How to Paint Fireplace Brick White with Primer and Regular Paint
Our DIY brick fireplace makeover began with building a brick hearth from scratch and ended with a wood beam mantle and a shiplap accent wall. The final step in this complete fireplace makeover project, however, is the paint! We knew from the beginning we wanted the brick to be white to make the space as bright as possible. After debating on whitewash, German smear, and solid paint, we decided that solid white paint in the same color as the shiplap would look the best in this space and be the easiest option. No need for fancy techniques or special paint, simply use whatever paint you like for this DIY with a quality primer. Here is a look at how to paint fireplace brick white with primer and regular paint!
Before & After Photos
The first photo shows our home when we first bought it, the next is after we painted the trim in our house white when we updated our whole home interior, the third photo shows this fireplace after we added DIY shiplap and a new wood mantle, followed by the photo of the fireplace after finishing the DIY brick hearth and adding new shiplap and a larger wood mantle – the final photo shows the fireplace brick painted white.
How to Paint Fireplace Brick White with Primer and Regular Paint
Step 1 – Clean the Brick & Prep the Area
Before you paint your brick, be sure it is completely dust free. You shouldn’t need to scrub the brick unless it is unusually dirty. A deep vacuuming of the brick with a good vacuum brush should do the trick. Mask off your mantle, the floor, and wall with painters tape and protective paper before painting.
Step 2 – Primer & Paint the Brick
First you will want to use a good quality primer. For this project I am using Benjamin Moore Advance paint which is a water base, so I am using a water base primer by Killz. As you are painting you will want to use a rough brush like this one and go between all the bricks and over all the grout lines first to make sure you really get the paint in there. Don’t be afraid to just smash the brush hard to get paint in all the cracks and crevices of the brick. Use the brush to do the sides and edges of the fireplace hearth as well.
Next, use a roller and roll the brick. Coat it completely with primer. The roller should do a good job of getting paint into the speckles of the brick. We rolled a couple light coats over the whole thing. Allow the primer to dry completely before moving to the finish paint coat.
You will follow the same technique for the finish paint as the primer in this step. We used the color Dove White by Benjamin Moore, it is the same color as the shiplap above. Be sure to paint the grout lines first with a brush and then roll the brick completely.
Step 3 – Caulk
Finally, after your finish paint has completely dried, caulk any seams or edges that need it. We needed to caulk around the entire fireplace and floor to hide imperfections of painting.
And that is it! Painting fireplace brick is actually super easy when you paint it with a solid color. All you need is to be sure you use a good primer over clean brick, and then finish with your paint of choice.
Here is a look at our white DIY brick fireplace decorated for spring!
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18 Comments
Swapnil
I loved the way you have explained the process to paint the fireplace white. We have an entire brick wall covered with bricks so looking forward to coloring it white.
I do have a question though. My wife and I loved the contrasting grey color you have used for the rest of the wall. Can you please share the color code and name of both colors? One used for the fireplace and the other for the background wall.
Elizabeth
I loved the fireplace before you painted it, but the white is striking! I can see why you decided to go white with it.
Theresa
Thank you for the awesome tutorial! We are getting ready to paint our fireplace, it is a similar size to yours, about how much paint did you need for this? thx 🙂
Bree
Hi! We used less than a half gallon on both the fireplace brick and the shiplap. The key is to use plenty of thin coats of primer before using the finish coat so you wont need so much of it.
Joanna
It’s amazing what a difference makes when you paint with white and old fire place. It looks so modern and chic.
Razena
My brother had a very similar brick fireplace situation going on when he bought his apartment and unfortunately having no mad DIY skills he outsourced the job to a friend of a friend. Needless to say it didn’t look this good.
Pedro
Hey Bree,
Thanks for a great DIY post.
Something to keep me occupied during the quarantine….if I can get the paint and the brushes to buy 😉
And great pictures, btw.
Best,
Pedro
Maddison
The after looks really amazing – wow! Did you do the bricks yourself?
Bree
Thank you and yes! Check out the link in the post to see our DIY tutorial for building a brick fireplace from scratch.
Aviva
This is so nice and clean looking! I can’t wait until we move, I am for sure looking for a home with a fireplace like this one 🙂 :0)
Jack
What a great tutorial! I keep reading these DIYs trying to get prepared to tackle a fireplace myself… it seems like a lot of work but you made the process seem simple 😉
Jon Maldia
That fireplace came out great! Awesome job!
Flavia Bernardes
That looks so pretty and you make it look like something doable. Love it 🙂
Myrah Duque
Wow! That’s one big project but so worth the effort. The final results are extraordinary!!
Kathy Kenny Ngo
It looks really clean. I love how minimalist it feels.
GiGi
Oh! My husband actually surprised me by doing this to the fireplace in our bedroom and I LOVE IT!
Kacilyn
Amazing post! I am saving this because I am desperate to paint our old fireplace soon!!!
Fatima Torres
I’ve always wondered about this. My parents have a fireplace worth painting. Sharing this post with my dad.