Have you been thinking about painting your brick fireplace? Teetering between the brick is pretty but paint would be a fresh change? It's worth the risk and here's why....

Let's start at the beginning, the brick was the only redeeming feature in this room, when we moved into the home.
 It felt dark and yellow with the knotty pine walls and 3 sets of built-ins (one not shown). We removed the built in by the windows and painted the walls with Farrow & Ball paint using color #286 Peignoir.

This made space for our leather chair while opening up & brightening the room.

This view, across from the fireplace, has dramatically changed! We ripped out the built in that was where the sofa is now and took down some fluorescent lighting in the ceiling above.

My husband built the mantle and soon we realized that the brick would need to be painted. The look was reading rustic which wasn't what we were going for in this room.

Side note: We sampled a few wood stains for the mantle and ended up using Weatherwood Stains in "Reclamation" via the recommendation of Thomas Mach Interiors- you can read that review HERE:)

Let the painting begin!  We removed everything from the fireplace and vacuumed the brick to remove any loose mortar and dust.

Next, the husband applied one coat of Farrow & Ball Masonry Primer Paint. It looked like glue and dried clear. This step is key as it holds in any loose mortar and makes the surface smooth for painting.

The brick has a sheen once it's completely covered in primer. It dries in about an hour.

Next the Farrow & Ball masonry paint was applied. Thomas Mach Interiors helped us select the exact kind of paint and sheen we needed for our brick.

Farrow & Ball offers a wide variety of paints and sheens. They also have a paint specific for masonry and it has a 15 year guarantee. This was important as we have a working wood fireplace and wanted to make sure the paint was safe and extra durable!

WHAT WE USED:

1. Farrow & Ball Masonry primer
2. Farrow & Ball Masonry paint- this will provide the best durability and coverage.
3. Farrow & Ball 4" Masonry brush  

After applying 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint we were extremely pleased with the outcome!

This is the view from our front door. I love looking into this room! It now appears larger and brighter. We left the screen off & the wood box empty since spring is coming and we loved the clean look.


Why we recommend Farrow & Ball Paint:

• The masonry brush- was sturdy and the bristles designed to work with a rough surface. The brush has a blend of synthetic and natural bristles. 
• The masonry primer- was key! Our fireplace was built in 1972 and while we vacuumed the fireplace prior to priming it- we have found there tends to be tiny amount of loose mortar and dust. The Farrow & ball primer created the perfect seal so there was no loose grit once we painted
• The masonry paint- two coats was perfect. The paint brush held a ton of paint and the paint covered nicely. In the past, when using a synthetic brush and regular paint, it took numerous coats and lots of strokes. It was a never ending project but with Farrow & Ball it was a smooth project.
• Price- while Farrow & Ball is not inexpensive it delivers in quality and time savings. The cost comes out comparable when you consider you use less paint then other brands as it covers better.
• Unique color selection - each color has incredible depth and changes with lighting. It is not a one dimensional cheap paint
• Safety- being the water based there is virtually no odor- nice when painting a family room and being pregnant;) It is eco-friendly and safe for the whole family
• Finishes- Farrow & Ball provides a finish for every task in multiple sheens!
• Personal preference- We have used all the large paint brands and prefer the unique color and coverage of Farrow & Ball. The paint is durable and beautiful- a wining combo in my book

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