Like many houses in our neighborhood built in the early 80’s – our fireplace and most fixtures that came with the house are a very bright brass color. In many decors that color really works. But since our living room is more modern, the brass fireplace fixture tended to look really dated. I thought about buying a new fireplace grate- but in an effort to save some money I thought maybe I’d give painting it a go and do it myself.
Above is what the fireplace looked like in it’s original brass color. Painting over the metal was relatively easy. You will need:- Some soap and water to wipe the fireplace really clean of any grease, soot, or smudges.
- A primer for use on metal (We used Kilz)
- A spray enamel in the color you want- made for HIGH HEAT
- Painters tape, some newspaper or a drop cloth to spray on.
- (Optional) A dad that will come and help you!
How to makeover a fireplace
STEP 1: Use Painters tape to cover up the glass in the fireplace grate, also to cover up any knobs or pulls you want in the original color. STEP 2: Be sure to use a multi-surface cleaner, or just soap and water to clean the fireplace of any dirt or smudging. Anything left on the surface will become a problem for optimal paint adhesion. Dry the metal surface well. If you can unscrew any knobs or pulls- this is the time to do it if you wantthem to stay in the original color. FYI-My dad saved me from tackling this project on my own! Thank you dad! STEP 3: Spray on metal primer in a light coat. You can add a second if needed. Be sure to move doors to spray the metal that doesnt show when closed. If they keep shutting you can use a soup can or large rock to prop them open. Our doors stayed where we put them, so we didn’t need to prop them. STEP 4: After the primer is fully dried (perhaps overnight) you can start to spray the color you chose. I picked matte black because we have a lot of black furniture, including a black hutch and sofa. Screw in any hardware you removed when paint has dried!
FINISHED FIREPLACE!!!! I LOVE it!
I got kinda scared halfway through the project and started to wonder what I had gotten our fireplace into. But as soon as it was done- I could not stop telling my dad and husband how super glad I am that we did it. It cost about $20.00 to do total. And for me- it is SO worth it. The room has totally stopped feeling like it’s stuck in the 80’s!
Special thanks to my dad who basically did the whole thing – even though he was visiting us for a vacation. Gotta love wonderful, handy, fun fathers!
If you are thinking of getting rid of, or replacing your fireplace grate I really recommend you try to restore it yourself!
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