How to Paint The Inside of a Fireplace
Comin’ atcha on a Wednesday again and it feels good to be back to my old posting schedule! If read my last post, you might have seen my little note at the end about going back to MWF. I don’t really have a big reason other than I just miss the old schedule. I hope that’s ok with you guys! Anyway, today I wanted to share how to paint the inside of a fireplace. I actually did this a few weeks ago as part of our little fireplace makeover and I seriously LOVE how it turned out. It was super duper easy and fast, which makes me wish I had done this years ago. But like I always say, better late than never, right? Right. Ok, let me show you how it looked before the paint.
Super dingy, right? It certainly wasn’t the prettiest thing, so I actually made a little DIY curtain to cover it a few years ago. (I shared how I did that in this post if you’re interested.) That was great for a while, but I was getting tired of the curtain and wanted a cleaner look. So I grabbed my paint and got to work.
I did some research before I started this project and I found that you need a high heat paint to do a fireplace box. We actually don’t even use our fireplace in the front room, but I still wanted to go that route in case we ever do. Anyway, I bought Rust-Oleum High Heat paint in black and got to work.
To start I vacuumed out all the dust, cobwebs, dirt, etc. That sucker was actually pretty dirty, so I also used a hot soapy rag to wipe everything down really well. I wanted the brick to be as clean as possible before I started painted.
Once I had everything clean and tidy I got to painting. I used a roller to apply the paint to the brick and that made the job super fast. I simply rolled it on and used a small brush for the tight areas. I only needed one coat of paint to get great coverage. Although I will say that this stuff STINKS. It has a very strong odor, similar to a stain, so I definitely recommend using a mask and opening the windows. Ok, here’s how it looks now!
So much better now, huh? I was actually surprised at how easy the whole process was and I wish I had done this sooner. I think the finished look is so clean and classic. It’s makes the whole fireplace look better!
This is the kind of project I love doing–fast, easy, and instant results. The whole thing took maybe 45 minutes and I just can’t get over the difference. Even my husband mentioned how much better it looks now. And who knew painting the inside of a fireplace would be so darn easy?! I should have done this a long time ago, but at least it’s done now. Also–can we just talk about those cute benches? I picked them up from Hobby Lobby yesterday and they were on clearance. Cue the happy dance!!
Well I hope this helped if you’ve been wanting to paint the inside of your fireplace too! Also be sure to check out this post if you want to see how I painted the fireplace brick white. And let me know if you have any questions! xo
More easy DIY posts you might like:
How to Paint an Interior Door Black
DIY Coat Rack with Vintage Tin
In this Post
The Comments
Jessica
Yes! Been waiting to hear about how you did it! Perfect! I’m off to it now!
Sarah
> Jessicayay good luck Jessica! xo
Wendy
> JessicaHow do you keep it clean once you start a fire in it or is yours just for looks?
Kim Shields
I have been wanting to paint my fireplace inside and out forever, thanks for sharing how to do it. Do you have a post on how you painted the fireplace brick on the outside? I need to get that done too!
Sarah
> Kim ShieldsYES! I should have linked that. You can see it here: https://sarahjoyblog.com/paint-brick-fireplace/
Andrea Mack
Yay Sarah, I’m so glad you went back to the M, W, F schedule! As for the fireplace, what a HUGE difference that made…I absolutely love it!!!
Thanks for sharing so much with us all❤️❤️❤️
Sarah
> Andrea Mackthanks Andrea, I’m glad to be back in the old schedule too!!
Melissa Filson
Love the way this turned out Sarah! I painted the outside brick on our fireplace but I think I’m gonna have to try this on the inside!! I love your new little benches too!! I laughed when I saw your stories because I had just told my husband that I hadn’t been to Hobby Lobby in a long time so I’m stopping in after my hair appointment today! My mom will have the kiddos so I even get to go by myself!!! Happy dancing here! 🙌🙌
Kathy Shannon
Love it! So fresh and looks like new!
Pat Jones
Looks much cleaner and nicer. I painted my fireplace black also in my previous home. Was a job but the outcome was worth it.
Grace
The fireplace, inside and out look amazing. Thank you for the tip I am totally doing this.
The benches and table look fab.
Vicki
Wow, what a difference! A stack of birch logs or an iron candleholder with flameless battery candles (they even have some with remote controls!) would be really pretty if you wanted to add something to the space😊or even a basket of greenery.
Joann Scholl
That looks so good! I would have never thought I could do something like this. So cool!
Kelly Madamba
I have the stuco ugly bullnose mantel ugly pinkish tile and want to do everything. Going to paint the inside ,yours is beautiful. Any ideas for the rest of it? That’s budget friendly pls? Thank you. Love your benches too!!!
Janella
This looks fantastic Sarah!! Easy peasy and quick too! Thanks for sharing😍
Sarah
> JanellaYou’re right, Janella. So easy peasy and quick–my favorite kind of project!
Tracey
LOVE it! Thanks so much for posting exactly the project and inspiration I’ve been waiting for. This is absolutely the next DIY on my to do list.
Sarah
> Traceyoh yay!! Good luck with it Tracey.
Mandy Lesko
Hi. Just wanted to make you aware that your post inspired me to use this paint to pretty up my fireplace before listing my home on the market. The fireplace did not pass inspection because although this product is rated for high heat, it is not rated for exposure to direct flames and it is not recommended for the insides of fireplaces. Its also not easy to remove so I will likely have to replace the entire firebox before I can sell my home or use the fireplace.
Laurie Patterson
> Mandy LeskoI was wondering it’s safe to use inside a fireplace, where the paint is exposed to direct flames. High-heat paint isn’t the same is direct flames. Bummer.
Dog on the internet
> Mandy LeskoThanks for this comment. Sorry about your experience but this is really helpful to me. Did you find a solution? Is there a paint we can safely use for this purpose?
Jean Johns
> Mandy LeskoInstead of painting the inside of a firebox, especially with a toxic material that is horrible for humans and the Earth, consider natural alternatives such as a layer of beach pebbles or other decorative rocks. Just make sure they weren’t coated in a flammable substance first!
Susan Moore
I love it! Have done a search on this before but could never find anything! I only use my fireplace 2 or 3 times a year and wasn’t sure what was safe to paint the inside with. Thank you! Can’t wait to do it!
Sarah
> Susan Mooregood luck Susan!
Chance
Hi! Paint rep here, first off it looks super good. Not trying to be negative, but the specs on that paint specifically say not for use on inside of fireplace. If it’s purely decorative that’s fine, but the paint could fail if you light a fire in there. If it doesn’t, then that’s great, but just wanted to give a heads up!
Lacey Tyo
> ChanceIs there a specific paint you know we can use?
We
How long does it take the odor go away
Joe
> WeI just did this yesterday using the spray paint. Let me tell you, the odor is STRONG!!!! Stronger than I was expecting. I’m guesstimating I had windows open for 2 hours and bowls of vinegar and baking soda all over to help absorb the smell. Sad part is, one can of spray paint wasn’t enough so I now I have to do it again. Ugh!!!
Rachel Martinez
Thank you! Now for custom fire screen door
Wiz
Looks great. Have you made fires since painting. Has it been ok?
Patty
Thank you
I went to the hardware store and they made it seem so ridiculously hard
I have a few things to return now!
pallavi banerjee
Hi! How is the firebox paint holding up after lighting fires?
Jennifer
Where is this X side table from?
Swisher House
Hi, the painted look always looks better than the dingy look a fireplace usually carries, but you should really consider removing or updating this blog post because this paint is HIGHLY TOXIC should someone decide to use their fireplace again or sell their home to someone uninformed. Significant toxicity from this type of paint inside a firebox, direct to fire vs. high-heat grills, etc.
Julie
Hi- what color are the walls in these pictures?
Thanks!
Myra
Hi, just wanted to say I am doing the same thing and I bought Rustoleum High Heat Paint. But I found in reading the directions it specifically states not for use around open flames. You can paint around the fireplace or grill or grate but not inside. I had to go to a specialty paint store to get paint for the interior of my fireplace. Just thought I would let you know. Otherwise,great info.
Janis Segal
> MyraHi Myrna
I would really appreciate you letting me know what you bought for the inside of your fireplace. I have spent hours researching what paint to use for this purpose. Two fireplace stores said they use the Rustoleum high heat barbecue paint but Rustoleum tells you not to use it near open flames. I’m considering Rutland high temperature paint but was just told by a customer representative basically the same story about not using it near open flames. I’m so confused. Do you have any other suggestions please? Thank you, Janis Segal
Thomas
I just called rust-oleum about their high heat paint and the rep said that no of their products are recommended for inside fire places. They are heat resistance but not flame resistance. I needed to paint inside one so i called them to make sure.
Eric
I am redoing a fireplace. I will use the fireplace. Does that paint work on brick/concrete interior fireplace wall? What type of paint was it that you used?
ThNk you