Black Brick Fireplace Makeover Ideas: Get Designer Tips & Paint Picks
Thinking of remodeling your old brick fireplace and giving it a new, fresh look? Do you dare to paint your brick fireplace a sleek black paint finish for a striking accent design? A brick fireplace always gives a home a cozy feel. Add a little pizazz to this snugly warm and comfortable ambiance by being bold and modernizing your brick fireplace by painting it black.
Having a black brick fireplace can serve as an eye-catching contrast to your light-colored walls. A combination of a wooden mantle in a natural stain finish, wood floors, and wooden furniture adds depth and character to the room and pairs perfectly with your black brick fireplace. Here are some key ideas to help you achieve that stylish design that would have your brick fireplace stand out as the stunning focal point of the room.
Choosing the Best Paint for Bricks
You need to make sure that the paint you will use is a heat-resistant paint that would withstand the high temperatures of about 200°F generated by your fireplace. For this, choose a good-quality indoor latex paint. Latex paints are water-based and are more frequently used for houses. Latex paints come in three different types – flat, semi-gloss, or gloss. Since we are going for a modern and sleek finish, it is best to use a semi-gloss type of indoor latex paint.
Black Brick Fireplace Paint Options Compared
*Costs are approximate and vary by brand, region, and coverage. The brick surround takes standard interior latex, while the firebox interior and any metal need a dedicated high-heat product. Check your fireplace manufacturer’s guidance before painting a working wood-burning or gas unit.
Prepping and painting your fireplace
Before applying any paint, see to it that you clean the brick fireplace completely. Bricks are porous compound which absorbs moisture when wet. And so, after cleaning the bricks, make sure that it is dry – never paint wet bricks. Allow at least 24 hours for the bricks to dry before applying primer and painting.
What kind of paint do you use on a fireplace?
Here are a few picks I’d choose for a black brick fireplace, both easy to get and proven on brick. Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black (SW 6258) is your true, no-nonsense black. No brown, no blue, just a clean soft-black that reads sleek and modern against light walls. Get it in a semi-gloss like the article suggests, and the brick texture really pops.
If you want the bold, graphic look people pin and save, then Benjamin Moore Black Beauty (2128-10) is a good warmer pick. It’s got a little gray and brown in its base, so it feels cozy instead of stark. It’s great if your room leans traditional or transitional, or if a full-on black feels like too much. In daylight it softens; at night by the fire it goes rich and deep.
One more, in case true black isn’t your thing: Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore (SW 7069) is a deep charcoal, not a black. It gives you that dark drama with a softer edge, and it’s a favorite for fireplaces for exactly that reason. Whichever one you go with, the finish matters as much as the color. Use a semi-gloss for a sleek look that wipes clean, flat or matte if you want it to swallow the light.
Once your brick fireplace has completely dried off, apply a coat of latex primer. Let the primer dry fully before applying the semi-gloss indoor latex paint. Use a paintbrush, roller brush, or paint sprayer when painting your brick fireplace. Make sure that you apply extra coats of paint on surfaces with cracks and surface irregularities; or to sections that may have been affected by mildew or efflorescence which often appears on older and dated brick fireplaces.
Textured surfaces such as bricks, paint brushes, and rollers are best to work with since you can easily press the paint into the gaps or into the tiny cracks. Choose to use rollers with thick naps to ensure the best results on the brick’s surface when painting.
Neutral shades are still the safest color options when painting your fireplace. A black brick fireplace is a classic look and will work with any color scheme. Spectacular black brick fireplace will coordinate with any room design whenever you are looking for a change and trying to create a more warm feeling in your home.
Let me end with a quote from Edna Ferber – “We no longer build fireplaces for physical warmth we build them for the warmth of the soul; we build them to dream by, to hope by, and to home by”
If after all this you’ve ruled out going dark, a totally different type of contrast you can consider is a whitewash for your hearth that can really help brighten and energize an old outdated room.
Charcoal black paint is used for this inviting living room.
See more living room ideas with brick details on this gallery page.
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