An Amazing Fireplace Transformation - From Outdated to Modern

by Sharon Strothcamp Sumner

5 Materials

$20

6 Hours

Easy

Our son and daughter-in-law wanted to update their family room and asked us to use our company’s Missouri Limestone Paint Company Chalk-Style paint to update their outdated red brick fireplace.

an amazing fireplace transformation from outdated to modern

How I did it:

Cleaned the fireplace with a stiff brush then used a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water.
Worked in sections.
I brushed the paint wash mix on, then wiped it with a rag. I then lightly brushed it again (without dipping the brush). I used a different brush to smooth it out and blend it. This was a big fireplace so it took awhile, but still less than a day.

That’s it! It’s really a simple process. It can get messy so make sure you do have a drop cloth handy.

Follow along with the process.

The first thing I did after a thorough cleaning was prime and paint the mantle using Valspar Snowcap White in an eggshell finish.

I then started with the side that wouldn’t show as much if there would be a problem. But, no worries. It went on as I anticipated.

I mixed Missouri Limestone Paint Company Chalk-Style Paint “Winter Gloves” 50/50 with water. I found using a sponge brush didn’t make much of a mess. Working in sections, I brushed the mix on, then wiped it with a rag. I then lightly brushed it again (without dipping the brush). I used a different brush to smooth it out and blend it. I wiped off more on the darker bricks for depth.

This was a big fireplace so it took awhile, but still less than a day.

One side complete! I first taped off the grates, but in the end I painted them with our darker Missouri Limestone Paint Company “Sunday Silver” so they would blend in.

Moving on to the front. A word of caution here. Oops! 🙄

I also made sure To use a drop cloth over the newly painted mantle to protect it from drips.

The process continued on the rest of the front of the fireplace and the other side.

Although this is a wood burning fireplace, my son used it as an electric one. The cord runs along the bottom to the side where there is an outlet. We painted the cord with the “Sunday Silver” and it is barely noticeable.