Another crazy easy weekend makeover! Actually, it won’t even consume your whole weekend. This simple fireplace makeover can be done within just a few hours and it provides such a drastic change in such a short time You won’t want to put it off any longer!
When I moved into this house, I fell in love with the huge fireplace. I hadn’t had one before and really loved the extra seating possibilities with the hearth. I actually had not even thought about doing anything to it for many years until one day when I wanted to spruce up my decor a bit. That’s when I noticed the outdated red brick just wasn’t the look I was going for anymore.
As with any home update of mine, I was focused on cost. I see so many beautiful ideas and get hooked, but my mind is always spinning about the possibilities. Can I reasonably do it myself? Do I already have something that I can re-purpose?
After searching for ideas to cover the brick, I decided I didn’t actually want to cover it at all. I just wanted to tone down the colors. That’s where whitewashing comes in!
The Supplies
Luckily for me, I already had these supplies on hand so it was a zero cost project. ZERO!
- White latex paint
- Water
- Sponge
- Bucket
- Old rag
- Brown craft paint (read more about this below)
Prep Work
Thankfully, there is minimal prep work involved with this type of project. All you need to do is make sure the brick is clean. What I ended up using was a dish brush to scrub the brick and grout. The rough bristles were perfect for lifting off any dust particles. After a good scrub, I took a dry rag to give it one final wipe down.
I admit that I chose not to use painters tape to tape off the sides near the wall, mantel or the glass doors. Am I a rebel? Maybe. I felt pretty confident that I wouldn’t color outside of the lines and I had touch up paint for the walls if needed. If you aren’t this brave, please feel free to use it.
The Big Red Fireplace
First, lets have a look at what this thing looked like before I started. Very dark and heavy looking!
Getting Started – No Turning Back!
This probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. If you are painting brick, it’s not going to come off (easily at least). I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about this because even though I love the whitewash looks I have seen, I didn’t want too much coverage for my fireplace. I really wanted it to blend in nicely and not become the focal point for the room.
With that being said, I started with a very watered down whitewash mixture. The ratio I used is 1:4. One part white latex paint to four parts water. I poured both into an old bucket and gave it a really good stir.
Applying the Whitewash
To apply the whitewash, simply dip a sponge into the mixture and dab it into the brick and grout. After every few bricks, take a dry rag and wipe off the excess liquid. You’ll notice some of the white color lift off while doing this, but that’s okay! That is what makes it look nice and natural and not like you’ve just slapped paint onto it.
Once you’ve done this a few times and feel comfortable with your pace, you can cover more area with the sponge before going over it with a rag. The key here is wipe off the excess before it starts to dry. You may feel like you are moving at snail speed at first, but once you gain confidence in your technique your speed will pick up fast!
When you are on your last section the rest of the fireplace is more than likely already dry and just waiting for you to sit back and stare at it’s new look. That’s it! It’s really that easy!
Tips
Honest Tip: I actually tried applying the mixture with an old paintbrush at first. I found that method too messy as it was dripping all over the hearth area and I was constantly having to wipe it up before it dried. The sponge method held the mixture better and ended up being almost mess free!
Carpet Tip: If you have carpet, I am willing to bet you definitely do not want to get paint on it! An easy solution is to lay down a piece of cardboard on top of the carpet. When you are ready to whitewash this area, press down on the cardboard firmly. This will push down and protect the carpet while you are applying the mixture. After you wipe off the excess with the rag, you can remove the cardboard and move on to the next section.
The Result – Part One
A beautiful new brick fireplace! Now, for many of you, this may be all it takes – and let me be clear, it is gorgeous! For me? I still thought it was a little too bright for my space, despite my 1:4 ratio. If you feel the same, all is NOT lost!!
The Result – Part Two
You might be asking yourself how I fixed it.
The answer: the exact same method! Only this time I was going to use a brownwash mixture.
I didn’t have brown latex paint on hand, but I did have some light-medium brown craft paint. Yep, the kind in the little bottle that is sold for 50 cents at a craft store. With a new container of water in hand, I added a tiny squirt of brown paint to it and mixed it up. I didn’t want to cover up everything I just did, I just wanted it to have more of a warm tone.
I tested this mixture on a small hidden spot of my fireplace to make sure it wasn’t too light or too dark. Once I was happy with it, I followed the same steps as the whitewash. Dab with sponge and wipe off with rag.
The change was subtle, but just what I was looking for!
I love both looks! Who knows, maybe one day I will whitewash it all over again for yet another update!
Ready for more easy home updates? Check out my $30 Entryway Makeover post!
