So right before we headed to Haiti rather than packing and prepping I decided to paint the paneling in in our living room. It brightened up the entire living room and made everything look better, but it also accentuated the dated brass fireplace surround. So I decided why not procrastinate packing a bit longer and spray paint a brass fireplace!

Eventually we’d love to replace this wood burning insert with a gas insert, but for now this fix will tide us over.  **This Post Contains Affiliate Links** I decided to do a quick fix and modernize it with some spray paint. I used Rust-Oleum High Heat in Black.

I started by using Frogtape to tape off each window and around the outside of the surround.

Then I used masking paper to protect the hearth and brick from overspray. Because I had already taped the edges it was simple to just tape the paper to those edges, without having to tape a perfect edge.

Then I also taped off each window panel to protect them. I could have used paper but it would have ended up using almost as much tape with more effort.

Then I began spraying. I ended up doing about three light coats, with about 15 minutes to dry between each coat. Because I was spray painting indoors I had to open my windows in the middle of winter to help the house air out. Obviously this would have been a better plan in the summertime, but I was too impatient to wait!

So to recap, I used High Heat Spray Paint, Masking Paper, Frog Tape, and a Utility Knife (to cut clean edges). In total it took me about an hour from start to finish. This project was so simple that anyone with any level of DIY skills at all could complete. Because I already had the paper, tape, and knife, the project cost my under $10!

Now look at what a dramatic transformation it made! I’m still not sure what my plan for the hearth, brick, and mantle is, so I asked my friend Layla for help. Over at her blog she mocked up a bunch of different amazing ideas for me to do with it!

Also in case you have any amazing solutions I’m having a hard time getting the hearth stone clean. I’ve used all my typical favorite cleaning products with no improvement. Any ideas for getting stains out of stone? I think it’s a combination of soot, grease, wax, and general grime.

Even with the imperfect hearth, I am loving the transformation in this room! Here’s one more peek at what it looked like just a month ago!

Now here’s where it stands today! I’ll be back soon to share the details of the built ins that my mom helped style for me while I was gone! If you’ve been living with a brass fireplace surround that you hate, this is my encouragement to you that you CAN fix it! If you’ve got $10 and one hour I dare you to tackle it!