Paint A Brick Fireplace, step by step

After mucho requests for a fireplace walkthrough, we are here to deliver the goods.

As you can see, we are no strangers to a painted brick fireplace…

…or two.

In fact, painting the fireplace in the living room and the den was one of the first things we did when we moved in. Dingy brick can truly suck the life out of a room if you are not careful. Especially the ugly dark red kind that we had when we moved in- and especially when paired with lighter furnishings and wall colors (which simply happen to be things that we adore).

Natural brick certainly has a place in many homes (and also in our hearts, it simply did not work for our light and airy aesthetic- and our brick was especially maroon). So here is what we did to bring some soft beauty to both of our brick fireplaces in a flash and on the low-cost. Gotta enjoy a makeover you can accomplish in an afternoon (no power tools required).

Step 1- Wipe down your bricks with a moist (not sopping wet!) rag to remove any cobwebs or soot.

Step 2- If your bricks are especially soot stained, you will want to prime them with oil based primer to ensure that no soot stains bleed through your paint job. Neither of our fireplaces had this problem so we skipped right to step three.

Step 3- Use a nappy roller meant for textured surfaces to apply two to three coats of flat or semi-gloss latex paint (the finish is up to you). You also may need to rely on a paint brush to get into those deep grout crevices. Brick is an especially porous material (which explains why your fireplace may call for three coats) so be sure to have more paint on hand than you’d typically rely on for such a small surface area (our den fireplace took over a gallon of paint, and the one in our living room took nearly half a gallon).

Step 4- Do the glad dance cause you are done. Straightforward, right? If you can paint a wall you can certainly paint a brick fireplace.

Good luck with your big fireplace transformation! Oh and why not take before and after pictures for us while you are at it? Do not be surprised if your newly painted fireplace inspires you to continue the makeover with new art above the mantel or a few fresh accessories. Homes are never truly wrapped up anyway, are they?

Looking for more ways to spruce up your fireplace? A woven basket full of firewood (we enjoy birch for its crisp look) will add even more inviting ambaince.