Painted Stone Fireplace

To paint or not to paint brick or stone fireplaces is always a big decision.  This question is the most popular topic I get emails about.  I have to admit I’m fearless when it comes to painting brick or stone.  I realize it’s permanent, but I have always liked the results.  When we first purchased our Connecticut home I was convinced we would demo the fireplace and replace it with something more traditional.  Once we started exploring that option, we realized it was expensive and we would still have a raised hearth.  So with expense in mind and results not what we wanted, we decided to have it painted white.  Basically that’s my answer to every design dilemma.  Have you ever painted brick or stone?

Painted Stone Fireplace

My favorite white paint is  Benjamim Moore Cloud White. Or if you are out west, Dunn Edwards Whisper White.  It’s not too white or too creamy.  It’s a true white, but still warm without any yellow.  I repaint the fireplace about once a year to freshen it up.

White Paint Colors

                                                           Before

Painted Stone Fireplaces {Before}

Our painters were still not convinced that I really meant everything painted white.

 

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127 Comments

  1. I love your painted stone fireplace. Our tract house fireplace, in southern California, had a painted brick fireplace when we moved in. Like you, expense kept us from making more than a mantle change. While it’s not the fireplace of my dreams, I like the ease of keeping it fresh with some paint.
    Karen

  2. Do you also use the same color for trim? I’m getting ready to paint our living room since half of the walls have new sheet rock on them. Thinking of using the same color as the trim to make the choice of picking a white easier.

      1. Which finish for the walls and trim? I’m getting ready to paint my walls (and fireplace ??) cloud white. Should I do a satin trim or semi gloss? Thanks!!

        1. Hi Laura,
          I just checked our paint cans to be sure–we used semi-gloss for trim and matte finish for walls in Regal Select by Benjamin Moore. Good luck with your painting project! I love to see before & after photos is you have a minute. You could text them to me at 917-349-4215.
          Annie

  3. It’s perfect Annie! I wish you were in SoCal to give me some painting advice. 🙂 It’s so hard for me.

  4. I couldn’t do it! Yours looks fabulous and I know my brick would look nice. But at night with a fire going the brick takes on a warm glow to it. Stops me every time from picking up that brush.

  5. You might have changed my mind on the white paint thing. I love the color of your house so…

    And, yeah, I always have a hard time with contractors believing I KNOW what I want. The glass from cupboards in my kitchen for example. Ugh.

  6. Beautiful! I love white. The shade and fiinish you chose completely transformed that space, especially with the addition of the white pillows.

  7. bravo! and thank you for this post, i have a client with a 70’s stone fireplace like yours which they hate. thought i was crazy when suggested painting. yours is beautiful
    debra

  8. I am so inspired by this picture that we’re painting our two story stacked stone fireplace the exact same color tomorrow. I love what you’ve done and hope ours turns out even a fraction as beautiful and I’d be thrilled. The grout between our stones is really crumbly – so wondering if you faced any difficulty getting the paint in between the stones? Also – your annual refresh of the paint – is that because the paint comes off in places? or absorbs and lightens over time? Very curious as for us, with the two story factor, I really would rather not have to re-do this annually.

    Thanks again for the inspiration!
    Warmly in Colorado,
    Alex

    1. Hi Alex,
      I would love to see before and afters! The grout was pretty crumbly as well and the paint seems to take care of that. The reason I repaint to freshen it up is that it starts to look a little dingy. The paint does not come off or chip at all, but a fresh coat just seems to freshen it up. It does not take long and if I had used the “correct” paint I would not have had to do the entire thing. I clearly marked my can of paint this time and will only do the area around the fireplace opening next time. I hope you love your results and would love to see!
      Have a great day! I’m from Denver btw!
      annie

  9. I love your use of white and how it brightens and lifts up the whole space. But it’s also nice to see fireplaces in historical homes from any era left in their original condition or traditional style. I guess that in the end, this requires good judgement to know the right way to go with any home.

    1. I agree! If this fireplace had been original I would not have painted it….It’s so massive that we are guessing a stone mason once lived here.

  10. Great decision on your fireplace. It looks WONDERFUL! Thanks for sharing. I had not considered doing this at my house but now I’m thinking its a good idea. 🙂

  11. What sheen of paint did you use for this? I am planning on tackling this exact project next week! Love the look of yours!

    1. Hi Hillary,
      Originally it was painted with a flat finish, then when I went back to touch up I used a satin finish….which meant that I needed to do the entire fireplace again. The second time around is not that bad and it really did freshen it up. Good luck with your project!
      annie

  12. II just bought a house with a huge white fireplace. Was going to paint it a different color until I saw this. Did you have to prime it first?

  13. Hi, It looks beautiful! I am also wondering what sheen you liked best? And what sheen did you use for the trim?

    Thanks, Lis

    1. I think I prefer the satin….it’s not shiny, but it does allow a little spot cleaning as necessary. Sometimes even just putting the Sunday newspaper on the stone makes it dirty and I can easily clean it with soapy water. Hope that helps!

    1. Hi Crystal,
      It was painted with a brush, but I do think spraying it would be easier and have better coverage. Stone and brick really soaks up the paint. Good luck!
      annie

  14. We are going to tackle our wall to wall floor to celling brown rock fireplace this weekend. I finally have my husband convinced! I’ve seen in your comments that the satin finish was preferred, but my question is I have light brown walls, and dark wood floors with white trim. Do you think I could still get away with white rocks? and in my research I’ve seen that some people recommend praying the wall with water before you paint to that the rock and grout doesn’t soak in as much paint? Did you do this?

    Thank you so much and I love you style!

  15. Such a beautiful look! You have inspired and excited me! We just started a Reno in our family room and I was not loving the fireplace at all. Lack of funds has dictated we can’t change or redo the fireplace wall, you have shown me such a gorgeous alternative! Our fireplace isn’t functional right now but we intend to switch it to gas next year as it is the best alternative. Will the paint be an issue if the fireplace is functioning?

    1. Hi Laurie,
      Yes, we also switched our fireplace from wood burning to gas. We had the box painted black and they used a high heat paint just for fireplaces. The white is just regular paint. Painting it white makes such high difference! Good luck with your family room renovation.
      Annie

  16. Hi Annie,
    This looks quite nice. Is there a link to how you did this exactly? no primer I assume? How many coats? Our fireplace is wood burning so I’m wondering if we would have to repaint often as yours requires an annual coat and it’s gas.
    Also, would love to see a shot of how you worked in the color scheme for surrounding furniture. We are thinking of a cream carpet.
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Melanie,
      I think it would be a good idea to use a primer because that first coat of paint rally soaks it up. If your fireplace is in good working order, you may not even have to paint it every year. Our house was built in 1900 and everything needs maintenance! I think cream carpet would look beautiful with white stone. In fact, we have faux sheepskin pillows from Pottery Barn in cream color on our fireplace and I love the look of white and cream. Good luck!
      annie

  17. It looks fabulous!!! Such a awesome job u did. I am so thinking abt doing the same thing but i am afraid ours is wood burning as well. I wonder how often i have to freshen up the paint. Do u have any good idea? Or if we decide to change it to a gas how much would it cost to convert it?

    1. Hi,
      I think it would probably get dark around the fire opening, but you could clean it and then repaint just the part around the opening maybe every spring. We did convert ours from wood burning to gas and I wish I could remember the price…I think the labor was around $1,000 but not sure.
      annie

  18. Hi Annie! Your fireplace turned out amazing! We own a home built in the 70s with a fireplace that looks very similar to this. My sister suggested painting it white and even though I have an obsession with white, I thought she was crazy! ? After seeing your picture, I would love to go white. However, the stone is not only on the fireplace, but covers 2 of the 4 walls in our living room. One of the stone less walls also holds the staircase and the other stone less wall has a large window so it feels like most of the room is stone. Do you think going white would be too much since there is so much of it? Also, the previous owner painted it already. She lightened it from the traditional dark brown to a grayish/light brown color. I think I’m nervous since I don’t totally hate it the way it is. Thank you!!

      1. Hi there,
        I recently bought a house with Mexican tile, filthy grout and a floor to ceiling (very high) original coral fireplace. I can’t bear the stress or expense of tearing out clay floors. I’m thinking of painting the floors with marine paint and can’t decide wether to do it in shiny or matte finish. The fireplace will look very dated with the new look of the floor, but it’s already light and very textured. Would you mind if I sent you some pictures? I’d love your opinion??
        Thank you,
        Leanne

  19. I absolutely love this! We have a stone fireplace that goes up pretty high. I am dying to do this, but just don’t the exact type of paint to purchase and just how much work it will be. I would rather not have to pay anyone to do this, since I just paid someone to paint the room and it’s ridiculously high ceilings. I have lived with this stone for almost 10 years and I think it’s always driven me crazy! Can you share the type of Benjamin Moore paint you used? I am fine to have to touch it up every year if it’s simple enough. Thanks!

    1. Hi Cassandre,
      We used Aura paint the last time, but really any paint will work fine. The important thing is to remember which paint so that if you do need to go back and touch up you won’t have to do the entire thing. We really like the painted stone/brick look. It makes the look much less “busy” in a
      room. If you decide to do it, I hope you love it!
      annie

  20. Love your painted fireplace! We renovated our kitchen which is right next to our family room which has a 1980’s stone fireplace and it really screams rustic! It does not fit in with our renovation. We looked into having it covered with sheet rock, molding and a new mantel, but we didn’t want to spend anymore money. My kitchen is a very off white, more towards the yellow tones, my walls are benjamim more Sandy Brown and all the molding in the family room is matched to the kitchen cabinets. Also, the large hood above my stove is painted to look like limestone, but in the same color as the cabinets. Would you recommend painting our stone fireplace the same color as the kitchen cabinites?

  21. Please advise if a thin coat of poly on brick fireplace would affect painting. My walls are light tan, not sure if the brown bricks should be white or a darker shade of the walls
    Thank you!

  22. I absolutely love this. I have an entire wall of stone with a fireplace. I’ve never liked the stone. I think I’m gonna try this. Is there an address I can send a pic to, to get your advice?

  23. I asked about the trim color on another pic but see here that u used the same color on everything but different finish. So if your walls are satin what finish is the trim in? Thanks….I just love your home! I’d love to send u pics of my home for color choices?

    1. Bonnie!
      I’m sorry if I did not respond. Yes, we did use the color on both trim, ceiling and walls. Just a different finish on trim. I’ll find a paint can and send you a pic if that helps?
      Have a great day!
      annie

  24. I painted my stone fireplace using Annie Sloan Paris Gray. I even added white to the paint and it’s still darker than I want. Can I just paint over it with a satin or gloss white?

    1. Hi Kathy,
      If you are sure it’s too dark I think it will serve as an excellent base coat for painting it a lighter color. The hard part is done…that first coat of paint. I wish you the best and hope you are happy with the results. I would love to see a pic if you have time. [email protected]
      Annie

  25. Hi! I love what you did to your fire place. I am in the process of painting my stone fire place white and I want to add a white mantel to it as well. Do you mind me asking where you got your mantel and was it hard to mount on a stone fire place?

    1. HI Sarah,
      Here’s a link to an update where at the bottom you can see the link to the mantel. https://mostlovelythings.com/painted-stone-fireplace-update/ It comes unfinished and we decided to paint it white like the fireplace because I really didn’t want to attract more attention the the stone. I’ve seen them finished in a nice warm stain and that looks nice too, just not on ours. We did not use the brackets. My husband used a stone drill bit and lag bolts (the size depends on the weight). Drill a hole in the stone, pound the lag bolts in and insert bolts and tighten. You bolt the wood that comes with the mantel and then the mantel sits on top of that wood. It sort of lifts on into place. You may have to use shims to make it sit flush in areas where the stone is uneven. Hope this helps!
      Annie

  26. Hey A-
    We have a duplex rental property and I’ve gutted it completely and the fireplace still is the Bain of my existence…not really, but I keep tossing the idea of painting it! Now after seeing yours I’m gonna finally do it! Question is do you think I could get away with using primer and paint mixed together in satin sheen? I have Accessible Beige SW on the walls–
    so what color of paint would you suggest???
    Thx in advance for your inspiration!!!

  27. Is the mantel painted the same color as rock? Exactly what color is on your rock and what is on the mantle? You fp is beautiful.

  28. I am in the process of painting pretty much every room in our 1880 farmhouse white. My color of choice is also Benjamin Moore Cloud White. It is not a “blinding” white and looks beautiful in every room. We have a huge fireplace made of stone found on the property (there is a center stone carved with 1885 on the hearth) that looks similar to yours so your post validated my desire to paint ours. Farmhouse DIY has become my hobby and is almost therapeutic for me. With a large old farmhouse I can always look around and come up with, “What to do next?”

    1. Your house sounds amazing! And I agree with your comments on Cloud White. With an old house, you never run out of projects! Especially a big one!

  29. Wondering if you’ve ever painted a stone backsplash. Mine is a peachy beige tumbled travertine that I would love to freshen up. It also has some small glass tiles mixed in, and I’m not sure how well the latex paint would stick to them. I’m kind of afraid it would make it look worse!

  30. I’m wondering what type of paint you used. Due to the heat from the fire was there any peeling or flaking that happened? Do you repaint it every year because it has black soot above fire opening? and did you prime first and also prior to your recoat every year?

    1. Hi Vennessa,
      Any paint will work for the outside. We have gas logs so it does not get that hot, but the outside stone would not get hot enough to cause paint to peel. For the black inside we used a paint meant just for that. I would use a primer for the first coat, but when I go back and touch up–I just use the paint.
      Annie

  31. I have that same stone fireplace as well and I am just doing research, and thang how yours turned out, I am definitely going to paint mine is white my walls are white as well and I was wondering what that me too much white. Thank you your snacks beautiful.

    1. Hi Pat,
      I do not think painting the walls and stone white is too much. In fact, it’s my preference. I feel that painted stone or brick adds plenty with texture, so that painting it white is the best option and walls too!
      Annie

  32. Did you clean the stone prior to oainting? If so, may I ask with what? Was there any other prep work you did prior to painting?

    Thank YOU,

    1. Hi Kathleen,
      To clean, I would use something like a wire brush to remove any loose material and then vacuum if possible or a good stiff brush. Stone is pretty forgiving due to the imperfections of it. Let me know if you proceed. I would love to see!
      Annie

  33. Thank you……you not only answered a lot of my questions but reassured me I am making a good decision. The pictures and paint watches were helpful.

  34. I am so, so happy to have found this post. THANK YOU for sharing, it’s really helped me come to a final decision. I’ve been wanting to paint our stone fireplace for a long time but have yet to start the project for fear of getting in over my head or regretting ever doing it. See, when you walk in our home and look to the right you see our bright, white, newly renovated kitchen but when you look to the left you see a massive rock fire place with dark stone, marks and discolored grout. It sucks in all the light, dates the house and NEEDS to go.
    CURIOUS… How did you prep/clean the rock surface before you primed it? I’ve been discouraged by the idea that the stone needs a thorough acid wash by professionals. I’m hoping you’ll say that’s not the case.
    THANKS!

    1. Hi Rachel,
      It sounds like you will love your stone fireplace if you paint it. I know what you mean about walking in and seeing your beautiful new kitchen and then the massive stone fireplace…not exactly shiny and new! My answer to everything I don’t like is to either paint it white or black. (our garage is black) and it needed to be! Anyway, we did not do a lot of prep for painting the stone. I would vacuum or use a broom to clean any debris and use an old brush to apply a heavy primer. The first coat seems difficult and then it gets easier. We definitely did not use an acid wash. A designer friend of mine has had several clients stone fireplaces painted white too! She keeps sending me photos of before and after! I would love a photo of yours. Good luck! [email protected]

  35. hi- I am gong to paint my stone fireplace white. I have. Benjamin Moore Chantilly lace walls. did you prime your fireplace first? how did you get the paint so even? thanks

    1. Hi Karen,
      Yes, we primed it first and then two of coats of paint. I think you’ll see that as you are painting, it will even out by the time you are on the second coat. Good luck! We are still happy that we painted ours!
      Annie

    1. Hi Diane–most recently I used the Annie Sloan paint and it’s a flat paint. I’ve used both finishes and really either is fine. I love using the Annie Sloan for coverage, it’s amazing!

  36. Is your calling the same
    White ?????

    I feel like I’m in an asylum when we have all white …. like there’s no beginning & no end
    Maybe it’s because that room wasn’t quite put together

    This is lovely

    Cindy

    1. Hi Cindy,
      We do have the same color on walls and ceilings and also at the store where I work a few days a week, Serena & Lily. I love how white just makes a room feel open, bright and a blank canvas just waiting for art and furniture. Do you have rugs? I only have one in my entry and one in the living room in front of the fireplace and I probably could use another.
      Annie

    1. Hi Bonnie,

      I have a few posts where I talk about painting it, most recently I used Annie Sloan and the coverage is amazing! I would use a primer first because the first coat really soaks up the paint and there’s no sense in using an expensive paint first. I also used a foam roller and that made it go so much faster. They wear out pretty quickly, so get a few to have on hand. Let me know if you decided to take on this project. I always love before and afters. https://mostlovelythings.com/painted-stone-brick-fireplace-chalk-paint/
      Good Luck!
      annie

      1. Hi! What color in Annie Sloan did you use? I am getting ready to paint a 1970’s moss rock fireplace. How crucial is it to remove all the dried moss? I’m getting the brunt of it off, but it’s an arduous task! Thank you!

  37. SO lucky that I found this post through Pinterest! I used it at a complete tutorial, but also as the last motivation needed, to paint our stone fireplace. The transformation took 4 hours, start to finish, and $45 for Ben Moore Primer and Ben Moore paint. I’m so happy with the results and only wish I did it four years ago! THANK YOU for your advice and information here!

    1. Forgot to add – my advice is to use a large, soft brush for the primer and paint. Then, when paint is drying, use a small foam brush to get in all of the nooks of the stone and edges near the walls that the brush couldn’t get to!

    2. Hi Lee,
      I’m so happy to hear that you are happy with the end results of your painted stone. Thank you for adding the tips, I think a lot of readers will be happy to hear and know what a difference 4 hours and $45 can make! It would love to see before and after photos if you had a minute to send. You could text them if that’s easier. 917-349-4215. Thanks for reading MLT and for taking the time to comment!
      Best,
      Annie

  38. Hi, I just painted my entire house in white Dove OC, the painters also asked me twice if I wanted the walls also white lol, I was terrified because the house had everything beige and golden sand color, even the floor is a shade of beige travertine and I wasn’t sure how would all look white.
    The outcome of the paint was beautiful I love the ceiling to floor white, but, I have a yellow beige fire place that looks out of place, I’m worried that if I paint it, there is no return and if it looks bad it would be a $$$mistake.
    Was it latex what you used in your fire place? Or oil? Thanks for posting this blog it gives me a good idea of what it could look like. I notice cede this isn’t a new blog but I would appreciate your comments.

    1. HI Maria,
      We always use water-based paint, so much easier for clean-up! I would love to see a photo of your room with the fireplace you are considering painting. You could text me if that’s easier. 917-349-4215. Doesn’t white make everything feel so light and fresh?
      Annie

  39. I recently started following you on IG and love your photos of your home. When I saw your painted fireplace I gasped because it looks so similar to ours (1940s Connecticut colonial). Our huge, stone fireplace takes up so much space in our tiny living room. I’ve been wanting to paint it white but (as a non designer type person) I’m super nervous about such a drastic change. You’ve totally given me the guts to do it. My biggest concern though is the trim nearby. Our walls are a nice light green color. But there is white door trim right against the stone on one side (and window trim nearby on the other side). I’m worried if the white of the fireplace doesn’t match the trim it will look bad. Any thoughts?

    1. Hi Kiasa,
      I am so sorry for the very late response. For some reason several of my comments just appeared.I have no idea why, but anyway…catch me up, did you paint your fireplace? Let’s talk!
      Annie

  40. Hi! Love your fireplace! It has inspired me & I’m going to paint my fireplace now too. Two questions- do I need special fire proof paint & do we need to prime the fireplace first? Thank you so much!

  41. Hi! I’m so excited to have stumbled across this post in doing a search for “Dunn Edwards Whisper”. The painters come on Monday and I am 90% sure this the color I am going to use on everything. The ceilings are already DE White and then I plan to do Whisper in satin on the walls and whisper in semi gloss on trim, doors, cabinets and fireplace. I am wondering if you still love whisper? Our house doesn’t get a lot of natural light in some rooms and I’ve heard whisper is good for that. I would love your thoughts? Also do you think I should do satin or semi gloss on our stone fireplace? We are covering up very 70’s style brown stone. And the stone covers the lower portion of the entire wall with a wood mantle separating the stone and the wall. The walls are currently a saturated harvest gold. I can’t wait for it all to be white but so nervous about picking the wrong shade/finish. I have a one year old so I need some sheen to be able to clean easily. Any thoughts/opinions are greatly appreciated!!

    1. Hi Carolyn,
      I still love DunnEdwards Whisper White, but we live in Connecticut now…Dunn Edwards is not available on the East Coast. I think it’s a great white for any house…with or without a lot of natural light. I would’t be too concerned about choosing the right finish…but if you use several different finishes– mark those cans! I always think I’m going to remember and I end up touching up with the wrong one! I painted our fireplace a few times and used a satin once and a flat another time. Both looked great, but the satin was a little easier to clean. I think you will be so happy with white when you have brown stone and harvest gold wall…I would LOVE to see before and after photos. Good luck!
      Annie

  42. Hi . I have a Lava rock very 1980’s dated cream fireplace..floor to ceiling is 15 feet and 9 feet wide. It’s a focal point of the great room. I have shopped for stacked stone and the cost and amount of demo has me reconsidering ripping it out and replacing the entire rock with stacked limestone rock or something similar. Then I stumbled onto your Pinterest photo. I’m wondering if you think the cream lava rock would look well painted? Or just paint the dark grey grout to a matching color? Wish there was a way to post a picture of my current fireplace.

    1. Hi Sharon- for the stone we used regular wall paint. If you are talking about the interior fire box that we painted black–we did use high heat paint that you can buy to use specifically for this (like grill paint). Hope that helps! annie

  43. I am getting ready to paint my stone fireplace white. I wanted to be sure I understand you used the same color as your trim. I have white simi-gloss trim. Wondering if I need to use a lower gloss or not. Did you use straight paint no water needed?

    1. I painted it a few times. The first time we painted it like the trim so it has a little shine. The second time I painted over it using Chalk Paint and that was fine too! The only problem I ever had was forgetting what paint I used and then if I wanted to touch up where it got dirty…if I used the wrong paint…then I had to go back and do the entire thing again. The first time is much more time consuming, but then it takes like an hour. Good luck! Send me a photo!

  44. I’m curious what paint finish you used on the walls, trim, and rock? That is, did you use egg shell on the walls, semi gloss on trim and rock, etc? We are about to remodel our downstairs, and love the BM Cloud White, and will likely do the exact same that you did. Thanks!

  45. Can you tell me the paint you used on the black fireplace?
    To me it looks like the mortar paint is different than the stone paint. Am I correct? We love this and want to do this too!
    Please and thank you

    1. Hi Cindy,
      We painted the stone and mortar with a Behr satin enamel (water-based) paint. It was so easy. We did paint the inside with a heat resistant paint. It’s holding up great! Hope that helps!
      a

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