Painting a fireplace is a relatively quick and easy way to freshen up your living room and give it an updated look. Under some circumstances, I wouldn’t recommend painting open brickwork. Open brickwork can bring character and charm into a space so think carefully before painting over it as restoring it can be a nightmare! But if the bare bricks look out of place in your house, like they did in mine, then painting a fireplace is a great way to modernise it’s overall look.
If you have a working fireplace you’ll need to use special heat-resistant paint. But I inherited this electric stove with the house and so I could use regular paint. I opted for Farrow & Ball All White emulsion for the outer fireplace and eggshell on the open brickwork and concrete base.
The first step is to make sure the brickwork is clean before painting a fireplace. I tried using a solution of 30% vinegar and 70% water and a natural bristle scrubbing brush – but the soot was so ingrained that it hardly did anything. So I tried using washing up liquid and that worked a treat! Keep scrubbing the dirt off the bricks and letting it dry out between washes until the bricks are relatively clean. I needed to do six rounds of scrubbing as there was so much dirt and loose brick dust. This fireplace is over 100 years old so it really did need a good clean.
I found that a glass of wine also helped with this job!
Leave the brickwork to dry out over night and make sure that there’s no loose dirt left by giving it a gently sweep. Then you’re good to go! On my first coat of eggshell, I used a dabbing motion with the brush and applied the paint quite liberally to fill in the cracks and holes on the stonework. Mop up any drips with the brush as you go along as you won’t want those to dry. For the second coat you’ll already have a good enough base to just paint the brickwork as you would a normal wall and leave a smooth surface.
I thought I’d need to do three coats but I was happy with the end result after just two! The whole living room look and feels fresher and I’m glad that I kept the bricks under the mantle-piece exposed as it keeps a touch of character still. I’m really pleased with the final result and was even more pleased with my Valentine’s gifts from my son and boyfriend!
Natalia xo
