What can I do to update this fireplace?

Joy
by Joy
These are white bricks with dark grout, with brown stone for the mantel and where you sit. I was thinking on painting the brick and grout with white paint and leave the stone natural. Not sure if that would look good. HELP!
  15 answers
  • Annie Annie on Sep 23, 2017

    Do you want the contrast of the all white with the dark natural stone? Depends on the look you want. For a more cohesive style, you might try a darker color on the bricks, not to cover them but just using a cloth to to add color and just wipe away till you get the look you want. Just a thought!



  • TAMMY SPALSBURY TAMMY SPALSBURY on Sep 23, 2017

    HI If you are thinking of painting the bricks .Myself I wouldn't paint the bricks White If your thinking a light color maybe go with a medium cream color. I would recommend painting every other brick a contrasting color. One color is kind of drab, and if theres 2 colors the contrasting color will make the fire place pop. I think you will love it. Depending on your color preference, dark or light for the contrasting color. Cream and burgundy something of that nature.

  • Kauai Breeze Kauai Breeze on Sep 23, 2017

    There is stain made specially for brick. Google "brick stain" for ideas and directions.

  • PJ Wise PJ Wise on Sep 23, 2017

    Take a look at all of the HomeTalk projects detailing painting fireplaces. At the upper left HomeTalk icon, where it says, "Find your next project," enter "painted fireplaces" or "painted fireplace tutorials.". These projects will show you just about every paint idea possible and help, hopefully, make your choices a bit easier! Remember...this is YOUR project and whatever you decide, it will be GREAT!

  • Fauxgal Fauxgal on Sep 23, 2017

    It's all your own color preferences. That can work!

  • Klo22582948 Klo22582948 on Sep 23, 2017

    Make several black and white copies of your picture, then color it in different ways to see how you like Tammy's idea.

  • Vanessa Pimentel Vanessa Pimentel on Sep 23, 2017

    Something like this can work!

  • TAMMY SPALSBURY TAMMY SPALSBURY on Sep 23, 2017

    Hi you could also paint the brick the cream , or what ever color you like. And do the darker contrasting color with a sponge technique. Dab the sponge in the paint, then dab the paint out onto a cloth or towel. this way you sort have tons of paint on the sponge. Then dab little bit of the paint on every other brick or so. This would give you contrasting color but wouldn't be over whelming.

  • B. Enne B. Enne on Sep 23, 2017

    http://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=fireplace%20makeovers

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Sep 24, 2017

    I'dd leave the brick alone as it is already an off white. I'd paint the grout as close to the brick color as possible, leaving the stone natural. I think you'll find just painting the grout will change to look dramatically. When you start painting porous brick, you can get into more work down the road.

  • Jac12787057 Jac12787057 on Sep 25, 2017

    I painted our brick fireplace about 10 years ago. It had originally been a kind of cream color, but the last 50 years had darkened it with soot. My husband and I scrubbed it down with TSP, Trisodium phosphate, which you can get at any Home Depot or Lowe's. It was an improvement, but not by much. For paint, we used a soft white on ours. Two or 3 coats of primer, we used Killz. That first brush stroke is the scariest! Because the brick was porous, the first coat sunk in. It took 3 coats of paint, letting it dry between each coat. After the last coat, we used a clear sealer. Two coats of that, and it was done! The hubs built a mantel for it which just slides over the original mantel. The original was too narrow to put anything on. The final touch was adding beadboard over the dark paneling above the fireplace. Our landlord loved it! And except for the paint, we can take the mantel and beadboard when we ever move. What a huge difference. It's much brighter and cheerier in there now. I'm wishing you the best of luck on your project!

  • Charlie Smith Charlie Smith on Sep 25, 2017

    If you want to completely change the look, tile over it. You can get any color or colors you want in any size. We redid our fireplace with a multicolor 1x2" glass tile mix in tropical colors. It looks amazing and seriously brightened up a drab living room wall.

  • Tippi mitchell Tippi mitchell on Sep 25, 2017

    I covered mine with a stacked stone veneer to update it and pretty-fy it. It looks fabulous, and it's not that expensive.