope you enjoyed my fireplace makeover as much as I did. I promise you will love how it turns out. Let me know it you need a little motivation or if you have any questions. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Just stunning! I do have to ask what color paint you used on your walls as well. Beige and greige are pesky when it comes to undertones and lighting and this color is so warm really adding depth to all of the farmhouse charm. Love every aspect of this space!
Hey Misti!! Thank you so much! Yes, paint can be super hard but I really like this beige. It’s called Lenox Tan by SW. It’s a super cozy color! I hope this helps! Thank you so much for stopping by!!
where did you fine the slender tin vases?
I bought them at a flea market. They are old well buckets.
Love the fireplace! We are planning on doing ours. How many quarts did it take and also was it a foam roller or regular roller pad?
Hey Amy! Thank you so much! I believe I used 2 quarts but it was a while ago so I don’t remember for sure. I used a thick brush to get in all the cracks of the brick and kinda jabbed it in there. I did that for the first coat and then repeated that step again. Then I used a thick roller pad that was made for textures and rolled a final coat on there. I just made sure it was covered good. Once you get into it you will be able to see how many coats you will need to do. I really hope that helped you a little. Good luck!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi! Where did you find the large wicker tray/basket to place the wreath on? Look great!
I was looking for a very large tobacco tray like this and couldn’t find one that large. I have a brick wall fireplace so I need large decor items – where is yours from?
I love large tobacco baskets! I usually find them at my local flea market.
Your fireplace is exactly what I want to do to mine. Hubs couldn’t understand the look I wanted to achieve, but after showing him your post, he now understands. My question is how hard was it to mount the mantel? PotteryBarn website doesnt show how this particular shelf mounts. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Arlene! I am so excited that I could help inspire your fireplace makeover. I’m especially happy you got your husband on board with it! The Pottery Barn shelf was super easy to hang. We had a little trouble drilling into the brick but it wasn’t too bad. It comes with a bracket to hang it on. It was actually a great alternative to heavy wood mantel. It is such a pretty shelf. I think you are going to love it. Thanks so much for stopping by! Good luck!
I’m painting my brick fireplace with Annie Sloan graphite right now – curious as to why no wax??
The lady that sold me the paint told me it has something to do with it being exposed to heat. I’m not sure if that is true but I just didn’t see that it needed it. Not even sure how you would wax brick? That is just what I was told so I decided against it.
Did you water your paint down at all?
Hi Jody! No, I did not water mine down.
Where did you get the metal iron scroll pieces on both sides of the fireplace? I need those ! Looks fantastic
Hi Kellie! I actually found them at my local flea market. I am not sure what they originally were but look like something off of an old fence. Maybe there are more out there somewhere. Good luck!