The Fireplace: To Paint or Not to Paint

Growing up in Southern California, the fireplace was sort of like your pinkie toe: it was there as an architectural vestige we weren't always sure we really needed. Our family fireplace was brick and painted a warm white, a common decor choice in 1970's ranch home burbs throughout the Valley. We used it as much as a heater in the Bahamas...

A friend recently inquired about whether we thought they should paint or leave their fireplace (we pointed them toward a past post showcasing the pros and cons of making over a fireplace), but thought we'd ask you our readers what you thought about the topic:

Comments (15)

You should certainly not paint it white while leaving the backing wall an ugly cream color.

Cultured stone it, if it's in your budget.

I like the look of brick, I think it adds to the room.

I usually like painted brick better, but the fireplace on the right is kind of ugly... the left would definitely be winning if there was a mantle. I guess it depends on the context.

COMPLETELY depends on what colour the wall will be painted, if you are taking removign or changing the screen, and what the rest of the decor looks like...

There's brick and then there's UGLY brick.

The pinkie toe actually does more for balance than the big toe; perhaps the fireplace (painted or un-painted) does the same?

So true re: brick and ugly brick. We had ugly brick. The long thin brick that wasn't even a nice rich reddish brown. It bordered on pink and each brick was about 14" X 2". So painted white it was and man, is it better. Especially with origional hardwood with inlay.
Now about the mantle and base...

Or option #3: rip it out and replace with something more attractive.

I agree with Caitlin in Seattle. In fact, let's just reduce it to option #1, leave it alone, or option #3, rip it out. When you paint brick or stone you have ruined it because it is not possible to completely remove paint from a brick. If you don't want the brick, remove it and let someone who appreciates it have a chance to use it.

Depends on the brick. Brick can look great, but sometimes it's just awful - in the latter case, I would paint.

If you ever break your pinkie toe you will find out just how important and functional it is! :O

It's entirely case-by-case as to whether you want to paint a brick fireplace.

Oh no, no, no don't paint brick!!! I can't think of anything tackier. Our neighbors downstairs have their fireplace painted white and it's like a giant white elephant in their room--in every sense of the phrase. And that was gorgeous, gorgeous brick, because we have the same one. Thank God no one ever defiled it in such a way. If you have ugly brick, just replace it, because like I said: painted brick in fireplaces: so tacky!!