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Home Decorating Fireplaces

Should I paint my fireplace white?

Gordon Gartrell

last year

Does anyone think I should paint my fireplace or leave it alone? I know there are other options, but at the moment painting is whats in my budget. I would leave it if it was attractive brick but

I personally find it ugly 70’s looking. I would say Im going for a modern country style if that helps in the decision. I aporeciate any advice.

Featured Answer

arcy_gw

last year

Do you use it? Soot will be noticeable after the first use. It looks pretty grudgy now. To paint it needs to be cleaned anyway--give it a try you might find it's not so bad. Painting will cheapen the look and can't be stepped back.

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Comments (7)

H D
last year
Following— have the same question about my own fireplace
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I like it. Is it cutting edge trendy? Not even close, but I like it. It's homey and comfortable. If it were mine, I wouldn't paint. If you paint, you're going to have to paint not only the shelves, but the lower half of the walls and the ceiling beams ... and in the process you'd lose so much warmth and character. If you feel you MUST do something, I'd do the fireplace in a white wash -- a dirty white wash that'd allow a bit of color to show through. You could test this: Tape up some white paper on the fireplace and live with it a while. I wonder how much of your dissatisfaction has to do with lighting. I see you have several lamps burning. What if you could do something along the lines of in-cabinet lighting -- you know, like they do in kitchens -- in the shelves. Or what if you bring in color in your furniture? Instead of painting the room itself, bring in a RED sofa ... or paint the (completely removeable) table and TV stand a bright color.
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yep. You can liven up the area without sacrificing the depth & warmth of that rich knotty pine paneling; replacing the cool-color carpet with warm wood flooring will be more harmonious. Once that's done, live with it a little while, & then you might think about doing something to the fireplace-I usually think red brick is too massive & dense for any building other than a school, & definitely too much for the interior of a home, so I'd probably lighten it up. Then you might think about replacing the cool-color paint on the walls with a warm color that would tie the room together rather than driving it apart. (yes, you are correct: I am incapable of doing just one thing & leaving other things alone!). It's a lovely room, & I hope you have fun with it!
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Well, first of all, you can have the stone cleaned. You could also modernize the fireplace quite a bit by simply replacing the mantle top slab with wood. You could also have the mortar recolored to look fresh if you want. You could also reface the entire fireplace for not that much. Replace the hearth slab with granite, screw cement board over all the stone, and face it with tile + that wood mantle top. Bam. Super modern. You could also face it over with a wood facade. Painting stone though? Do people do it? Yes. Have I ever thought it looked good? No. It looks like a band aid to me, every time. I never recommend it. There are other options.
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littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
last year
I don’t care for the solid opaque look of painted brick. Seems so cheap looking to me.

Have you looked into special brick paint like Romabio? It doesn’t have that same opaque appearance of regular paint.
Mrs Pete
last year
last modified: last year
Don't touch it. It's lovely, warm and classic. The mantle is a nice size and well balanced. Don't chase trends and go all-white.

Instead, "dress it". It's a large space, so you need a good bit to "fill it up". Look at mantle styling on Pinterest and see what appeals to you ... mirror? candles? greenery? seasonal decorations? Put something on the hearth too ... some pillows? tall candle stands? a basket for kindling or blankets?

The only thing I'd insist upon is that since this is a lot of dark, you ought to use either a mirror or light-toned decorations ... but don't go too extreme in that direction.
Jilly
last year
last modified: last year
My first thought is no, don’t paint it. I think it’s interesting brick and could work with many different looks — as it has for 40+ years.

But we have no idea what the rest of the room looks like, the rest of the house, what decor styles you like, etc. ”Modern country style” is too vague.

I do know that in looking at RE in my town, I will pass up any masonry I see that is painted, except in very rare circumstances. I almost always prefer natural brick and stone as a fixed element, not as wall(s) to be painted on a whim. But that’s just me and I know not the popular opinion.
Kate
last year
Spend your money on skimming the ceiling for a smooth texture to give an updated look. Cleaning the brick will help too.
Gordon Gartrell
Original Author
last year
Thank you everone for your comments. sorry about my late reply. Im brand new to houzz and was a little lost. I think I will take everone’s advice and hold off on painting it. I already cleaned it and will try light colored decorations and a mirror to help lighten things up as @Jilly suggested.

Would you all suggest painting the brown stained mantle or even replacing it to help brighten things up? I would post more pics of my house only we are about to repaint the walls and put in a new floor so it wouldnt make sense at this time. Maybe I will do so when everthing is complete. thanks again!

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