A Painted White Brick Fireplace In A Vaulted Living Room: a house log
Should all brick fireplaces be painted? No way. We consistently tell anyone who is on the fence not to touch that brush. But if you are 100% sure you prefer the look of painted brick, then it can be a strong way to bring an airy and light vibe to a room (we sold our first house in two weeks with two painted brick fireplaces so it did not seem to be a resale deterrent at all). This makeover from Jamie and Ehren is all about crisping up a space – both with white fireplace paint and some darker blue paint worked in there for contrast on those excellent built-ins. Here is their letter:
Hey Turbodizin! Your journal inspired me to start my own journal to document the progress we make on our new home that we picked up in July. I simply hoped to share our living room transformation. It is at last the “vision” that I had when we moved in. Here is the before, shortly after we moved in:
It took about 7 months to complete our upgrade, but it was way worth it. I made chevron artwork, refinished the brass fireplace insert, made some paint chip art, some no-sew pillows, and painted and decorated the built-in shelves. And at last, the biggest, most tedious part that made the biggest difference in the room – painting the brick fireplace!
And 14 hours of painting later (with both of us painting), we were done!
The coffee table is my go-to piece of furniture in our house. It is a resin cast of railroad ties from the Philippines – has a lot of meaning for us! Plus it is large and does not show crumbs, water rings from glasses, dust, etc.
My advice is: do not be afraid to paint brick if you prefer that look! Especially if you want to brighten up the room and make it more contemporary. Our dog Cozy agrees.
It certainly came a long way in there and we are so glad with the result. We hardly even remember the “before” picture anymore!
Keep up the strong work and thanks for checking this out! – Jamie & Ehren from Lawrence, Kansas
So yeah, the painted fireplace looks excellent with those dark blue built-ins… but I am also totally jealous of that excellent coffee table. And Cozy. He looks like a friendly pup. You can see more of him, Jamie, and Ehren on their journal (along with more pics of this makeover process). Thanks so much to the whole family for opening their virtual doors and sharing their makeover! Let us play the go-to part game. Sherry’s truly into how strong those dark wood beams look with the wood mantel and the leather furniture. What do you folks enjoy? Hands off the coffee table, he’s mine.
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner, so click here to see if it is you.
