I must get used to starting my post with an apology. I have been too lazy to post lately. I scarcely have time to do anything else because we’ve been so busy renovating the house. But I want to share with you a super simple update on our fireplace. This is how the house looked before the renovation, walls, and floors were painted.
When we first looked at this house, I liked that it had a fireplace. We have been married for 10 years and have never lived in a house with a fireplace. I was very excited. The more we visited our house, the more I imagined how I would spend those cold winter nights, hugging next to her. But I don’t like black bricks and antique gold at all. This completely darkened the bright space I was trying to create.
What are the options for upgrading the fireplace? Replace it with an electric fireplace with mantel or remove it. The renovation of the fireplace is completely beyond the budget, and all other projects are ahead of us. Therefore, painting a fireplace is our only choice. I have done many projects during that time, but I have never painted bricks. forever and ever.
The first is the first. He must choose the type he wants. Do you want all the white stones? Do you want it to be a bit brown? I decided to bleach. I am glad I did it. Don’t delay this process. At one point, I felt like I was messing up the fireplace, but the more I used it to fix the mess, the better. Be patient and have fun! I promise it will be easy.
What you will need:
- Water
- Rag
- Painter’s tape/drop cloth
- Container
- White water-based paint.
- Paintbrush
Addresses:
Step 1: Prepare the area
- Cleaning your fireplace will help you prepare it for painting. I simply vacuumed it and removed the soot.
- Tape off the places where you don’t want to paint. I used tape to cover the walls and the mantle.
- Cover the floor with a drop cloth to collect any drippings or spills.
Step 2: paint mixing
In a disposable container, mix 1 cup of white paint + 1/2 cup of water
The consistency of the paint will be very fine, almost like glue.
Step 3: paint
Apply the paint mixture on 2-3 bricks at a time with a good quality brush. Grout should be handled with caution. Next, use your rag to hop around the brick, scrub fast, and then scrub the paint to remove any leaking paint. Because brick is a porous material, the color will fade over time.
You’ll need to decide how light you want your fireplace to be. 2-4 coats of paint may be required to achieve the desired look, depending on the darkness of the brick.
Note: Decide whether or not to paint the grout, depending on what you’re going through.
I started with white paint and had to go back with gray paint and paint over it. Painting the grout gives it a very painted and unnatural appearance. If you don’t want your paint grout to stain, take care not to do so.
That’s all! It was quite easy to execute, and the result was a dramatic transformation that entirely changed the atmosphere in our living area. Brass is also an option. We also installed a thin white trim around the fireplace to replace the original brown trim.
