The best thing about painting a fireplace surround is that it requires pretty much no skill and can be turned around quickly and cheaply – all with dramatic effect.
If you spotted my post back in January dedicated to 10 of the most fabulous colourful fireplaces I’ve discovered online, you’ll know that there truly is a style for everyone – whether you just want to refresh the wood on your bargain eBay find, or are looking to jazz up an original irconcast beauty with the colour trend of the moment.
It’s accessible to all.
We recently painted our wooden fireplace surround a deep lilac colour and have already had some seriously flattering feedback on the colour and finish (thank you everyone!) So if you’re thinking of freshening up a room, here’s how you can makeover your fireplace with a simple lick of paint.
What products do I need?
I’ll add recommendations on paints below, but these are my go-to for any painting job around the house. If you have any other painting must-haves, let me know! I’m always looking to add to my collection:
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- Masking Tape; for messy workers like me and getting that precise line in older properties.
- A mat/protective cover for your surround.
- A sash brush – Any paintbrush will be fine (Harris brushes have been my brand of choice so far) but sash brushes are particularly great for getting into the nooks and crannies when you’re painting a piece of wood with intricate details. Worth investing in!
Step 1: How to Prepare a Fireplace for a Makeover
Safety first! My own fire is a gas model but is disconnected (we’ll be rectifying that later this year) so it is purely for decoration at this point. But before any fireplace makeovers, ensure you can work without risk of hurting yourself. Now, onto the prep.
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- Clean. No matter what you’re working with, always make sure the surface is clean for an ultra smooth finish. A quick wipe down with a damp cloth should do the trick and make sure you wait until it’s fully dry before starting.
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*Note: For original cast iron, try and avoid water as it can cause rusting. Little House On The Corner has incredible experience in restoring period fireplaces so check out her FAQ section for some great tips if this is the situation you’re in.
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- A light sand is highly recommended for wooden surrounds – especially if your wood is chipped, damaged or untreated. Sanding will even out the surface and help reduce those imperfections. You can use a power sander with a medium grit for larger pieces, or a simple cheap square of sandpaper if you want to give it a light once over.
- If you need to remove a previous layer of paint, sand first. If it’s a light colour with a smooth finish, you can likely just cover it, depending on the type of paint. But if the paint is damaged, cracked or old, strip it back to get a clean slate. Nitromors
, Polycell
and Peelaway
all come highly recommended if you need to use a paint stripper, and for multiple layers of hard-to-shift paint, a heat gun may be the way to go.
- Optional, but if you don’t feel confident getting good lines, tape everything up first with a sturdy masking tape – moreso the case if you’re going for bold colours as they’re less forgiving when wonky. I paint in between moments when my toddler is distracted or when she’s in bed so there’s no time to be accurate, tape is a lifesaver!
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, Polycell
and Peelaway
all come highly recommended if you need to use a paint stripper, and for multiple layers of hard-to-shift paint, a heat gun may be the way to go.
Step 2: How to PRIME a Wooden Fireplace Surround
It’s tempting to go straight in with the paint but hold your horses: you need to prime!
Exposed woods will soak up more liquid resulting in a lot of wasted product. Pre-coloured wood will likely need a primer to even the surface and maybe even help neutralise the colouring to help your chosen hue really pop. Many people skip this step, and is why the paint doesn’t last. It also might be why your paint job don’t always match the colour on the tin!
Primer helps to fill in those bits of wood grain you can’t see and create a smooth coat for the final finish. Honestly, you should be spending the same, if not more, time priming as you do with painting.
*Tip! If the existing surround is painted, is in a good smooth condition and is in a light neutral colour, you may not need to prime at all. But if you’re not sure, go for a combined paint and primer. (And a light sanding – always good practice)
We used Valspar’s Premium Wood & Metal paint in the colour Jazzberry which is a combined paint and primer, after a chat with a specialist. You can see from the image above that our surround was lightly coloured and neutral.
If you believe the wood has had some damage, either from mould or stains, Zinsser is a well-respected brand with regular decorators, and they have a wide range of specialist primers. Farrow and Ball also do excellent primers which are tailored to your colour range – especially good if you want to match your woodwork – fireplace or other – to the walls.
Step 3: Paint. Which ones to use?
This will be a completely personal choice but here are my learnings from painting wood so far. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below so we can all make better decisions!
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- Chalk Paint: A really popular choice for upcycling furniture and brands such as Annie Sloan pride their products as timesavers thanks to removing the need for priming. I used Chalk paint on our Welsh Dresser and learned quickly that chalk paint is useless unless you’d given it a proper final coat. Many will need waxing to seal or they will chip terribly.
- Use a wood-specific product. It seems obvious but this is going to get you the best finish. I used a wood and metal paint from Valspar – a brand which lets you have any colour you want, a huge bonus for us!
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*Tip: Thinner coats help to hide brush marks and give a super smooth, professional-looking finish. Don’t worry if the first coat looks scruffy, the second will help to really crank up that opacity.
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- The finish you choose matters. Matt paint is increasingly popular but may not be the best option for fireplaces as they can look scuffed easily. A satin or eggshell finish should work best and offer easy maintenance. If you’re thinking of matching your fireplace to the skirting board, and/or need some serious durability, a semi-gloss of full gloss finish will do the job. If you’re wondering, mine is Satin.
- Worth mentioning…If you’re painting an ACTUAL fire, like a furnace chimney or stove fire, you will need a specialist paint which is fire and/or heat resistant. They are limited when it comes to colours but considering most fireplaces are a charcoal or grey colour anyway, a lick of paint can offer a great refresh for under £10.
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*BONUS TIP: If you’re thinking of painting your fireplace a bold colour, don’t tell anyone before you do it, and don’t let anyone see it until it’s finished. Not everyone is convinced on bold until it’s there in all its glory!
And that’s it! Painting is great because anyone can do it, and with the right prep and well thought out products it makes me easy for anyone – even for those who need to paint in the dark when your toddler is in bed – like me!
What do you think of the colour we picked? Let me know if you colour up your fireplace, I’d absolutely love to see. Happy painting!
