Last Updated on June 26, 2023 by lindseymahoney
You may be asking yourself, can you even paint a fireplace? Yup! This DIY was so easy and the painted stone fireplace gives this space a modern and fresh feel.
Our third home had a wonderful garden-level space that we used as the kids playroom, but the outdated stone fireplace made the room feel dark and gloomy.
I went back and forth for months trying to decide if we should paint the stones and I am so glad we went for it.
It is the main feature in the room and I was pretty intimidated to take on this project since it would be hard to hide if it turned out terribly.
I am so glad that I overcame my fear of such a permanent change because the fresh coat of paint made all of the difference in this space and it was super simple!
This old stone fireplace surround is now a fun focal point for our kids’ playroom.
Today I am sharing our step-by-step process for how we painted the fireplace stone in one (long) day.
Stone Fireplace Before
Here is a reminder of what it looked like before we painted.
The large rocks made the room feel dated and dark. It even had moss growing on them which caused a mess when you rubbed up against them.
There really was no escaping the 70s vibe in this room.
Easy Painted Stone Fireplace Tutorial
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1 | Clean the Fireplace with Wire Brush
Make sure you wear protective glasses and a mask while cleaning the fireplace stones. Use a scrub brush on the entire fireplace to remove loose dirt and moss.
I used a wire brush to remove most of the moss and vacuumed up the debris.
2 | Wash the Stone Fireplace with TSP
I wore gloves and used a sponge to wipe down the large, original stone with TSP. Next, I set up a few fans to dry the rocks.
My son, Thomas, is always a big helper with home projects and asked to join in on the fun!
3 | Paint the Stone Fireplace with Primer (Kilz)
First, put down a drop cloth to protect your floor from paint. Before applying the first coat of paint, we had to apply primer. We painted the rock fireplace with KILZ to seal the rocks and provide a base for our wall color.
To get into the grooves around the rocks, we used paint rollers with 3/4 thick roller covers and fat, old paintbrushes. The primer required a second coat of paint before the wall was ready for the interior paint.
On this particular weekend, my parents were in town to celebrate my birthday.
I am so lucky to have hard-working parents who are always offering to help with our projects.
We spent our entire Sunday working on the stone fireplace makeover and we all had so much fun transforming this 1970s eyesore into a bright fun wall feature.
4 | Paint the Stone Fireplace
Choose the paint color and apply the paint just like you would for a standard wall. The other three walls in this room had neutral paint colors, which helped make our paint color decisions on the firepace.
Using standard interior latex paint in an eggshell sheen, we carried the same color on the walls (Sherwin Williams Eider White) of the room onto the fireplace and applied two coats.
I wanted the lower half of the fireplace to pop so I chose a gray paint color (Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray).
Painted Stone Fireplace Reveal
A little bit of paint was all it took to completely transform this space! This living room / playroom is brighter and looks much more modern than the dated rocks on the wall.
If you are considering painting stone on a fireplace fireplace too, my advice to you is to take that leap of faith! There will be critics who don’t think it is a good idea to paint a natural stone fireplace, but remember that it is your home and it should reflect your personal style.
I know it can be a tough decision because painting is so permanent, but if it really will brighten your space, I say go for it.
Purchase List
- Dropcloth
- Protective glasses
- N95 Mask
- Wire brush
- Bucket
- Sponge / Scouring Pad
- TSP
- Kilz
- Interior paint
- 3/4 inch thick nap roller & roller frame
- Paint tray
- Thick, old paintbrushes (fat paint brush)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What paint should I use for a wood-burning fireplace?
Both of the fireplaces that I have painted were wood-burning and I never had issues with bubbling or chipping paint.
In both instances, I applied primer paint and then used an interior latex finishing paint. To be clear, I use this paint on the exterior of the fireplace and not inside the firebox.
The inside of the firebox for a wood burning or gas fireplace will need special heat-resistant paint that can withstand high temperatures.
What paint sheen should be used on a fireplace?
The type of paint sheen used on a fireplace is really a personal preference. For my stone fireplace, I used the same paint color and sheen as the surrounding walls, which is an eggshell sheen. I would avoid semi gloss paint for the fireplace surround.
This is my personal preference because I do not want the fireplace paint to look too shiny.
Considering a flat sheen, my main concern is cleaning the fireplace surround if the ash and soot get on the paint.
Flat sheens are typically harder to clean.
What should I do if my fireplace has a shiny topcoat?
If your fireplace surround has a shiny topcoat that you want to paint over, you will have to rough up the surface for the paint to adhere.
Use a sanding block to scuff up the stone fireplace, thoroughly clean the surround, and then follow the same instructions above with primer and paint. I hope this helps!
Can I paint my outdated fireplace surround made of bricks or lava rock?
Yes! Any type of fireplace surround can be painted, including bricks and porous lava rock.
The key is to get the surround clean and then paint it with a durable primer and latex paint.
How do I tone down my multi-colored stone fireplace without completely covering it with paint?
One option is to water down your paint so that the natural stones still show through for a cohesive look. It is worth looking at other types of special paint like milk paint or chalk paint to achieve the look you want.
This technique is called whitewashing. For bricks, another popular choice is German schmear which gives a relaxed look.
Amber
Thursday 15th of August 2024
I am about to paint our fireplace and googled to see the best way to do it and this article popped up. This is super helpful and I really appreciate the step by step instructions. Thank you so much for sharing your experience! And your fireplace turned out gorgeous! You guys did an awesome job!!
lindseymahoney
Friday 16th of August 2024
This makes me so happy! Thank you for the comment and I am glad your fireplace turned out great!
Erin R
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
I need to paint my fireplace as well as it has too many different colored stones in it… brown, charcoal, white, it looks like a calico cat… how do I keep the stones I like and faux paint the white stones to give it a more cohesive, natural beige stone look? Don’t want to paint it all one color, just tone down the offending multicolored look?
lindseymahoney
Wednesday 13th of April 2022
Thanks for this question! Unfortunately, I have never done a faux finish on a stone fireplace so I won't be much help! If you decide to paint a few stones, I would recommend using a paint finish that is as similar to the other stones as possible. Good luck!
Karen
Monday 21st of June 2021
I love it and I'm going to do this with my antiquated dirty oversized monster of a fireplace. It's large stone and I can't stand it!!! Yeah!!
lindseymahoney
Tuesday 22nd of June 2021
Yay! I am excited for you, brightening up a fireplace can change the entire mood of a room. :)
Ramneek
Monday 14th of June 2021
Hey, which Kilz did you use? The link keeps leading to the drop cloth instead. Cheers!
lindseymahoney
Tuesday 15th of June 2021
Sorry about that! I updated the links to the Kilz paint I used. Here is the link: https://rstyle.me/+4wTbqISv5j4Vi66C36PJdg
Bill
Thursday 29th of April 2021
This completely broke my heart.
lindseymahoney
Friday 30th of April 2021
I understand that painting natural rocks is not for everyone, but I think it is important to create a home that brings you joy. For me, painting the rocks a bright white made me happy and brightened the room. The rocks were constantly dropping dirt and dust onto the ground and sealing them in with paint worked better for our family with this space being used as a playroom.