Painted Brick Fireplace - The Nuclear Option
by
Julia Fabens
(IC: blogger)
I have been making small changes here and there in the attempt to lighten up our dark and brick-filled living room. We finally couldn't take it anymore and I couldn't think of any more small things. So we painted the whole thing white! That, combined with removed the overstuffed and overbearing Elfa shelves, gave us a whole new room!
Supplies
First we lifted off the mantel which luckily was super easy. Then we spread the dropcloth around the chimney and used painters tape to secure it. We knew we’d be painting the walls and the ceiling is already white, so we decided to skip taping those off. We rolled on a coat of primer. The thick nap picks up SO much paint.
After the first coat, we decided to only use one roller because using two was a huge waste of paint. After the first coat went on, I used the larger paintbrush to get primer into the mortar lines where the roller couldn’t reach, and around the edges. Then I went back with the 1″ artists paintbrush to get the even tinier spots.
After about 2 hours we repeated the painting steps – rolled on and then touched up. The next morning, I rolled a coat of flat latex paint over the primer and touched up around the edges, but didn’t need to go back with the small paintbrush because the little crevices were already white and I couldn’t tell where I would need to touch up. Darn.
Enjoyed the project?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published August 11th, 2014 6:21 PM
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2 of 16 comments
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Aee28326054 on Dec 11, 2017
My brick fireplace had holes in between the bricks, so I stuffed cotton balls in the holes then painted. You can't find the balls once painted and really does the job, and looks great !
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
What did you paint the inside of the fireplace ( black )? And can you have a fire in the fireplace? Thanks, Causey3124
Please add a picture showing the skirt untouched. I can see a little bit in one picture but woukd like to see whole effect.
Your room is completely transformed, I love it ! I will go with the white you used for the brick, but what color are your walls? I want white walls but wondering if there should be some contrast?
thanks for sharing your beautiful project : )
~ jean