You’ve redecorated your living room and it looks amazing! With a fresh coat of paint on the walls, new furniture, and a brand new big screen TV you’re ready to to sit, relax and enjoy, right? But wait.

What’s that looming in the corner of the room? Your old, outdated stone fireplace definitely does not complement your new decor. Since almost every bit of your decorating budget has already been spent, you’ll need an inexpensive remodeling option for the fireplace. So what about updating it with paint?

Painting your stone fireplace is a fast, easy remodeling option especially if you’re on a budget. You can buy paint at your local paint or hardware store and do the project yourself without having to hire a contractor.

Depending on the size of your fireplace, you can usually get the job done in just a few hours.

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Whitewashing or Painting Stone a Solid Color?

The least expensive option for painting a stone fireplace is to use one color of paint. Latex paint is easy to work with and provides good coverage for stone. You can choose to apply the latex paint to the stone right out of the can for complete coverage or you can water down the paint to create a thin film that allows some of the original stone to show through. It’s up to you which look you think will look best in your room according to your taste and style.

Painting Your Stone Fireplace One Solid Color

Painting your stone with one solid color paint gives a total painted look with none of the original stone showing through. Depending on the color paint you use, this look can tone down the harsh look of stone and add a more soothing, monochromatic vibe to your room.

When you think of painting your stone fireplace, what color paint comes to mind? Did you say, “White”? Well, you’re not alone. When most people think of painting their fireplace, they sometimes consider white the only acceptable color choice. What you may not realize is that white paint comes in a variety of shades. You’ll need to get some paint swatches from the paint store to see which shade will work with your room.

But white isn’t the only solid paint color to consider painting your stone fireplace. If you’re into a more dramatic look, you might consider dark gray or black paint. Another option is to paint the fireplace the same color as your walls so it doesn’t stand out but blends in with the rest of your decor.

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Types of Latex Paint for Your Stone Fireplace

You can choose what type of latex paint product you want to use on your stone fireplace. Regular latex paint comes in eggshell which has a light sheen and gloss/satin which has the most gloss and is the most durable.

Painting Your Stone Fireplace in 5 Easy Steps

Tools:

Dropcloth
Painter’s Tape
Scrub brush
Bucket of soap and water
Large, medium and small paint brushes
White primer
Latex paint
Black firebox paint

Step 1 – Prepare Your Stone Fireplace for Painting- Lay down the drop cloth in front of the fireplace. Tape off the area around the walls and mantel with the painter’s tape.

Step 2 – Clean the Fireplace – Use your scrub brush along with a bucket of soap and water to clean your stone to remove any dirt, dust or soot. Rinse with water and let the stone dry. Remove all ashes, logs, etc. from the firebox and scrub the side walls with soap and water.

Step 3 – Apply the Primer – Use the large brush to apply primer to the stone fireplace in the large areas. Then use the smaller brushes to cut in around the walls and mantel as well as to get paint into any tight spots. ( Do not use primer on the firebox area where the fire burns.)

Step 4 – Brush on the Latex Paint – Again, use your large brush to apply paint on the stones in the large, open areas and the smaller brushes to get paint into the tighter spots.

Step 5 – Paint the Firebox With High Temperature Paint – Open doors and windows to allow for plenty of ventilation since high temp grill and stove paint has a very strong odor until it dries. Use a brush to paint the inside of the firebox, where the fire burns.

Whitewashing Your Stone Fireplace in 5 Easy Steps

Whitewashing your stone fireplace involves adding water to thin the latex paint and then painting the mixture over your stone. Whitewashing will not provide the thick coverage that regular latex paint provides but will lightly coat the stones allowing some of the natural colors of the stone to peek through.
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Tools:

Dropcloth
Painter’s tape
Scrub brush
Bucket of soap and water
Small, medium and large brushes
Plastic container for mixing paint and water
Paint stir stick
Staining pad
Latex paint
Black firebox paint

Step 1 – Prepare your stone fireplace for painting by laying down a dropcloth and applying painter’s tape around the edges along walls and mantel areas.

Step 2 – Clean the stone with soap, water, and the scrub brush to remove any dirt, dust or soot. Remove any ashes or debris from the firebox area and use a scrub brush and soap and water to clean.

Step 3 – Let the stone dry. Mix the paint and water in a 1:1 ratio and stir. Apply the mixture onto the stone in a small 2 x 2 section using the large brush.

Step 4 – Use the staining pad to wipe away any excess paint and keep the color looking even. Do this paint on, wipe off process until all your stone is covered with paint.

Step 5 – Open doors and windows to allow for plenty of ventilation and ally the high temp paint to the firebox area. The paint will have a very strong smell until it dries.

There you have it! Two easy budget friendly ways to remodel your old eyesore of a stone fireplace in just a few hours. Painting or whitewashing your stone fireplace will give you a lot of bang for your buck and allow it to fit in nicely with your new decor.

Looking for more? Check out this stone fireplace painting guide for more tips and ideas for your stone fireplace makeover!

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