Should I paint my fireplace

7 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Not sure what to do with this fireplace. We'll probably replace eventually with a wood burning but don't have the money right now. I thought about painting the brick white or maybe just the black bit between the bricks to lighten it up. The room will eventually be painted blue if that helps.

Featured Answer

Pauline Ackerman

7 years ago

I would paint either white or pale grey. I painted ours with chalk paint , was easy and looks so much better .

ignore the decor ,I was experimenting , but the painting was quick and easy . I used a few coats of watered down chalk paint.

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Comments (36)

kystone
7 years ago
Can the brick be removed? If so, I'd do that. If not, definitely paint it white!
PRO
d & b
7 years ago
you could use grey resin to paint it, the modern twist
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Daisy England
7 years ago
Paint it. That's so dated.
Carolina
7 years ago
I'm in the paint it-camp too :-)
Christine Mitchell
Original Author
7 years ago
To those recommending I paint it. Would you suggest painting it solid white or a white wash or a different colour altogether?

Not sure what the grey resin thing is. Any photos I could see?
minnie101
7 years ago
Hi Christine. I'd try whitewashing it so you've got some control over it as white brick can look very cold. Another colour that may work is F&B railings and if you haven't settled on your blue yet have a look at their st Giles blue.
Saifi Carpenter contractor
7 years ago
you could use cherry colour blue with contrast nice looking
Sara Foster
7 years ago
paint it a very dark grey
Carolina
7 years ago
I'd probably paint the entire fireplace wall bump out white. And the rest blue.
Carolina
7 years ago
To show you what I mean with the bump out :-)
"This Old New House" · More Info
PRO
Lear's Creative Interiors
7 years ago
I would paint it white, whitewash at first and see how it goes by adding additional layers. The white will make the fireplace 'pop' and make the room more up to date :-)
tidymind
7 years ago
Can you not plaster over it, put wood pillows either side (? painted) and put a big chunky shelf on the top?
Carolina
7 years ago
It does need a shelf on the top.
Bee Jazmine
7 years ago
paint it with wihite to lighten or grey or dark grey.
PRO
The JOY of Blinds and Shutters
7 years ago
What about leaving the brickwork as a feature, and have a large mirror above it with a narrow black frame to tie in with the black between the bricks?
Lauren
7 years ago
Remove the bricks - the iron insert is quite attractive though so would keep that.
Annie Par
7 years ago
If you do paint it, don't be disheartened after the first coat when you suddenly realise what it reminds you of. An outside toilet! I painted our dark blue engineering brick fireplace, first coat primer then two coats of F&B White tie eggshell.
Christine Mitchell
Original Author
7 years ago
I'm starting to think that the full white may be the way to go. the pictures people are posting are very nice. many thanks
jillyhilltop
7 years ago
I had a similar hideous stone fireplace and painted it white with standard (Dulux or Crown) matt emulsion. It took 2-3 coats but the difference is amazing. The walls are pale grey - completely transformed the room.
Jane Bateman
7 years ago
If you can face the mess and live without a fire until you can afford a wood burner, I'd rip it out (We did in our previous house). There are a lot of things from the 70's I love but this block work is definitely not one of them. What's the age of the house? Go for a simple hole in the fireplace. Good luck.
Alexandra Ortiz
7 years ago
Take the brick work off, and plaster the front it will look so much better
hebibovic
7 years ago
I would paint it either light grey or blue to compliment the walls. White is great if you still want the fireplace to stand out once the walls are painted blue, but painting it the same or similar colour will pull the whole colour scheme together for a more balanced look.
Sonia
7 years ago
I would paint it white for now, if you don't want to remove it just yet. We had a similar brick fireplace which we lived with for years, but we always hated it. Then one day we just removed it slowly and carefully. We were left with a hole and an open chimney which was swept. We didn't have much money so we bought a pine surround from B&Q which we painted white, and laid Indian Sandstone as a hearth (from garden centres or building suppliers) and I think it looks jolly nice now. It wasn't too pricey - about £90 for surround and £100 for the sandstone. We installed an electric wood burner style fire (£289) as I'm asthmatic and wood burners make me poorly. Picture below.
Angela Jones
7 years ago
I think paint it dark grey but leave some white surrounding. Tricky as I am doing something similar and have not decided either!
annarocks123
7 years ago
I would remove the bricks and either plaster it to leave the hole nice and neat for when you get the wood burner or put the fire you have back in. Alternatively you could do something like we did; remove the dated bits, plaster as best you can, get a surround from eBay (the skint decorator's best friend) and tile round the hole. The floor tiles are the Victorian originals we found underneath the patio slabs which had been added in the 80's along with a brick built fireplace with inset gas fire - charming!
Kristine Pfeffer
7 years ago
Why don't you box out the whole chimney to the same depth as the bricks, then render the whole thing to get a sleek finish, paint in whatever colour you like, buy a nice surround/mantel piece, and tile around the insert? The insert looks nice, just needs a good surround.
PRO
Pat Oliver Interior Design
7 years ago
Knock off the fake stonework and push the insert further back to the actual chimney breast. First, make sure you have enough depth to your chimney.

Plaster the chimney breast smooth and paint.
tobyottonoby
7 years ago
An effective and simple way to disguise something is paint it the same colour as the background.
PRO
Foxcovet
7 years ago
Yes paint it!, colours ? red,blue,white and black of course!!

You have your very own 3d Mondrian ;-)
babyethen
7 years ago
I would paint the fireplace and wall white or pale grey. Can you remove fire and have a blank aperture. You could then paint that white/grey and put plant or ornament in the space. Would certainly modernize it. Lottie
teenytinyhouse
7 years ago
Paint it white. Start with watered down chalk paint, and build it up until you're happy with the depth of white. If you're really uncertain, leave it a day or two between coats so you can keep an eye on it when it's dry. It's only a small area, so it won't take long to paint, or scrub it off if you went too far! I'd also put a wooden shelf/mantleshelf along the top, in an aged oak or pine, which would look lovely with the blue walls (judging by the tester marks in your photo!), or black/grey to coordinate with any furniture pieces.

Oh, and don't touch the metal bit, unless you're blacking it! :)
wilmet45
7 years ago
I'd paint it white and add a floating shelf above it.
PRO
Bio Fires
7 years ago
The bricks are great and can add a cool, industrial contrast with the homely fireplace. White would lighten up the whole area, and would easily blend with the fireplace and whole interior space. If you are painting the room a deep, dark blue, then a dusky grey or grey black can go brilliantly well with the fireplace and deep blue tones, for a warm and sophisticate interior.

You could use a bioethanol insert in the fireplace as no chimney would be required. If you want to go for a wood-burner look, then perhaps a bio ethanol stove burner will suit the style you want.

Good luck!
fionaoneill
7 years ago
Take away as not going to be easy to paint due to texture. Other fire surrounds painted here are brick not textured stone. Insert looks fine and a simple plain surround should cover the area left by the brick.
liz gear
7 years ago
Get rid and start again!