How to Update Fireplace Brass

I don't know about you, but brass just isn't my favorite look. Nothing seems to date my living room fireplace more than the lovely brass trim that outlines it. But since replacing the windows and doors completely was not an option, I was looking a creative way to update what I already have. Then with a little searching online, I found the perfect solution...


Rustoleum's High Heat spray paint! Really that's all there is to it with this home project, you simply spray paint over the dated, old brass and then you get a nice black updated fireplace. 


So here's a little Before picture to let you see just how my brass was looking...




Let's take a look at this week's video to see how I made it happen...



No time for the video? Here's a breakdown of the project. Starting first with the supplies you'll need for this project:
Now that we've got all our supplies, let's get started with the steps involved to make your brass go buh-bye!

Steps:
1. Clean your fireplace. It had been awhile since we've last had a fire and so I started by cleaning out all the ash and soot. I scooped it up and put it in a trash bag and then followed up with a glass cleaner to clean the windows and brass. This way when I spray painted, I would be painting brass, not dirt. 



2. Prep the area by taping and covering everything that you don't want to get spray painted. This is by far the most tedious part of the project, but it's one you don't want to skip. I used a plastic drop cloth and cut sections of it to cover the fireplace stone. Then I put painter's tape in the smaller windows. 


As you can see, I also used paper in the windows to save me from taping each inch of it. I also made sure to extend the drop cloth all the way over my carpet and the couch area near by just in case.


And since my brass was not only on the outside of the door, but also the inside...


 I ended up taping off and covering the inside of the fireplace and the inside of the doors that way I could spray paint the inside and outside all at once.


3. Open the windows, turn on a fan, and get the air flowing!  Ideally I would be using a super-green product without chemicals, or strong odors...but since I don't know of one that exists, this Rustoleum spray is all I've got. For me it still wins in the green department because of it's low price and the fact that I don't have to throw anything away, instead I just use what I already have. But one con to the spray is the smell. So take my advice and get all the air circulation you can get so you don't have to breathe the fumes in. I had to open my front door and back door, turn on the ceiling fan in the room, and make sure my kiddos were out of the house. 

4. Time to paint, the easiest and most fun part! Finally all the hard work is done, it's time to get to spraying. As you would with any type of spray paint, you'll want to shake it up ahead of time, spray close to the surface but not too close to make it puddle up or drip. 


I started on the inside of the doors and then moved to the outside, getting a steady spray all around the fireplace.


From there I let that dry for 15-20 minutes and then did a second coat.


Then for good measure I gave it a 3rd and final coat 15 minutes after that. Then I let it dry for 20 minutes. 




 5. Time to take off the tape. The paint dries fairly quickly, so 20 minutes after the final coat I started taking off the tape, plastic and paper. You may need to use your fingernail to scrape off any extra paint that may have seeped in from the tape or use the glass cleaner once more to make the new brass-free fireplace shine.


Then you're done! Here's the finished look of my now, brass-free fireplace.


It was so simple and easy to do it left me kicking myself for not doing it sooner.


So there you have it, how to update your fireplace brass. For me, this was just part one of my "fireplace makeover." Once I finished painting the brass I then tackled painting the stone which I did with a whitewashing technique using chalk paint.  Here's how that turned out...


Along with a final shot of the fireplace with our new hardwood floors (goodbye to you too carpet!).


I love how much brighter and more modern it all looks now.


Click here to learn more about how I did the whitewash technique. 

Do you have a brass fireplace? Have you ever painted one before? Share your experiences or questions below. See you next week!


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