Painted Fireplace
When we moved into our house 6 years ago, there was no shortage of projects that needed attention. Our house was built in the early 90s and when we moved in it had mostly original flooring, paint, hardware and even curtains.
One of the first projects that we took on was to update the mantel in our family room. We loved the woodwork but wanted to give the entire thing a refresh by painting it white. It was an easy project but made a dramatic difference in the room immediately.
Supplies
- White Paint
- Kilz Primer
- Black Fireplace Paint
- Sand Paper
- Painters Tape
- Brushes (this is my favorite)
- Paint Rollers
Step 1 – First thing to do is tape off any areas you don’t want white. A little prep time spent here really does save time and aggravation later on (ask me how I know…)
Step 2 – Lightly rough up the current paint with sandpaper to help it receive the paint/primer. This also allows you to look for any areas that might need a little repair
Step 3 – Next paint the entire mantel and brick with primer. Brick is very porous and sucks up the paint like crazy. a couple of coats of primer is a good idea – allow to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 4 – Paint the mantel and brick with your white semi-gloss paint. Even after the multiple coats of primer you’ll likely 2 to 3 coats here too. Trust me it’ll be worth the effort. Make sure you allow time for each coat of paint to dry in between stages.
Step 5 – If yours is constructed the way ours is go ahead and remove the metal fireplace insert. Ours was brass and needed to be painted as well. Ours just slid out without too much effort. If your insert doesn’t come out don’t worry. Just tape around the edges with your painter’s tape.
Step 6 – Paint fireplace insert with black heat resistant paint. Since the fireplace insert bears a brunt of the heat being put out by our wood burning fireplace we wanted to make sure it was going to be safe and able to withstand those kinds of temperatures. Did I forget to mention that ours is a working fireplace and not just for show?
Step 7 – Almost done! Once the fireplace insert is fully dry go ahead and remove the painters tape from wherever you applied to protect your walls and such and replace fireplace insert. Pat yourself on the back for the few extra minutes spent prepping and taping – now you don’t need to touch up the paint on your walls too…
Step 8 – Add fun decor to your mantel – it’s the perfect back drop for any season!
