Fireplace Facelift

Tonight, I wrapped up another project just in time for the holidays! When we moved into this house, I knew the basement was not a top priority, but I had a goal to clean up the fireplace before Christmas.

It was a risky project (because there is no going back!) but the original brick was a touch too dark for our white trim, so I went for it! Someday we hope to replace the wood burning fireplace with gas. But for today, I’m happy sipping my tea next to this new view.

*This picture shows the basement when we first moved into the home (after removing trim and gun racks).

Here are the steps I took to complete the project:

1) I cleaned the brick with a wet rag using water and vinegar. I wanted to remove any cob webs and dirt before painting.

2) I taped off my wood mantel because I knew this project would be sloppy. I also taped my trim and walls using painters tape. We recently painted our walls Revere Pewter and installed new white trim (painted Simply White). I am so happy with these colors. I was very careful to protect the fresh paint during this project!

3) Next, I laid down drop clothes on my carpet. We just installed carpet in August so this was an important step for us!

4) I mixed my paint in a big gallon bucket. I highly recommend this because as mentioned, the water/paint mix is messy.

5) I used left over paint from our trim and doors. It’s called Break-through. It’s a water-borne Acrylic Interior/exterior paint (satin). The color is Simply White but I diluted it (1/2 water and 1/2 paint). You can dilute to any ratio you prefer. I wanted the freedom to go lighter first and have the option of a second coat if I wanted it darker. I did not end up doing a second coat. This ratio worked for me!

6) Once my paint was prepared, I gathered a one inch brush and a lot of clothes for dabbing. I bought a bag of t-shirt rags at Home Depot (about 20 rags) and I used every rag! You will need A LOT of rags to dab!

6) I started painting on a side corner to get the hang of the process. I recommend painting a small section and then going back and dabbing. The art is in the dabbing!! I wanted a bit of texture and variation in my bricks so I chose to dab some bricks more than others. This was my favorite part of the process because it felt like an art project!

7) I worked my way around the fireplace and then finished with the top section. I recommend taking some breaks and standing back to check your consistency from section to section.

8) Overall, the project took me about 3 hours from start to finish. It went a lot faster than I expected!

*The fireplace insert will be another blog post down the road. This project took a bit more time and creative power than the painting.

If you have any questions, I’d love to help answer them for you before you dive into the project. For a very low cost, you can make a huge change happen fast. Good luck!

Has anyone else tried white washing their fireplace? I’d love to hear about your experience! 🛠