This is an easy DIY weekend project, won’t cost a lot of money and will make an instant difference in the look of your room. It’s also a great way to hide brick and mortar repairs.

• Start by protecting the floor around the fireplace with plastic drop cloths. Next lightly clean your fireplace with a wire brush and vacuum off the debris. Then use TSP or a good brick and stone cleaner and give the brick a scrub. Allow brick to completely dry.
• Check for any cracks in bricks or missing mortar and repair if necessary.
• Use painter’s tape to mask areas that will not be painted like the mantle, insert, walls and floor.
• Seal the bricks and mortar with a masonry sealer before applying paint. The sealer will provide better paint coverage and prevent stains from coming through. Make sure you get the sealer in all the nooks and crannies. Do a second coat if necessary. Let dry completely.
• Next, paint the brick and mortar surface with standard interior latex wall paint. Use a thick nap roller to get the paint in the brick valleys. Use a brush to fill in any deep areas the roller missed. Apply two or more coats.

Note: These instructions are for painting the outside brick of the fireplace. To paint the firebox, clean the stone or brick and use high-heat paint.