We have spent the past 8 months updating our new home literally from the floors to the ceilings! I am super excited to start sharing some of our progress, before + afters and ideas on upcoming projects. To kick things off, here is one of my first projects that really made a big impact on modernizing our living room.
I personally love to sit in front of a fire, so I was super excited when we looked at our house and saw the wood-burning fireplace…but I knew it was going to take a little work to remove the brown/brass look that just felt very dated to me. We did this whole project with a few cans of paint, some spray paint and a lot of painter’s tape! See below for the details.
First – I knew we were getting rid of the carpet in this room, so I was not very careful about paint drips, etc on the floor. If you are keeping your existing flooring (which I’m sure most people do) then you definitely will want to put down a drop cloth because there is a decent amount of overspray!
Here’s what we were working with (photo from listing). There is a lot that I didn’t love about this room… the brown + grey, the dark brick and carpet just made it feel very dated. This is a budget project that makes a huge impact, so that’s why I started here. For about $50 I was able to completely transform the look of our room!
How to Update a Brass Fireplace Screen
Materials Needed:
- Rust-Oleum High Heat Spray Paint
- Painters Tape
- Duct Tape (optional)
- All Purpose Cleaner
Step 1: I started with the brass fireplace screen because I was worried about overspray. You will want to clean the screen/doors/front with an all-purpose cleaning solution. Wipe it down really well to make sure all soot and debris is removed.
Step 2: Tape off any area you don’t want painted! We just used basic painter’s tape to cover the glass fronts and then duct tape for brick that surrounded the brass front. Duct tape was all that would stick to our brick for some reason. Make sure your tape is precise, you might need to use a razor blade to trim!
Step 3: Paint! Use your high heat spray paint and do thin even strokes starting from the top to the bottom! Let dry according to the instructions on the can.
Step 4: Do a second coat and let dry. (Third coat is optional!)
Step 5: Enjoy your new modern looking fireplace!!
How to Paint a Brick Fireplace
Materials Needed:
- Steel bristled brush
- Brick Primer – We used this one
- Interior Latex Paint – We used SW Snowbound
- Drop cloths
- Painters Tape
- Paint Brushes + Rollers
Step 1: Take a wire brush to all brick parts you’re planning to paint. This created a lot of dust so I went back and used a shop vac to sweep up any remaining dust particles so they wouldn’t get in my paint.
Step 2: Tape off edges, trim, etc. We kept our mantle the same color, so I taped all edges to help limit any paint drips.
Step 3: Prime the brick and really make sure you get in every groove to ensure you’ll get the desired finish. Let dry.
Step 4: Paint the brick using your brush and roller. Let dry and (optional) apply another coat depending on the desired look.
This is a basic DIY project that anyone can tackle to totally transform their fireplace! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Follow Me for More: @stylebykatiewallace
Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for the support!
