Our home was built in the late 1980s, and this red brick fireplace is showing its age.
It’s fine, but I’ve been wanting to paint it for years. Removing paint from brick is tough, though, and my past DIY fails left me reluctant to put my marriage at risk again.
Like the time I tried to strip the paint off our front door and we ended up having a brand new one installed.
Or the time I painted the stair banisters, then sanded them to a point where the entire railing had to be replaced.
My husband, who generally lets me carry on with whatever hare-brained project I feel determined to complete, was understandably leery of arming me with a paintbrush again. I’m not always a hot mess – I painted our interior doors black and they look great!
I scoured Pinterest for the most idiot-proof technique, and I was actually successful! For once, the project threw no curveballs, and it went exactly as planned. Here is how anyone (really, anyone) can update a brick fireplace for a completely new look.
Supplies:
- White paint (I used the leftovers from an old can of ceiling paint)
- Water
- Paintbrush – the cheapest will do
- Old towels
- Painter’s tape
COST OF SUPPLIES: $0
PREP
I tend to prep carelessly, but it’s worth it to take the time and do it right. I cleaned the dust and dirt of the bricks with a damp old towel, and then taped off all the edges where the brick bumped up to the fireplaces doors, or the wall or floor.
PAINT
Water down the paint; I began conservatively with a 3:1 ratio of water to paint. Starting with a bottom corner that’s out of sight, I painted one small area at a time – about three rows of bricks, three or four bricks wide. I immediately wiped off the bricks with an old towel, leaving a white-washed look.
After less than an hour of painting and wiping, the fireplace was painted, but it wasn’t light enough for my taste. I stopped for the day and did another coat the following day. This time I used a 1:1 ratio of water to paint, and that turned out to be the right formulation. Halfway through the second coat, you can clearly see the difference.
Here is the completely painted fireplace.
Had I wanted it whiter, I could have played with the water to paint ratio, or wiped off less excess paint. This is the look I was going for, however – softer than red, and not as stark as solid white.
DECORATE
Our original fireplace mantel came with the house; I painted it black years ago but I was ready for a different look. I found what I was looking for at Rustica Hardware, where I could order a custom length floating mantel in a lovely gray wash for less than $150, shipping included.
Without shelf brackets, I could lower the shelf and have more height for the mantel decor. Here is a before and after:
I should mention I had previously made an even easier update to the fireplace by painting the brass around the doors. A quick coat of black paint was all it took.
I’m thrilled with my updated brick fireplace, and my husband is thrilled that it cost under $150 and did not require hiring a professional. Win-win! Another win would be if you pinned this post so that other failed DIYers may find some inspiration.
Very nice! And very brave – I’d be afraid I’d botch it, but you did a great job. Thanks for inspiring us all to dare a little DIY. 😉
The white wash really freshens it up!
This is a great FTSF post, and I learned so much from your post. Scouring Pinterest for the “most idiot-proof technique made me laugh.” That would be me too, only at least you actually did something instead of just adding it to a Pinterest folder. 🙂 Your fireplace looks really nice. I like the new look.
That is really cool! I’m extremely impressed by your industriousness!
I’m impressed. I wish you could come here and do some work on our place! We have been badly in need of updates too, but not brave enough to DIY.
You’re already getting tons of work done on your place, Tamara! It took me years to get up the courage to do this project, because there is no undoing it. Fortunately it was a success!
Bravo, Dana! It really turned out nice. I love the mantel too. Just pinned your post to my Pinterest “Home Decor” board.
Thank you so much, Alison!
how cool is this FTSF. To not only learn something of value, but for it to be presented in such a way (photos and such) as to make it totally simple to follow and learn the steps. The part I like best? Having ‘Before’ and ‘After’ photos.
Fun, thanks!
I love Before and After photos, Clark – is that the Roger in me? And they must be taken from the same angle.
What a beautiful AND professional looking job!! Not only do I love the new brick whitewash, I love all the updated design elements you added to it. Kudos on a beautiful job!
Thank you Karen! I’m really pleased with how it turned out. And a bit surprised I pulled it off.;)
It’s lovely, but I’m mostly just jealous that you have a fireplace at all!
Debi, it’s not even functional! It’s a propane fireplace and we had the gas tank taken away when we moved in, because we had a newborn and a toddler. We never did hook it back up, because we don’t spend much time in that room to make it worth it. I miss the real wood fireplace we had in our first townhouse…it was a ton of work but we loved it.
What fantastic results! My hands are itching to do a similar improvement around here.
Uh oh…itchy hands that need a project. Go for it!
I love it! I think I mentioned once that I ended up painting our red brick fireplace completely white. It’s in the basement and felt dark but I was amazed at how much paint the bricks sucked up. The 3-1 water to paint ratio makes sense for the white-wash. You are so crafty. I suck at home projects and end up regretting most of mine. Except every now and then, one comes out perfect, so I keep trying… gah.
That’s exactly how I am, Kristi! And this one came out perfect, so watch out for my next project. It’s bound to be one I regret.
Excellent job! I think about you every time I touch the doors of our fireplace that are still brass finish. I may or may not have commented on that post that I might try it but I never did brave it. I too have made some costly mistakes. Usually when my husband goes out of town now, I go and pick up my mom to stay. That keeps me out of DIY trouble.
Ha – good thinking! The black paint over brass is super easy, Kenya – you can do it! It’s pretty tough to mess up; trust me. If it can be messed up, I’ve done it.
Omg, I need to hire you for a few projects here in my home! Seriously your fireplace came out gorgeous and you are truly so crafty, my friend 🙂
Only when I try really hard, Janine! But thanks;)