For My Imaginative Friends,a challenging fireplace

Stacy,

I have partnered up with a faux painter and I believe we invited her to join AR. Her name is Haven Benoit you might try looking her up and send her an e-mail.

With a brick wall this big it will be tricky.   Maybe a stucco type finish in a nice neutral color?   Actually cover the bricks.  And I hope you have suggested removing the wooden spindles.

 

 

Paint the brick wall on a brick red color. Then make that fireplace the center of attention. A few objects D'Art

on the mantle and a big mirror or nice artwok right on top of fireplace. Room has great potential. Good Luck ! or as they say in the theatre "break a Leg"

I agree with Connie - a stucco-type or venetian plaster finish. A glaze could also be rubbed on after it dries to add a little depth. I actually will be doing my fireplace with this treatment. A mason friend of mine advised I use regular old joint compound. First wet the bricks so it does not absorb the water out of the compound too quickly and therefore cracking it. As an extra tuscan touch, perhaps you could also leave an archway 'unplastered' around the hearth area and then paint the brick inside of the arch black or red.

Good luck with this project. Post pics when you're done? I would love to see what you decided on!

A long time ago, I lived i a home that had this type of fireplace. The previous guy had tried to "clean" the brick with some type of solution and the brick turned a soft grey, purple. He kept apoligizing but I loved the look. I don't know what he used, maybe ask at the hardware store. Can't wait to see the after photos.

I know that you can do this. I have seen it on HGTV. I think that this would be a wonderful start to a Tuscan room especially if you can find something that will continue the grandnus of it sinse it does take up the whole wall and it is a major focal point of the room.. Please show us pictures once you have finished!

Carla Cullum

Keller Williams Dallas Ft Worth Denton

Is this an operable fireplace - would they consider a gas unit or something similar, pellets, sterno gel fuel?

 The join compound that Karen mentioned can be mixed with  paint or barely mixed and then applied.  The partial mix gives you a wide range of the paint color from intense to white as you apply it. Behr paint makes a Venetian mixed plaster. Do they want a Contemporary look?  You can go with the darker tones then.

Post afters!!

 Be nice to change out the light fixture overhead. 

I've seen a fireplace like this painted white and the glazed over in cream. Wiping the cream off before it dries, but still staying in the cracks of the brick gives it s nice look. I've never done it myself, but it was beautiful!  Good Luck!

I agree, (faux) paint the brick.  It is a great room to decorate. Lot's of potential!

Once you paint brick and it does not "look" like the look you were going for you are kind of stuck and then what? You really need to find some different techniques and experiment a bit before tackling this project. I have the same red brick on my fireplace and have not done anything for the same reasons.

I have considered sheetrocking over the perimeter and applying a stucco finish to that and then the small section of brick that is exposed in the middle around the hearth can be painted or tiled.

Phyllis Pafumi

To break up the "brick-i-ness" of the wall, I would add an art piece above the mantle (the same width of the fireplace).  Then, I would add taller floor plants (artificial if the fire place will be in use) to help draw the eye to the center of the wall.