When we moved into our house, I loved the view. I loved the neighborhood. I loved the potential. But most everything else needed a lot of work.
We have been here nearly five years now (gasp!) and in that time, we have knocked down walls, pulled up carpet, blasted a hole in the foundation and put in a staircase…
But.
We have never gotten around to fixing one of the most hideous features in the house: the fireplace.
The way our fireplace looked when we first moved in…and the way it stayed until about a week ago.
Sometime, somewhere, someone thought a fireplace should be tiled in black faux marble with white grout. Sometime, somewhere, someone thought gold trim would be a great accent on said fireplace. Sometime, somewhere, someone realized this was a bad idea and tried to fix it by applying fake board and white trim to the mantel.
That did not help.
We bought the house with the horrible black tile and white grout. I spent many nights nursing twins on our sofa and staring at that fireplace until I developed a tick in my eye. I hated it so much. But, other projects always took priority until one day, I actually showed up in the living room with a crowbar.
Just before I ripped the first glossy veined tile off the wall, a thought occurred to me. Why not paint the tiles? If it doesn’t work, you can always rip them off then. But if it does work, you’ve saved yourself a bunch of time and money.
And that is exactly how I went from the photo above to the photo below for less than $10.
A lot of bang for my buck
Here’s how I did it:
1) The previous owners had attempted to hang something from the fireplace using double-sided sticky tape. Bad idea.
Because of the damage, I had to tape off the surround and spray paint it (in the house) using an oil-rubbed bronze color.
2) I did the same thing with the fireplace screen in order to rid the world of one more piece of fake gold trim.
God trim= endangered home decorating fad
This took many, many coats. In retrospect, I should have coughed up the extra few dollars for the more expensive spray paint. I used Krylon brand and was not impressed. DO NOT USE THAT PAINT. The paint did not want to stick, even though I lightly sanded the trim, just in case. Also, it flaked off with the slightest touch. Not cool.
I’ve used Rust-Oleum for lots of projects (including drawer pulls) and have never had that problem. So, I’ll very likely have to re-do this portion of the project because I was cheap. In the end, it was not worth a $2 savings.
3) While waiting for coats of spray paint to dry, I sanded the tile lightly then painted it with one coat of oil-based primer. I had some in the garage so this did not cost anything. If you have to buy it, go with Kilz brand. Don’t settle for anything less. It is not worth a bad result.
*P.S. I’m not getting paid to say good things about these products. They just work!
The surround after primer. It already looks the best it has in 5 years.
4) The next day, after the primer had dried completely, I painted over it with white enamel paint. I wasn’t sure what color to paint the tile at first, but I was hoping that painting it white would create a built-in look.
Besides, I had leftovers of the white paint.
However, enamel would have been a good choice anyway. This surround is not going to have to stand up to a lot of wear and tear, but I wanted to mimic a tile feel, and enamel paint is pretty close.
This took three coats of paint. If the tile had been a lighter color, two coats would have been sufficient. But that lovely black tile died hard.
5) We picked up some trim pieces at a local building supply liquidation store. The wide 4″ trim piece cost less than $3. It was just a little too narrow, so I purchased a coordinating trim piece for another $3. The handsome hubby helped to cut it and I nailed it up.
I painted the trim with the same enamel paint for a cohesive look. I did sand between the coats of paint on the top layer of the mantel because of some damage done to the top of the mantel (perhaps that’s why the previous owners stuck that fake wood on it!) but sanding is not always necessary. If you want a smoother look, sand. But I found sanding wasn’t really necessary for most of this project.
6) The end result is so beautiful, I wish I had done it years ago.
What do you think? Are you going to go paint some tile, or would you rather know how to make that wreath?
i am wondering if i can paint white over dark brown grout
Have you used the fireplace since painting?
I am considering doing the same but wondering how the paint held up to the heat?
Looks great btw!
HI there,
I’m ready to make the leap, myself! I’m wondering what brand and “variety” of enamel paint you used AND did it withstand the heat from the fireplace?
Thanks!
@
WOW! You did a great job. Exactly was I was looking for so thank you for sharing all the details!
So glad it helped, Katie! Have fun with your project!
Kristen, I hope you will take the time to help me with a dilemma I’m having. My fireplace walls, front, and both sides, from floor to ceiling is 12 feet high. It measures 70 inches across and 22 inches on each side. The actual fireplace opening is in the lower center of the 12 feet. It is a gas burning fireplace. It has a porcelain ceramic tile that is 12×24 (fairly recent redo) with no grout lines. I would like to change the look by painting it. My question is, will the paint adhere to the tile once it gets hot? Not all of the walls get the same amount of heat but of course, the area closest to the opening gets very hot. Do you know what temperature the paint will take and whether it is recommended to paint a fireplace that actually gets really hot? I have been trying to research this matter but I haven’t been able to find any information. I know I should use a particular type of primer first and then apply an enamel paint. But no reference to fireplace types for painting. PLEASE RESPOND.
Kristen,
Thank you!! I have been putting off transforming my fireplace, I knew what I wanted but didn’t know if it was even possible until now. I have the opposite, I have white shiny tile with the hideous gold around the glass enclosure. (somehow your white tile fireplace looks amazing to me though) I am hoping for something warmer as I have warmer darker tones in my living room. What great info can’t wait to try your suggestions!
Love the transformation! Did you paint over the grout in between the tikes? Or tape it all off and only paint the tiles?
I painted right over the grout too! It made it so much easier that way, and the paint had no trouble adhering.
i am wondering if i can paint white over dark brown grout
This looks amazing. My fireplace is tile with no mantle, and no room for one due to a cutout for a tv. I want to paint the tile and the columns of drywall that run up to the ceiling. Can you use enamel paint on a regular wall?
Yes, you can use enamel paint on a regular wall. It’s just got a very glossy finish, and it’s more expensive because it’s more durable. If you’re concerned, you could always paint the columns in a matching high-gloss paint and it would work.
Hi Kristen. I have looked at many how to paint tiles on the fireplace blogs & found yours to be the formula that worked great for me. I have awful pink tiles in our master BR fireplace & looked at it for 18 years !! I used a product called Kleen Strip Sander Deglosser before I put any paint on. Instead of sanding with paper this stuff is a quick wipe on and let dry. After 10 minutes I put on oil based Kilz Primer, two coats for super adhesion. Then I followed with two coats of Behr Premium Paint with Primer in satin enamel. I had no trouble at all with the paint sticking & the results are awesome! Color is now soft gray tiles against a nice white mantel. Even my hubby remarked at how great it looked…you can’t tell those tiles were painted! So just to let you know you were my inspiration! Thanks!
How wonderful! I’m glad it worked out!
If I use an oil based primer does the paint need to be oil based?
How did the paint responding to the heat of the tiles?
Thanks,
@
You mentioned that the tiles were faux, I have real black tiles and want to do the same thing. Your the first person to show black to a lighter color. Can I do this on real tile? I am desperate to change that ugly black too. I don’t have a lot of money, which is why I want to paint it. I seen over tile paintings but not from black. What can I do? Thank you and you did an awesome job, it’t beautiful now.
The are faux in the sense that they are not real marble. They are real tiles, just not stone, and they turned out beautifully! You should be able to paint yours just like I did with no problems.
Can you tell me which brand/finish white enamel paint you used? It looks like a satin finish from the photos, but I wanted to be sure before I jump in and start painting. (( : Thanks!!!
Ah! I missed this comment. So sorry! I used Rustoleum enamel in Satin. I liked the satin look because it wasn’t so shockingly glossy. I hope your project goes well!
THANK YOU for sharing this!! We are facing updates in our house before we can sell and this is SO much easier than re-tiling our fireplace surround (ours is fortunately not black granite, but is lovely and pink…).
LOVE! My fireplace looks almost the exact same (before pic). I also have the black tile as the harth in front of it. I believe just one row of tile. I wanted to know how yours was holding up since mine will be part of the floor which I’m sure will be hit by something! (I have young children, dogs, etc).
And when you say enamel paint… is that regular paint for your walls? And I assume it was oil-based as well since your primer was?? Have you heard of using water-based? I always try to go with easy clean-up 😉
I used water-based enamel paint, the kind that is used for trim. We sold the house about six months after I redid the fireplace, so I can’t really say how well it has held up since then, but I do know that we replaced the carpet after I did the fireplace and the installer CRACKED a tile! EEP! I was able to glue, sand, and repaint and you couldn’t even tell. So, even if the kiddos scratch it, it’s easy to repair.
I love this new look. First, do you have to buy a special paint that is heat resistant or does it matter? We use the fireplace (gas logs) so I’d want to make sure we can continue using. And second, how did you get the screen off the fireplace to repaint the gold? I’m so glad that is possible!! 🙂 Great job and beautiful work!
I did not use a special paint, just a regular can of white enamel! But, you should let it cure for a day or so before you light up the gas fireplace just to make sure there are no fumes hanging around. I painted mine in the summer, so it was not an issue. As for the screen, it came right off! I did have to tape off the part of the insert that was not removable, as you saw in the post, so I spray painted that before I painted the tile. Be sure to get the good spray paint I mentioned or it might flake. 🙁
Boy, can I relate to ugly fireplaces. Why this builder cheapend the fireplace with 12 x 12 light yellow? tiles is beyond me. I am the second owner and I would of raised holy H _ _ _ if I was the original owner. I had Home Depot out to give me a price to retile the fireplace and the tile floor in front of this. That was a trip as they sent an estimator for 35.00 to measure. I was told I would get the measurements and also the cost. This never happened. I had to call some place in Michigan for the measurements. Then someone else was suppose to come by and give me the cost. It was a nightmare and I said, ‘forget it”…I will do this myself. Keep the 35.00. lol WOW! I thought of painting the tiles, also. Hubby said I was nutts. No, sane and practical. Question: Since my tile is light..couldn’t I just sand it and roughen it, more. It is not shiny and is of a rough texture. Then do I use the Oil base Kilz and let dry 24 hours. Then I use the Rustoleum SPRAY? In between the two coatsI sand it? Then the last coat? My mantle is high gloss white and is beautiful….Not sure I want white tiles but possibly in a med-to dark brown color. My den is very rustic. Your thoughts please. and thank you for sharing this with all of us…
Nana Banana Cornflake in Texas.
Hi there,
thanks for this post. I have horrible pink tile on my fireplace that needs to go. Question for you- is this paint safe for a wood burning fire place?
Thanks!
Pink tile??? Poor you! Before you paint, you might want to check to see how hot your tiles get with a wood fire. It probably isn’t a fire hazard, but I imagine that the paint will bubble and peel if the tiles get too warm. My gas fireplace does not heat the tiles very much at all, so it wasn’t a factor. But I would be sure you can hold your hand against the tiles when the fire is going. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s probably too hot for your paint.
Sorry one more question, what brand of white enamel paint did you use? thanks!
That’s a good question. I’m not 100% certain, but let me go check the garage. 😉 I get right back to you.
Hey Kristen. I was wondering how you painted the tiles themselves? Did you use a white enamel spray paint or did you use a brush or a roller to put the enamel paint on? I imagine you used a brush for the grout lines but did you also use a brush on the tiles? Did you find that it was difficult to get a smooth coat without bristle marks? Looks great. Thanks
Hi Dennis,
I painted the tile with a high-quality brush. Look for one that’s for painting furniture as they tend to have finer bristles. My tiles were slightly textured, so I just brushed in one direction, one tile at a time, using pretty light coats, and repeated until they were completely covered. I sanded between coats anywhere that needed it, but honestly, that was pretty rare. The slight texture of the tile took care of most of the brush strokes. I hope that helps!
Great work! Did you paint the grout lines as well with the white enamel or did you use white grout for that? The fireplace looks really great; I have the exact same black tiles! thanks!
I used the enamel paint on the whole thing. It really soaks right in to the grout, which is great.
Did you use flat enamel semi gloss or gloss? I might have convinced my Husband to let me do ours just like yours! Need a quick easy fix for ugly white builder tile with tan grout and ugly wood mantle.
Eep! Just saw this comment. I’m so sorry about that. I used semi-gloss because I wanted it to look as similar to real tile as possible, and I thought it would be easier to clean if little fingers found it. 🙂 I hope your project turns out great!
Did you paint the grout too? I can’t tell since the grout was white.
Yes, I sure did!
Very impressive!!
I want to cover up some fake gold trim on a fireplace and also on some sliding-door mirrors. You mentioned Rust-Oleam, but which product of theirs do you recommend? I’m a novice, so I need those kinds of details. ;/
Thank you in advance!
Hi Diane,
I sent you an e-mail response as well, but just in case other readers had the same question, I wanted to be sure to let you all know that I used their “hammered” products. The hammered line comes in both spray and paint-on products which makes it really handy for all kinds of jobs. I used the oil-based paint-on product to fix the places where the cheaper spray paint flaked off the gold trim. Here is an Amazon search I did that shows the variety of products and colors Rust-Oleum offers in this line. I hope that helps!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Rust-oleum%20hammered
Im going to paint some tile! I have a nice victorian fireplace, but it sports the most hideous gray black speckly tiles. They remind me of gravestones!
My room is a kind of deep pinky red at the moment…but Im thinking of changing it up as its a very dark north facing room, with little natural light.
Im wondering what to do, and worrying about screwing up. I’d like to paint the tiles and use a stencil to paint a simple design on them, but don’t really know where to start with the colour scheme!
Amazing transformation!
Looks amazing! And yes! I want to know how to make that wreath!!
wreath!!
It looks great! I am impressed. My brother painted tile in their bathroom. I may have to try this with some bright blue tile I have been wanting to tear out!
You did a great job! It looks much better.
Thank you, Karyn! It was a fun project!
That turned out fantastic! You really saved yourself a lot of work:). I was also drawn to your view… It’s difficult to see, but looks like it just may be spectacular!
XO,
Christy
Thank you, Christy! It is a great view. In fact, it’s why we bought the house! We get to look out over the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. We love it!
Wow!! Great job! What a beautiful transformation. I often wonder why I do that to myself – I stare at something for years letting it irritate me, instead of just taking a little time to fix it and be happy.
Beautiful! And how rewarding for you every time you look at the fireplace!
Beautiful!
It looks fantastic! Great job!!
Weeeeeelll…seeing as how I just finished spray painting a bunch of plastic baskets (with Krylon…yeah, not a big fan myself), and I have four other painting projects waiting on me…I’d rather not paint any tile if I don’t have to.
But I’d love to know how to make the wreath! : )
Oh, and the transformation is DI-vine! Well done, girl!
love it! Want to help me figure out how to fix mine?
What a change for the better!
amazing, frugal, beautiful!
That looks so good! I am amazed!
This is awesome!
Awesome! you did a great job!