Don’t get us wrong—we love exposed brick, but it’s not the best style for every interior. We like to view bare brick as a blank canvas eagerly awaiting to be brought to its full potential. Let’s chat about how easy it is to bring your brick fireplace back to life with paint from Benjamin Moore and our expert team at JC Licht.
Getting Started
The first step to any successful painting job is cleaning and prepping the surface. Start by laying down a dropcloth in front of your fireplace to protect your floors from any dirt, soot, and cleaning products. Use a wire brush and fireplace cleaner to scrub and remove dirt and dust from the brick surface and then wash the fireplace brick using your scrub brush and a bucket of soapy water to ensure any remaining residue is completely removed.
It's important to allow your fireplace to dry before beginning any priming or painting. Moisture trapped in the brick could cause the paint to adhere poorly, so ensure the bricks are completely dry before continuing your painting process.
Brick fireplaces also need a primer like Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High Hiding All Purpose Primer to ensure smooth, even paint coverage. You’ll want to begin by painting the mortar lines with a brush to ensure you don’t miss any spots. You can use a fluffy roller to cover the rest quickly.
Welcoming White Brick Fireplace
A white brick fireplace offers a clean, classic look that blends in with any surrounding décor. Choose a cool white like Mirage White 2116-70 for a crisp aesthetic or a warmer shade like Acadia White OC-38 for a cozier vibe.
Beyond Basic Black Fireplaces
Consider a black brick fireplace to bring drama and elegance to your living room. Black fireplaces look great with wood mantels and earthy accents. Choose a deep black like Black Ink 2127-20 to hit the perfect balance between warm and cool for a just-right tone.
Another attractive option is to paint the fireplace's exterior white and the interior black or vice versa for striking contrast and a modern aesthetic.
Go With A German Smear
Smearing isn’t just for cream cheese and bagels. Also known as the mortar wash technique, a German smear allows you to mimic the look of old-world European cottages with minimal effort. The German smear is very similar to whitewashing but far easier to complete. This technique adds immense texture and visual weight to a room. To achieve the look, use white mortar to create heavy grout lines and smear the excess across the surface of the bricks.
Match The Walls with Benjamin Moore Paint
For an ethereal, elegant look, create a seamless transition between your fireplace and walls by painting both the same color. This fireplace painting technique will also emphasize the textural changes between the smooth walls and the rough surface of the brick. If you’re a fan of the color drenching trend, this may be the perfect way for you to paint your fireplace.
Get Creative with Color
Your fireplace is already a focal point in a room, so painting it a bold color will help this architectural detail stand out even more. Charcoal gray shades like Kendall Charcoal HC-166 and muted steel blue are two exceptional picks that draw attention without creating an eyesore. When venturing into the world of colored brick fireplaces, remember that it’s just paint and can be changed relatively quickly if you don’t like the result.
Benjamin Moore Paint for Every Fireplace
No matter if you want a subtle white brick fireplace or something more exotic, JC Licht has the paint to help you find the perfect look for your brick surfaces. We are Chicago’s premier dealer of Benjamin Moore paint, Hunter Douglas window treatments, and designer wallpaper.
Visit us at one of our many showrooms across the Midwest or book an in-home consultation. You can count on JC Licht to Make it Happen! JC Licht is the preferred provider of Hunter Douglas products for the Midwest and Chicagoland. Contact us today!
