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Fireplace Makeovers – Readers’ Spotlight

Up on the rooftop click click click, down through the chimney with Good St. Nick!
AngledFireplace.jpg
I think about this song when I gaze at my beautifully painted fireplace. That’s right, I said painted! Those bricks you see – well – they are bricks, but that isn’t their real color. It is faux painted!

Last year this is what my fireplace looked like:
BeforeBrick.jpg

If you want to see how I did it, hop on over to Remodelaholic on Friday for the tutorial.

In the meantime, I want to share with you some other fabulously faux painted fireplaces. These three readers each contacted me after reading my post on faux painting brick and sent me photos of their fireplaces!

I think you will agree that they all did a fabulous job. Way to go gals!

“I came across your website looking for ideas on what to do with my painted white fireplace. After a year of living in the house, I couldn’t take it anymore. The layers of paint were too thick to strip and refinishing would have cost too much right now. So I gave your helpful hints a try. I am amazed how great it turned out. Next, get rid of the awful tiles and put in wood flooring. Thank you so much for posting your refinished fireplace and how-to.”
 
Thank you.
Pam Blackburn
Levittown, PA

Pam’s Fireplace Before:
IMG_1548.JPG

Pam’s Fireplace After:
IMG_2335.JPG

“Thought you’d be interested in seeing how your idea worked for me. Attached are before and after pictures. Thanks for your help – my fireplace looks awesome now – just have to buy a mantel.”
 
Louise Russell

Louise’s Fireplace Before:
127.JPG

Louise’s Fireplace After:
IMG00006-20101127-1535.jpg

And finally, Megan took her fireplace in a different direction. She had an ugly red brick fireplace and turned it into a light taupe beauty.

“I found your great blog on the internet a few weeks ago and just wanted to thank you for giving my husband and I the courage to paint the fireplace in our new house! You really gave us the confidence we needed to try and brighten up our fireplace on our own! Thank you so much!! We had been quoted $1200 to have the bricks refinished, and I ended up spending about $30 with your method! The attached “after” shot was taken before I was completely finished, but it’ll still give you an understanding of where everything was headed and how much of an impact your tutorial made on us! Thank you!!”

Megan Cahill

Megan’s Fireplace Before:
Living Room Before.jpg

Megan’s Fireplace After:
Living Room After.jpg

So what do you think? Are those amazing transformations or what? I think all three are definitely Santa-worthy now.

8 replies
  1. Barb Parrish
    Barb Parrish says:

    Megan,

    Fireplace looks great. I also have dark red fireplace. Can you tell me what colors you used and how you applied them. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Megan
      Megan says:

      Hi Barb! First we applied Behr Masonry, Stucco, and Brick paint in “Navajo White” with a paint roller designed for rough textured surfaces. After a while we’d switch to a new roller because it would get matted down. The Masonry, Stucco, and Brick paint was thinner than other paints we’ve used, but because of that it worked GREAT – it let the texture of the brick show through, and it covered the dark stained bricks with only one coat! We were amazed – we hadn’t even washed or primed the brick first! After it dried to the touch, I just took a tiny piece of moistened sea sponge and applied Behr “Pale Wheat” from a sample jar onto the entirety of some of the bricks. I tried to do it in a random pattern. Once I did enough of them, I washed off the sponge, and did the same thing using a sample of Behr “Warm Caramel,” and then the remainder of the bricks I covered with Behr “Harmonic Tan,” which incidentally is the color of the wall behind it. The woodstove was painted using Stove Bright’s High Temperature Paint in “Sunset.” We’ve painted the entire house (interior and exterior) over the course of the last year and the fireplace project was the absolute most fun and RELAXING! It was also QUICK! Hope it helps!!

      Reply
  2. Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures
    Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures says:

    I really enjoyed seeing the fireplace makeovers. They were all great. That last one was a huge change. That wall was a whole bunch of everything going on in the before and the after wall looks likje great architectural detail.

    Reply

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