After mucho requests for a fireplace tutorial, we’re here to deliver the goods.
As you can see, we’re 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 really suck the life out of a room if you’re 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 just happen to be things that we adore).
Natural brick certainly has a place in many homes (and also in our hearts, it just didn’t work for our light and airy aesthetic- and our brick was especially maroon). So here’s what we did to bring some soft beauty to both of our brick fireplaces in a flash and on the cheap. Gotta love 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’ll 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 usually 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 happy dance cause you’re done. Easy, right? If you can paint a wall you can definitely paint a brick fireplace.
Good luck with your big fireplace transformation! Oh and why not take before and after pictures for us while you’re at it? Don’t 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 really finished anyway, are they?
Looking for more ways to spruce up your fireplace? A woven basket full of firewood (we love birch for its crisp look) will add even more inviting ambaince.
Janine says
Thanks in advance! Love your ideas! I’m in the midst of finishing a walk-out basement that has a RED wood stove situated in a corner, and its hearth is black brick. The tile floor is white. What color to paint the wall behind the stove? It’s the required concrete wall. Paint the hearth to match the wall? Keep it black? Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would keep the hearth back (and be certain it’s heat resistant paint) and paint the wall a warm wheaty gold color so it feels warm and rich with the red wood stove. Try Benjamin Moore’s Oak Ridge. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
I’ve been trying to decide whether or not to paint our brick fireplace and hearth since we moved into our current house five years ago, and the lovely photos of yours have convinced me that it’s the way to go. I’m having a terrible time choosing a color, though—I don’t know if I should go with white (both built-in bookcases on either side are painted a very white white) or a shade of the yellow on the walls. (see photo here.) It’s a long room, coming off of another room that’s also yellow, so there’s a lot of yellow already, but would that much white be too much, and would I need to paint the mirror and mantle a different color so they wouldn’t get lost? I am clueless, would love to hear any thoughts.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
You definitely won’t lose either way, so white would be safe and the entire room would look lovely and expansive while going a shade or two darker than the wall color (with the shelf remaining white and white accessories) will still tie everything together and create more of a focal wall. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Bethany says
Hello! L~O~V~E your site! Thank you for your wonderful ideas! My husband and I just purchased a vacation cottage, and I have been inspired beyond belief by your decorating ideas! My question is, what color did you use for the “trim” in your home? Was it the same color of white throughout, or did it change from room to room?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We used Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White throughout the house, but you could switch it up if you wanted a more ecclectic look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Aleene says
On the TV show “Color Splash” they tinted the fire place
brick which darkened the color of the brick slightly. Can
you give me info. on how to accomplish this? I think a tint
of color may have been used in brick sealer but am not sure.
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Aleene,
Just drop in on your local hardware store and ask the paint professionals what they would recommend for tinting or staining brick. We’re sure there are many products that will work for you and they should know all about them. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Laura says
Hi Sherry-
I just bought a great Pottery Barn candelabra off of craigslist to use in our family room/den fireplace, because my husband and I aren’t fans of burning wood fires and the mess they leave behind! Anyway, ironically I saw that you have one too in your living room. Our fireplace used to have a big, ugly cast iron wood burning stove insert, which we then sold on craiglist. Now we’re left with the empty fireplace with no doors or screen. Again, going to craigslist to get one, but they are all shiny brass. This won’t go with our modern decor at all. Your doors look brass in the before shots. What did you do to paint them? Finally, we have a brick raised hearth, mantle and then the brass doors. Would you paint them all the same color?
Thanks!
Laura
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
As long as you’re not going to use your fireplace often to create fiery blazes, you can just use regular old latex paint to coat the doors in two or three thin layers which should stick like glue (metal actually takes paint really well). We did that three years ago and ours are still going strong. If you will be using your fireplace more often you might want to seek out “heat resistant” spray paint (try Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace, True Value, or even online) so it’s a bit more tolerant of high-heat situations (you can remove the doors, spray them outside, scrape any overspray on the glass with a razor, and hang them back up when they’re all done). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Joan says
I love the idea of painting a brick fireplace and will be painting ours soon. Currently our fireplace is white brick but we have light smoky white walls with the fireplace along the accent wall which is a dark grayish plum color. Any ideas on what color we should paint the fireplace? Also the hearth is a big slab of gray cement. Can we paint it using latex paint? What color would you suggest? Thanks so much!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Joan,
Yup cement should soak up any old latex paint really well. As for what color to paint the fireplace, you could go with a darker smoky gray, crisp white, or even a rich chocolate tone for something more moody and lodge-chic. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
margaret quick says
I can’t believe anyone would want to paint their fireplace white. Ours is white and I hate it. The end of our den is the fireplace with a length wide hearth (or bench) 12″ from the floor to the top and 15 feet long. It is the most useless space I have ever seen. All it does is collect stuff. We are taking to a guy about painting it but I am not sure what color I want all I know is I hate what we have now and I don’t want to make the same mistake. Plus the biggest problem we have is there are four air vents that are a real eyesore that need to be covered. He said he would do our fireplace for $570, does that sound reasonable. Sorry to say we are not handy people. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
YoungHouseLove says
Well you might not want our advice since we’re people who love a white painted fireplace (and painted both of the brick ones in our house) but we also love them in rich neutral tones like mocha, glossy chocolate, and deep gray so that’s an idea. We’re also not sure if that price you mentioned is a good price since we don’t know if that’s just his fee for painting it and covering the vents or completely refacing it. If it’s the former it seems extremely steep but if he will completely reface your fireplace it sounds about right. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
KathyR says
Sherry,
I love your house!!! Is there any way you can help me? We are hopelessly stuck in our house with the colours. And I think we need to paint the fireplace (until we figure out to do with it). We haven’t done so yet (been here 2 years), because the previous owners cleaned the brick (the house is 47 years old). and I am scared to paint. But the bricks are really ugly organgey, and there is a mahogony mantle, and the bricks go floor to ceiling. There is a dark big tile bench thingy, that is supended mid-air on the fireplace as well. The trouble is, there are far too many colours in the living room. On either side of the fireplace is mahogony wood panels (hand made, not sheets of it), the floor is a dark laminate, and the left side is a huge massive window with gold drapes. They can’t be replaced at this moment, until we replace the window to get a more efficient one, so that helps keep the heat in. We did paint the walls a sagey green, but now that has to be repainted. Just doesn’t go at all. We were thinking of a greyish colour, or a taupey colour. REally not sure.
Would love to have your input on that, or if I can send you a photo to take a quick look at, that would be great! :) Anyhow, any suggestion on the paint colour of the fireplace? I’m ready to jump in and paint it now.
Thanks so much for listening,
Kathy
PS: Sorry for being too long.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kathy,
We love the idea of a grayish color or a taupey color in there. It’ll temper all the warm wood tones and create a cool yet cozy vibe that feels lighter and airier than the existing orange brick. Here’s a post with all of our favorite paint colors in it so you can go through it and bring home any swatches in the taupey/grayish color categories and hold them up and see which ones look the best with the other tones in the room. In a space like that with lots of materials and colors going on, you definitely want to just bring home a lot of paint swatches and see which ones work best. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jen says
Hey guys! LOVE LOVE LOVE Your site!!! Quick question…. are the shelves on your fireplaces the same color as the fireplace or different? If so, what specific colors did you use for the shlelves and fireplaces?
Jen says
Another quick question….. what color is all of your wood work (baseboards, crown molding etc)? did you paint it all or did you buy it pre painted? If you painted, what specific color is it?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
All of our trim is Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White in semi-gloss. We love it! As for the fireplace shelves, they’re also painted in the Decorators White to work with the crisp tone on the trim and molding and baseboards. And as for the color of the fireplaces, the one in the living room is Ruffled Feathers by Glidden and the one in the den is Water Chestnut also by Glidden. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jacci says
Hey, guys!
I have (gasp) another paint question. I know, **how can someone come up with another paint question for this post**?! But, I promise – you won’t have to type “Ruffled Feathers” or “Water Chestnut” or even “Glidden” :)
I know you referenced either flat or semi-gloss latex paint (depending on desired effect) for the brick, but I would like to know…
What finish did YOU use on your bricks? And is there a reason why you skipped the middle option, “satin”?
Thanks!
~Jacci
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jacci,
Our entire house is either flat or semi-gloss. Flat for all of our home’s walls except for the kitchen and the bathrooms along with all of our ceilings. Semi-gloss for exterior doors and shutters, the kitchen & the bathroom and all of our interior doors and trim. I don’t know why we skipped satin as an option, other than we just wanted to keep it simple and adding a third finish would make it harder to keep track of them all (plus satin really isn’t nearly as wipe-able as semi-gloss and isn’t nearly as flaw-obscuring as flat paint so it seems like an odd compromise, at least to us).
As for the fireplaces, we went with flat for both of them. It’s warm and cozy without being shiny (and years after painting them we don’t have any “cleaning” issues with them. Of course for the mantel and trim it’s nice to choose a semi-gloss finish for wipe-ability. We also like the look of semi-gloss paint on certain brick fireplaces, but mainly in deeper richer colors (we saw Thom Flicia paint a brick fireplace a glossy chocolate tone and it was delicious) but when it comes to white and lighter tones we love the look of flat because it’s less reflective and flashy looking. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Well hello! You guys inspired me to “go white” on my fireplace. You can see pics here http://hiphousegirl.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/white-now/
The room still has a long way to go, but painting the fireplace is probably my favorite thing I’ve done in there so far. Thanks for the inspiration!
Amanda says
Oh and PS- any tips for what to do with that ghastly brass?
YoungHouseLove says
We painted ours with white paint! Metal holds paint really well, just do thin and even applications (with a brush or even with spray paint). You can even get heat-resistant spray paint if you use the fireplace often (we never use ours so I just went with regular white semi-gloss paint applied with a brush). Three years later it’s still in great condition. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dan Puroclean says
Here’s another little tip: You can buy vulcanised rubber sponges to clean the stone or brick every few months. All you do is wipe the brick down with the dry sponge and all the soot comes off onto the vulcanised rubber. I own a fire/smoke/soot damage restoration company in Sacramento and that’s what we use to clean stone fireplaces that have soot and smoke damage. They work like a charm.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Dan! Good to know.
xo,
s
Kacie says
We are wanting to paint our dingy looking fireplace and just wanted some advice. We thought about painting it but then thought about staining it instead. What are your thoughts on this. Could you paint it and then go over it with a stain? Or would it just be better to do one or the other?
YoungHouseLove says
You probably don’t want to stain over something you painted since it can look smeared and “dirty” but there are things like glazes that are sold that are meant to go over paint so you might want to check those at at your local paint store. Otherwise you might want to stain first, see how you like it, and then paint over it if you don’t. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Danielle says
Hey – This site is a LIFESAVER!! My husband and I are new first time homeowners and we have this GHASTLY brick fireplace with a wooden shelf enclosure and wood paneling behind it.
You can see a picture of it here:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?pid=795286&id=1216524361
Anyways We have an enclosed fireplace and the black is starting to tarnish. I was wondering if you had any tips on removing the tarnish? I like the black color and am thinking of going with a nice grey color for the living room…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Danielle,
We actually don’t know of anything to help with the tarnished issue that you’re dealing with off the top of our heads, but perhaps you can just ask someone at your local home improvement store for a suggestion? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Miranda says
Hello, we have a fireplace that was painted a glossy white and we would like to redo it. What about using Textured Spray Paint? Have you ever worked with that? Also, do you know where I can find a picture of Thom Filicia’s glossy chocolated toned brick fireplace? Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Miranda,
We haven’t ever used textured spray paint but it should work as long as you take care to tape off the floor and the walls so you don’t get mist everywhere! As for Thom’s fireplace, maybe try googling around for his name and the word fireplace or his show “Dress My Nest” and the word fireplace since that’s where I saw it? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Beth says
S –
Your blog is such an inspiration and I appreciate all you are willing to share. I’ve been a lurker for a year but now I have a question. I moved to TX a while back and there is an awful stone fireplace in my LR. It goes all the way to the ceiling and has a raised hearth. It was not well-made and the rounded edges of the hearth aren’t even (I’m a perfectionist) and the stone and grout are dark and dingy looking. There is a THICK board for a mantel that is so beefy and clunky looking to me. The fireplace is just a huge behemoth that over powers the space. Can you tell I don’t like it? LOL. I’ve seen beautiful stone fireplaces before but this in no way compares. I have a bid for $1000 to tear it out and build a less imposing more traditional fireplace. However, I thought I’d gamble and spend $50 on paint and see if I can learn to like it before I spend that kind of money to get rid of it. So I’m going to paint it this week. Per your instructions I’m going to apply oil-based primer to some sooty areas on the stone near the box. However, everything I’ve read in the past states you cannot paint latex over oil-based paints. What are your thoughts about that? Thanks, Beth
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! You can’t paint latex paint over oil-based PAINT, but latex paint is often applied over oil-based primer… in fact it’s the industry standard! Fear not, it’ll be perfect. And you might just save $950 and learn to love your fireplace!
xo,
s
Beth says
Thanks very much. I’ll be sure to send you before and after photos once I’m finished. I’ll be interested in your vote if it should go or stay. ha.
Susan says
I have a VERY small spot of soot that I can’t remove. Do you think Kilz would work? If not, could I just prime the 5″ x 6″ area and not the whole fireplace? The whole end of my basement living area is fireplace. It is 12 feet wide of ugly cheap brick.
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely! Kilz is just the brand name of one type of primer so that would work as long as you grab the oil-based version and not the water-based one. Then just repaint over the primer spot (once it’s fully dry) and you should be good to go. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ben says
You guys have done such a great job on your home! It’s so cool that you inspire other homeowners to tackle their homes as well. Many of these projects are so do-able with the right tools and knowledge. I like to use a heavy nap (1″ or larger) merino wool roller and a brush for brick. Roll on the paint and then immediately go back and brush out your drips. The roller delivers paint much faster. Just don’t plan on keeping the roller used in the oil primer! Yuck. Latex paint washes out of merino faster than polyester or nylon. And it’s natural!
Thanks guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Ben! Thanks for the advice. We love when pro painters drop in with helpful hints.
xo,
s
Melissa says
Just a quick question? Did you paint the inside of your fireplaces? We don’t use ours but it has been used before, so wondering how to clean it and what color to paint it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Melissa,
We actually haven’t done a thing to the inside of our fireplace we’ve heard that black heat resistant paint can be used for exactly that purpose, so you might want to check that out at your local home improvement store. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jenna Holt says
I absolutely LOVE your house. I am in the process of remodeling a cottage house like yours as we speak. We are painting our brick wall which I am really excited about! My fiance was not up for it until I showed him your pics. I do have one question…..What colors did you paint your stripped bath room. I LOVE IT! and what about your other rooms. I love that neutral color.
YoungHouseLove says
Check out our FAQ tab (under our header) for that info!
xo,
s
CK says
I love your site! I’ve been following it for quite some time now!
My husband and I are currently looking to purchase our first home together and your site definitely helps me see the potential in many of the houses we’ve seen. It definitely gives me hope that we can still have a beautiful house even though we’re not gajillionaires! :)
I have a question, though. With some of the renovations you’ve done, how much of a factor was resale value? For example, does painting a fireplace or even wood floors somehow lower the resale value of your home when you want to sell it?
These are the many things that go through my mind during this crazy home buying adventure!
Thanks for your inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey CK,
Here’s a post on just that subject: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/06/email-answer-know-when-to-hold-em/
And here’s another about how our home’s resale value went way up since we purchased it: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/appraise-the-lord/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ava says
Your fireplace looks great. I read that acrylic paint should be used to paint brick fireplace,what do you think? Also our fireplace is from floor to ceiling (vaulted)so we are thinking of getting it done professionally by the painters that are going to paint the walls. Think that might too expensive?
YoungHouseLove says
You can definitely paint a fireplace yourself with a ladder if you’d like to DIY it (it’s a very basic process) but it’s a personal preference thing so if you’d just like to hire it out that’s totally your call. And as for acrylic paint, our method above (with latex paint) has worked for us for four years on two different fireplace so that’s what we recommend). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lissa says
Did you prime the wood mantel before painting? I read you primed the wood panelling in your den. My fireplace is between two wood panels and I’m painting both later this spring. {scared!!} LOL!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we did prime the wood mantel to combat any bleed-through, just not the brick. Hope it helps! And it’s so easy- you’ll do great!
xo,
s
Lissa says
Sorry, one more question. You said fireplace in the den was painted Water Chestnut and that the fireplace accent wall is Water Chestnut (in the Expanded Color Palette page). But from the picture of the den, the fireplace looks “whiter” than the accent wall.
YoungHouseLove says
Are you sure you’re looking at the den? In the living room the fireplace looks lighter than the wall (it is), but in the den the fireplace and the accent wall are the same thing (the brick from the fireplace and mantel span across the entire wall, so it’s all painted Water Chestnut except for the white mantel). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lissa says
Thanks for your replies. Appreciate you taking the time to answer. I meant the fireplace “mantel” (where the fireplace screen is placed). That whole area (below the fireplace) looks lighter than the walls.
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, that’s the same color as the walls there (the mantel is the white beam of wood where the frame above the fireplace is leaning, but the are where the fireplace screen is placed is also Water Chestnut just like the walls). Must just be the way it’s reflecting the light. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Hi! Love the fireplace look. Fantastic…we are thinking of painting ours, but I am a little nervous since it is just a permanent endeavor. Also, our fireplace is gas and I am unsure if we can paint our brick since we still use the fireplace frequently. Any advice?
Jessica
YoungHouseLove says
Our den fireplace is gas and we painted it with regular latex paint (following this exact tutorial) and have used it almost every day of the winter for the past three years without an issue at all. It still looks as good as the day we painted it. Of course you want to be sure before painting brick (since you’re right about it being permanent) but if you like the look it’s an amazing makeover that you can complete in just an afternoon (and on a seriously affordable budget). Good luck!
xo,
s
Sandra says
Love your blog! I will be working on a massive fireplace paint job this coming weekend. In reading about the finishes you prefer, I noticed you said you paint your ceilings with semi-gloss, did I read that correctly? I have always thought to paint ceilings flat…what’s your logic?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sandra,
We paint all of our ceilings with flat paint except for the recent bathroom remodel (since we used semi gloss paint on the walls and wanted to paint the ceiling the same color to keep things looking seamless, so we used semi-gloss paint for that ceiling only). Flat paint is the industry standard for ceilings since it hides imperfections and doesn’t look shiny like it’s supposed to be a focal point, and we agree that flat is the way to go for ceilings 99.9% of the time. Do you remember where you read that we prefer semi-gloss? We imagine that would have to be a typo and we’d love to fix it!
xo,
s
Sandra says
Thank you for the quick reply…here is the quote from this same page…I get it now…you used flat for all walls and ceilings except on the kitchen and bathrooms…I will be painting with flat this weekend. Thanks again!
Sandra
Comment by YoungHouseLove on January 8, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
Hey Jacci,
Our entire house is either flat or semi-gloss. Flat for all of our home’s walls except for the kitchen and the bathrooms along with all of our ceilings. Semi-gloss for exterior doors and shutters, the kitchen & the bathroom and all of our interior doors and trim.
Diane P. says
Hi Sherry and John,
First off, your blog is a total inspiration for my fiance and I. We recently bought our first home and cannot wait to undergo the DIY projects you’ve inspired us to do together.
Our biggest project yet is the 9′ x 10′ brick wall (huuuge, I know) that takes up 80% of one of our living room walls. We want to paint over it, but is there a rule to have the brick match the color of your walls? We currently have beige color walls with white molding, but don’t know if we should paint the fireplace the same beige color as the walls, or paint it white. Any advice would be very helpful, thanks!
Diane
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, there’s definitely no rule about whether your brick fireplace should be painted to match the walls- which is why in this very post we shared how we painted one fireplace white and the other one a slightly darker tone than our walls. People usually want to draw attention to a fireplace as a focal point, so painting it white or a shade lighter/darker than the walls (or even a bold shade like wheat or tan if the walls are blue or sage) is often the approach. Just think about whether you like the crisp white look or whether you want something a bit softer (which can be achieved by picking a similar shade to your walls). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Brigid says
Hi,
I just found your site and I LOVE it!! It gives me hope the we can tackle the long list of projects for our home. Anyway, we also have a dark paneled room with a multi-colored red brick fireplace that is the entire back wall. I read through what you suggest for painting the fireplace and I have a couple of questions. First, our brick has deep spaces between each brick, should we use a mortar mix to make the spaces more shallow and thus prevent a difficult area to keep clean and dust free? Also, we are thinking of painting our paneling, it’s actually nice quality paneling, real wood but in a dark red brown, any suggestions for that job? We figured we’d try to paint it and if it looks awful we could rip it down, not sure what’s under it…and with two girls under 4 yrs it’s hard to find enough time to tackle a rip out.
Thanks for your site!!
~~Brigid
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Brigid,
The mortar mix would be extra credit so if you’d like to add that to the mix, go for it. It’s all about personal preference and we find that we don’t mind the fact that we didn’t fill ours in (we actually like the grid-like quality of the texture on the walls). And as for painting the paneling, here’s a tutorial all about that: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/08/how-to-paint-wood-paneling/
We definitely believe in painting brick and paneling instead of trying to rip it out (which is more expensive and can even lead to more problems). We’re all about working with what we have. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Pamela says
Hi! We love your blog! My hubby & I are buying an old house that was built in the same era as yours, and have had fun looking through your ideas. Our house still has furniture and junk in it from the 50’s, so it is a major project. Your tips make it seem much less intimidating!
We were thinking of whitewashing our old gross brick fireplace. Have you tried that? We’d obviously have to use latex to water it down. I’d love your thoughts!
Thanks!
Pamela
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, we haven’t personally attempted to whitewash any brick in our home, but it’s definitely a gorgeous look and we bet you could google around for a lot of tips and tutorials. Good luck!
xo,
s
Suzy says
Hi! Thank you for all of the great tips. We just bought our first home and it was built in 1970. My first project will be the family room. It is on the low level of our trilevel ranch. Across one entire wall is a gray brown brick fireplace that covers it completely except for about a 3 foot gap from the ceiling to the top of the brick. One wall also has fake wood paneling. We are likely going to take the paneling down. As far as the fireplace, we do not want to invest in total demo – so I am thinking of painting it. Since the room is not the brightest, I would like to use a ligt gray or creamy color on the walls. What do you think of painting the entire fireplace a rich brown (nice dark wood color)? It would definately stand out – i just don’t want to make a big mistake! My second option would be to stain the brick.
thanks for any advice!
YoungHouseLove says
Go for the rich brown! And it can’t really be a big mistake since you know you want to paint it and when you’re willing to paint you can always repaint. We’ve seen designer Thom Filicia paint a frieplace a glossy and luxe chocolate color and it came out awesome. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dawn says
Um just a question. We painted our walls sand white (Love them!) and we want to paint our fireplace. I know you used water chestnut but was that in the room with sand white? I want to do a light color but are those two colors two close together? I promise to send before and after pics! Thanks for your blog it is a lifesaver! ~Dawn
YoungHouseLove says
In the room that’s Sand White we painted our fireplace Ruffled Feathers by Glidden (if they no longer offer that color they should still be able to look it up on the computer). It’s a very soft gray-white so the pure white of the mantel and the molding still pops. In the den we painted the fireplace Water Chestnut, but the walls were Wishes in there so those two colors go really well together. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Whitney says
Hi! We currently have a huge fireplace in our living room that is an awful reddish brick (very rough texture). I would LOVE to paint it. However, my husband is hesistant to pant it seeing the we actually want the firplace to still be functional. Is it safe to paint a fireplace if you still plan to use it, and if so is there a certain type of “heat safe” paint we should use? Thank you! I’m in desperate need of getting rid of this eye sore!
YoungHouseLove says
You can absolutely paint a fireplace that you use every single night with regular latex based paint. We use the fireplace in our den nearly every single night in the fall/winter months and after over three and a half years of use the paint is no less mint than it was when we first applied it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Whitney says
Great! Thank you so much for the advice! Now I just have to pick the paint color. :) We have medium brown woodwork with a reddish undertone. Our living room walls are a light tan (and there are built in bookshelves on either side of the fireplace). Any suggestions? I’m open to repainting the living room, but our woodwork doesn’t seem to give us many options. What would you suggest for other colors (either light or dark) that goes well with this type of woodwork? Thank you!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Tones of green (sage, soft celery, muted gray green) always look lovely with the woodwork you describe- as do wheaty and warm amber and chestnut colors. We’d just grab a bunch of free paint chips in those families and see what tickles your fancy when you get them home and hold them up in your space. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jackie Fields says
I am very interested in repainting a brick fireplace, currenly painted creamywhite, in the rich brown color that Thom Filicia painted(see comment by YoungHouseLove on Aparil 18, 2010. Please send the reference with picture of the fireplace, if possible. Also, kindly list the name, color, and manuacturer of the ‘rich brown’ paint that was used. I am very intrested. Many thanks, Jackie
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jackie,
Unfortunately we saw the fireplace on a TV show so there aren’t any online photos to pass your way. They also didn’t disclose the color they used, but it was a deep chocolate brown tone (try Benjamin Moore’s Hidden Valley 1134 or Cowboy Boots 1015 for something similar). Good luck!
xo,
s
Sioux says
Hi,
We have bought a home that I am changing the downstairs livingroom completely. There is alot of real wood paneling that I am going to be painting out a soft grey on either side of the fireplace and the bar. the grey will also be on all other walls. Black floor to ceiling drapes on the patio doors and the one window. the colors I have chosen are black, grey, antique white and accents of lime green. I am having problems choosing what to paint the ugly yellow brick fireplace. it is almost floor to ceiling, no mantle but 2 or 3 built in shelves. should I paint the brick the antique white with black shelves. the walls on either side are real wood paneling…..any recommendations?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, our suggestion would definitely be to go with the antique white for the brick fireplace. And bringing the black into the shelves would be lovely. Then taking all that paneling to a soft gray will be the icing on the cake. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sara says
Hi guys! I’ve been reading your blog for the past year and a half and I am so in love with everything you do!
My husband and I just bought our first house and can’t wait to start a major overhaul. We have a fireplace in our living room and as soon as I saw it I pointed to it and thought “I’m going to paint it white!” We do have dark soot stains in a few spots and my husband is worried if we paint it white, the soot stains will just come back and ruin the paint.
Thoughts??
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely apply two coats of oil-based primer first to block those stains. Then regular latex paint on top (probably two more costs) will do the trick!
xo,
s
Sara says
And even when we go to use the fireplace, it won’t stain it again? (Sorry I think I worded my original post in a confusing way) I didn’t mean the old soot stains coming thru the new paint, but rather, new soot stains forming after it’s been painted
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
Assuming your flu is cleaned and the chimney is in working order it shouldn’t. A lot of times those stains come from chimneys that have to be cleaned out since smoke is coming out into the room when it should be venting up and out. They can also happen if you forget to open the flu when you light a fire so be sure to remember that! Good luck!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi Guys! I’m a YHL groupie! Thanks for all the great tips. I recently painted my kitchen ‘Gentle Tide’ and love it. There is a fireplace in my kitchen that I’d like to paint but I’m not sure which color would complement the ‘Gentle Tide.’ My living room and hallway (which are adjacent to the kitchen) are Water Chestnut and Eloquent Ivory. Do you think one of these colors would work? I’m in the process of painting all the trim white so thought a color (instead of white) would look nice. Am open to suggestions–maybe a light gray?
Also, did you use semi-gloss or flat paint for your fireplaces?
Thanks for your help. Am thinking of you, Sherry, as your due date approaches. I have an 8 month old–it’s so much fun!
Katie
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
We went with flat paint for our fireplaces, but satin or semi-gloss works too (it’s all about the sheen you like). As for what color, we actually would go with white (although your trim is white, so is ours and we still love our living room’s white fireplace) or Water Chestnut (these colors layer really well together). Eloquent Ivory could read as too “yellowed” or “antique” next to the white trim. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alli says
Did you replace the fireplace doors as well in both rooms? We are looking at buying a home with a fireplace that has black fireplace doors with a gold accent. I’d like to repaint the dark fireplace brick a lighter color but know the doors would stand out. If you did purchase new doors, how much did they cost? Everything I’ve found is about $300!
YoungHouseLove says
We just painted them with latex paint! Metal takes paint extremely well, and you can even get heat resistant paint at a home improvement center (although our regular paint has held up just fine for years). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dorahm says
Hello YHL,
Your fireplace information was great. I plan to paint my brick fireplace after getting it serviced.
I love the woodwork on your living room fireplace and would like to know hot you did it.
Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m afraid that woodwork was already there, so we didn’t add it ourselves. You should be able to google around or hit up the library for a tutorial though. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marilyn says
I need some idels for a big fireplace. It is about 8 feet wide and goes to the ceiling in our den. We have light yellow walls and white trim in the room. I would like to paint the firplace but don’t know it it would look good painted white in the middle of the yellow wall from the floor to the ceiling. We have high ceiling in that room. Do you have any suggestions?
Marily in SC
YoungHouseLove says
We would definitely go with a medium mocha color or even a rich chocolate color. You want to cut all that yellow and white with something a bit more substantial so the whole room doesn’t look too light and there’s more of a balanced feeling. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
Hi YHL,
Love your site!
I have a fireplace dilemma. The built in bookcases to the right and left of the fireplace and the mantel are Glidden’s antique white. We are thinking of of painting the walls Benjamin Moore’s Jicama or Sandy Beaches. ( to compliment our room’s current color palate ) What color should the fireplace be with those wall choices? I have analysis paralysis!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
You have a ton of choices so don’t fret! You can choose the same color (or a shade or two darker on the same swatch) as the bookcases for the look of a cohesive wall of built-ins. You can also do something dramatic and choose a shade or two darker than the walls for a real focal point (even a rich chocolate tone in semi-gloss paint would look luxe and lovely). Good luck!
xo,
s
Donna Brown says
I want to paint my fireplace – ceiling to floor the same color as my walls (sandover-off white). There are only two walls and the rest of the room is entirely open. Would using the same color be alright or do you think the color would be too light?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it’ll look light, airy, and cohesive- we say go for it!
xo,
s
Julia Hageman says
I found your site a few months ago and am in love! You have given me hope for my 1960’s bilevel-that I can make it hip and beautiful. I recently painted my brick fireplace wall and am wanting to add an Ikea Lack shelf (although I just read the post on how to make one from Ana which is an attractive option as we do not live near an Ikea). Most all of my furnishings are espresso colored and my couch is a chocolate color. I painted the paneled walls BM Edgecomb gray and painted the fireplace and all the trim BM Simply White semi-gloss. My original plan was the black/brown effect LACK shelf but I am wrestling with this choice. Should I paint the brick Edgecomb gray as well and go for a gloss white shelf/mantle? I would love to send before/after pics-let me know how to do that:) THANKS for all your helpful info and congrats on that new sweet baby!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s really all about personal preference so you can’t go wrong either way. If you want the fireplace to stand out more, leaving it white with the gray walls will accomplish that. And if you want the whole room to feel more enveloping and less broken up you can paint the fireplace the same gray tone as the walls and go with a white shelf for a crisp little pop of definition. Good luck!
xo,
s
Rick says
Boosy Color Blog suggested a drive by. I’ve been by several times but missed this post. Your fireplaces look great. I guess there is no turning back once they are painted though? I have a monsterous fireplace from hearth to ceiling with a darker than mauve brick. And the mantel is teared bricked as well. I want to lighten up but apprehensive. Great blog and post.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rick,
We definitely recommend that people think long and hard about painting their brick before they do if they’re on the fence about it. Because as you point out, it’s not the easiest thing to undo. Many people just hate the brick they’re starting with (like we did) so we didn’t even have to think twice! But if you like the look of yours it might be harder to tackle with as much gung-ho spirit. Good luck!
xo,
s