Before/After Painted Brick Fireplace

As some of you may have read, I have been dreaming of painting my ugly fireplace for about a year now and have done tons of research on what I wanted it to look like. I found something that I thought I was going to copy, but when it came down to it, I preferred the clean white look instead of a faux finish. I did actually faux a little on the brick but after seeing it I decided I wanted white. I'm not always a fan of painting brick, only when it's especially ugly do I think it's a great idea. Also, before you decided to paint yours, really think about what you are doing. It's permanent. :)

Here is the BEFORE, in case you don't remember or are new to the blog:



We used a thick roller to put the coats of paint on, brick soaks in paint so several layers are necessary. Since the grout was pretty far back, we had to use paint brushes to really get the paint in there. We bought a pack of cheap paint brushes because the roughness of the grout will ruin any type of brush. We underestimated the time it took by almost a day so be sure you set aside enough time if you choose to do this!! ha ha!




I wasn't really ready to post after pictures, but I figure I can do another follow up post on the mantle once it's really decorated. I can't decide what it needs and want to do some more searching until I find the perfect decorations for us. I'm also going to be sewing some cushions (perhaps burlap?) to give additional seating at the fireplace and some matching pillows for my couch. I'm such a plain Jane so I'm going to try and branch out some with bright, vivid colors for spring and summer! So, here it is, the AFTER: