We’re back with an update on the fireplace makeover mentioned in yesterday’s post about removing our old, not-baby-safe wood stove.
This next step is just the beginning of a longer renovation—think step two of maybe fifteen. We tackle projects in stages, so for now we focused on an inexpensive, short-term refresh that would make the space look better while we plan Phase Two. Here’s what the fireplace looked like before we started the little facelift, and what it looked like that evening after a day of work.
I know the orange paneling looks intense, but paint can be extremely transformative. In our first house we painted paneling and brick without removing the paneling, and the results were dramatically better. Picture the paneled walls painted a soft, neutral shade with glossy white beams and trim, and the fireplace itself finished in semi-gloss white to match—that’s the vision for this room.
About the candles and the mirror tucked into the firebox: yes, those are not child-safe and were only staged for photos. I wanted something pretty in the firebox for the pictures, even though nothing will remain there during Clara’s waking hours. It was a quick styling choice that felt like a mini date-night moment after she was asleep. For everyday life, the firebox will almost certainly become a little hiding spot for pillows, stuffed animals, books, and whatever treasures Clara decides to stash. She loves hiding things around the house, so I expect she’ll enjoy having this small, safe nook to explore.
The best part of this mini fireplace facelift is that it took roughly five hours on and off, including dry time, and cost only eight dollars and three cents. We used primer leftover from another project (Olympic Premium No-VOC primer), a bit of white semi-gloss trim paint we keep on hand (Olympic Premium No-VOC), and a quart of Benjamin Moore’s Temptation in satin, color-matched to Olympic Premium No-VOC. Primer isn’t always necessary for every brick job, but since we had it we used it for a more reliable finish.
We’ve painted brick fireplaces before—twice in our first house—and those projects reliably improved the rooms. Below are the general steps we followed to prep and paint this fireplace. If you plan to use your fireplace for real wood burning, do not paint the firebox; instead leave it unpainted or use a high-heat product specifically designed for that purpose.
- Declare the fireplace inoperable for now by closing the damper. We never used the wood-burning fireplace in our last house and are considering a double-sided gas or electric insert in the future.
- Scrub the firebox, exterior brick, mantel, and hearth thoroughly with soap and water to remove grease and ash. We used Dr. Bronner’s and water.
- Allow everything to dry completely before priming.
Once the surfaces were dry, we primed and painted as follows:
- Primed the firebox with a no-VOC primer (again, only because we won’t be burning wood in this fireplace).
- Painted the firebox with a satin finish paint for a clean, modern look.
- Taped off the wall surrounding the fireplace to avoid splatter—brushing brick means you’ll push the brush into crevices, so protection helps keep lines neat.
- Caulked large gaps between the tile hearth and the firebox to create a seamless transition when painted.
- Caulked other deep holes in the brick to reduce heavy shadows and chipped appearance once painted.
- Primed the brick surround, wood mantel, and the tiled hearth before painting for even coverage.
- Applied two coats of semi-gloss white to the brick surround, mantel, and tiled hearth. We prefer an all-white look here, but later we may introduce varied materials or colors when we renovate the surround more extensively.
- Protected the tiled hearth on the floor with three thin coats of a low-VOC clear finish (Safecoat Acrylacq in our case). Some polyurethanes will yellow over time, so choose a product rated for clarity and durability—another option is a water-based polycrylic in a clear gloss finish.
Yes, we painted the floor tile too. In our first house we used the same prime, paint, and poly approach on terra cotta hearth tile. It was meant to be temporary, but it lasted for years and still looked good when we sold the house—even under foot traffic and playful kids. Painting ceramic tile that sees a lot of use isn’t a professional recommendation for the long term, but it’s a viable short-term solution if the tile is matte, porous terra cotta that will grab paint well. Bathroom floors are trickier since a glossy finish can get slippery when wet, so proceed with caution there.
Down the road we plan to replace the hearth tile and potentially rework the entire fireplace surround when budget allows. For now, this quick, affordable update brightened the space, made it safer for our toddler, and bought us time to plan a more involved remodel.
Have you painted brick or primed and painted tile as a temporary fix? We’ve had good results with this approach in the past, but we’ll share updates if anything changes. Also, full disclosure: picture-taking during projects often includes unflattering action shots of each other—decorator’s payback for sharing the process!