DIY Fireplace Makeover – all it takes is a little spray paint to give an outdated gas fireplace a lift! An easy do it yourself project that only takes a few minutes.
I love using spray paint, and I go through cans of the stuff. I’ve spray painted candle holders, home decor balls, and even furniture. It’s so quick and easy!
Brass Fireplace Makeover
If you read my blog at all, you know how much I love spray paint. I don’t think I could live without it. Well maybe I could, but my life would be a lot more boring. And ugly. I’ve spruced up so many things with spray paint that I’ve lost track! And now I have found another type of spray paint that I adore. Krylon BBQ and Stove paint.
When we built our house 13 years ago, brass was popular. I never loved it, but sometimes it was the only choice. Take our fireplace for example. Brass accents across the top and bottom.
Lately it has really been bugging me. Every time I would look at it, I would think “Bleckk! Those brass strips have got to go!” But I wasn’t sure how. Then one day while browsing the spray paint aisle, I came across this stuff:
It’s for painting BBQ grills, so it will stand up to a lot of heat. I decided to give it a try on my fireplace. And boy howdy do I love it. You don’t even need to use primer. It says so right on the can.
All I did was remove the brass strips, sand them with some fine grit sandpaper, and wipe them off really well. Then I sprayed them with a few coats and let them dry completely.
Update: It can be hard to find this exact can of spray paint, but now Krylon sells a different high heat spray paint, and there is also a Rustoleum high heat spray paint. They even come in different colors and finishes, but they all work pretty much the same.
Voila, no more ugly brass!
I also painted my oak mantel white. That also made a huge difference in the look of the room. Paint is such an easy and inexpensive way to update a space!
Here’s a little before and after shot:
I like it sooo much better now. And it was a cheap and easy fix. Gotta love that!
Here are a few more home improvement projects to check out:
- Corner Mudroom Bench Tutorial
- How to Install Beadboard Wallpaper
- DIY Reading Nook
- Mudroom Cubbies
- Best Gray Paint Color (Repose Gray)
- How to Install Trim
- Painted Chandelier
- Wood Pallet Sign (no pallet needed)
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I want to paint our black insert cream colored to match the tiles around it. I have found many examples of them being painted black and even one painted bronze. Not a single google image of cream, white or any other color even though they make high heat paint in these colors. Do you know why that would be? Would it look weird? Not hold up well? If you have any wisdom or thoughts please share.
I think high heat paint in white is relatively new. I know it wasn’t an option when I did my fireplace. But it would definitely work just as well as the darker colors, so if that’s the look you’re going for, give it a try!
What kind of paint did u use on your mantle ? I have and odd mantel and painting it would make it less odd I hope ! Spay painting the front is a definite ! Thx
I just used a bright white latex paint in a satin finish. My favorite brands are Behr and Sherwin Williams.
How do you remove the brass strips?
Mine were just sitting in grooves, and they pulled right out, no tools required. Other models might be different.
OMG….I have a brass fireplace exactly like yours. At first I used to really like the brass, but after many years of looking at it, I wanted a change. My only downfall is that I have problems with picturing things on how they will look if I changed them….the fireplace was one of them. I’m loving the black. Guess what I will be doing now?
Haha, yes, sometimes after looking at the same thing for so long we just get tired of it! Like you, I love seeing a photo before making the change. I hope you love how yours turns out!
Thank you for this! My fireplace looks REALLY similar to yours, so I am so happy to find this example with the products you used. I also love the color on your walls!
Thanks so much Melissa! I hope you love how your fireplace turns out. It’s amazing what a difference such a small change can make. 🙂
We just did the same thing with the brass on ours
Thanks for sharing the photo on facebook. Yours was an even more impressive transformation. Love how it turned out!
I just painted my brass fireplace with high heat paint! Can’t wait to reassemble the front!
It makes such a difference, doesn’t it? 🙂
Did you paint the inside with the same paint?
I didn’t paint the inside, just the brass strips. 🙂
I just did the same thing but didn’t use the BBQ grill high heat paint. Am I in trouble? I have a gas fireplace.
How do I spray paint the fireplace front black if the pilot light is on? I don’t know where to turn it off. Can you remove the fake logs and pebbles to replace with knew pebbles?
I also want to do the exact thing to my fireplace ! I have ugly brass ! but i’m still trying to figure out how to get the brass strips off !!
Mine were super easy to remove, I was able to just lift them off. I know all models are different though. Hope you can figure out how to remove yours!
Well Kara, this Kara has an identical fireplace, so seriously let us know how it holds up and come fall we will follow suit if it does well. Hubby hates the gold as well.
Oh my gosh, I was thinking about doing the exact same thing to our fireplace! Now I have the confidence to do it… thanks! I now also know the correct product to use 😉
I’ve been wanting to do that to ours. I HATE the brass. My husband has been saying that there isn’t a paint that would work on it. I’ve been insisting that there is – and you proved me right!! 🙂 Thanks, can’t wait to do it!!