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!
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Judith B says
May 24, 2016 at 11:48 pmYour stained Hearthstone…tile it with the large sealed tiles. works well for our fireplace and can be more ‘featureful’ than grey stone, traditional though that is.
Garage Boutique says
July 10, 2016 at 9:29 amHow has the durability been? A client of mine said she used this and it rubbed right off.
BrightGreenDoor says
July 10, 2016 at 10:02 amIt has held up great! No chipping or scratching at all.
Garage Boutique says
July 10, 2016 at 10:05 amAwesome! Thank you for your response. 🙂
Chelsea says
August 14, 2016 at 3:41 pmSolution for getting a little overspray on the brick?
BrightGreenDoor says
August 14, 2016 at 8:24 pmOh no! Hmm… I’m not sure what to use. Possibly some type of stripper?
Tah-Da! Inc. says
August 28, 2016 at 8:49 pmTrisodium phosphate or muriatic acid could be used on the hearth.
BrightGreenDoor says
August 29, 2016 at 9:12 amThank you so much for your suggestion, I will be looking into how to use those, I would love to get it looking clean.
Rene says
October 8, 2016 at 8:39 pmWhat did you do about the brass on the sides and inside trim of the doors when you open them?
BrightGreenDoor says
October 10, 2016 at 8:33 amIt’s still brass there. I could have opened and sprayed those, but ours is rarely open so I didn’t worry about it.
Tina says
October 30, 2016 at 4:15 pmI did this too, used the same paint but took it out of the fireplace and took it apart so every bit of brass was covered. It was a great weekend project. I did this two summers ago and it still looks fantastoc.
BrightGreenDoor says
November 2, 2016 at 2:17 pmSmart! I wouldn’t have been thought of taking it apart! It would eliminate having to tape everything!
Mary G says
November 23, 2016 at 12:39 pmDid you have to use a metal primer first before painting it?
BrightGreenDoor says
November 23, 2016 at 9:21 pmNo I just used the high heat paint. It says on the can “no primer necessary”. Thanks!
Gunn says
December 26, 2016 at 10:57 pmDid you sand the brass off any before spraying?
BrightGreenDoor says
December 27, 2016 at 5:54 pmNo, I just used the paint on it. It’s stayed on really well though.
Racheal says
February 23, 2017 at 7:45 pmDid you ever do anything with the brick? It would look so good white washed!
BrightGreenDoor says
February 24, 2017 at 8:48 pmYes I ended up painting it black! Here is the link: https://www.brightgreendoor.com/black-painted-fireplace/
Racheal says
February 24, 2017 at 9:35 pmLooks really nice. We are about to remodel an older home. Always looking for ideas ?
Rhonda says
July 10, 2017 at 11:36 amThank you for your DIY, just what I needed. I had a hearth just like yours. I painted it with primer that works for stone then finished painting it with a light neutral color. It looks great.
BrightGreenDoor says
July 13, 2017 at 4:15 pmThanks for stopping by! I might just have to check that out. I love the look of the stone but I’m so sick of the oil spots!
Peggy says
September 16, 2017 at 10:07 pmI’m glad I saw this. I just finally covered my mantle last week but now need to paint the insert. Tomorrow s project maybe. As far as your mantle goes …. I used pine 1x 4 for front edge and door skin for the top I had wood strips lining the side of my stone also so I used 1x 2 strips to make it match new mantle cover. I decided to just make a cover since the original was sturdy and I won’t be able to see the hooks for Christmas stockings since the new front is much wider than orininal.
BrightGreenDoor says
September 17, 2017 at 9:38 pmSmart! Sounds gorgeous and so well planned! Good luck with painting the insert!
Ryan says
March 11, 2018 at 1:24 amWere you ever able to figure out how to get the hearth clean? I have the same problem on mine.
BrightGreenDoor says
March 11, 2018 at 2:37 pmNo but I watched a this old house video that showed how to do it! Here is the link: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-clean-brick-acid