Fireplace Makeover with High-Heat Spray Paint
August 31, 2021
Original Fireplace
I spray painted our brass fireplace surround before we moved in with Rust-Oleum High-Heat Spray Paint. I unscrewed it, took it outside and taped off the glass with blue painter's tape and spray it. It's easy and really goes a long way with updating outdated fireplace doors.
Over time, they got a little scuffed, so it really needed retouched, so I carefully taped everything again and gave it another coat. It's amazing the difference this last coat made in how neat the surround looked. I think that means you should probably make this a job of three light coats if you're painting over the original metal. I would have had a better initial result, because one coat easily touched up everything so well.
The Firebox
You know how you don't always see or notice things you see all the time? I never really realized how yucky the firebox itself looked until I started photographing our fireplace after I built our new mantle. The interior was painted white and was very dirty and had what looked like rust all over the walls. I waited to do this part of the project until summer on a 100-degree day, because I used the gas logs all winter.
I opened the doors and removed all the gas logs, but didn't unscrew the gas line. I created a little tent with trash bags to keep the spray paint from coming out as much, and put on a mask and opened the door next to the fireplace for ventilation. I sprayed all the white areas (walls and floor) black with high-heat spray paint, and man, it was fumey. Even in a mask, I had to take a lot of breaks and leave the door open for a while to get the smell out.
As much as I tried to shield the paint from coming out, I didn't do a perfect job at that, and ended up having to do quite a bit of cleanup afterward on the surrounding areas. I think it might have been better to get the traditional high-heat paint and rolled it on. It probably would've taken me longer to get it on the walls, but I guarantee you I probably spent more time cleaning than the time savings of using the spray was. So, do as I say, not as I do.
After
I am amazed at what a difference touching up the exterior of our fireplace doors and painting the inside black did to improve the overall appearance of our fireplace. It's an easy, less than $10 project that really makes an impact. You can also read how I transformed the look of our brick fireplace here with Romabio Lime Slurry.
Pin for Later!
Designer Drapes
Rug Roundup January 2024
Booth at Christmas Market
Grasscloth
What not to do
Romabio Velatura Mineralwash
I can't remember the first example of fluted wood furniture I saw, but it was probably either this gorgeous custom wood bathroom vanity from Chris Loves Julia , or the DIY fluted coffee table Fariha shared on Pennies for a Fortune . The custom cabinetry was done professionally using a router for each line, which isn't something I possess the skills to do. This did help inspire the colors I used in our bathroom remodel, though! I really connected to the method Fariha used to build the coffee table--wooden dowels. What a fabulous idea!
I did a little refresh in our daughter's room, and I decided we needed some large-scale art. I actually planned to order a print, but inspiration struck on a trip to HomeGoods when I saw two HUGE framed canvases on clearance for $25 and $9. I grabbed them up and headed home, with my head filled with ideas on what to do with them.
I love peel-and-stick wallpaper so much! It's an easy, DIY fix for any space that just needs a little refresh. Because it's easily removeable, I feel much more confident going ahead and choosing a pattern. I struggle to commit to traditional pasted wallpaper--I think it's because we removed so much of it when we bought our house. It is no easy task. Peel-and-stick is also very economical, so if you decide to change it up a few years down the line, it doesn't feel so bad. I've now put it in four areas of our house. Today, you'll see the kitchen and den. It's the same pattern in different colors. I love how much the simple pattern really just makes each space.
Just for fun, here's a freebie--a digital download for some fall wall art! This quote is from Anne of Green Gables. I still want to read the book, but I was a huge fan of the series Anne with an E on Netflix. Just click on the file, download it and print it at home or send it to a place like Office Depot. Happy October!
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER...
Join Newsletter
Website Design & Hosting by Arterburn.com
