Painting the Fireplace Surround

One of the projects that I wanted to do this past summer was paint the fireplace surround. I had wanted to do this since we moved into Pineapple House! The brass surround seemed a little dated and it didn't go with anything else I had. It always stood out to me in photos! (Why is it that you see things in photos that you don't notice day by day?) 

This project was on my list of goals for last summer, but procrastination . . . 

~ ahem~

As summer rolled around again, I was determined not to let procrastination get the better of me and doom me to another year of looking at celebration photos with that brass in the background clamoring for attention! Nope, I was going to take the upper hand. I did a little research, gathered my supplies, and just did it. It was simpler than I thought!

First, I used painter's tape to cover the brick, the hearth, the glass doors, and the little wooden handles. Honestly, taping was the most tedious part of the project. 

Taping completed, I went over the brass with some sandpaper to rough up the surface a bit and give it some tooth. 

I used Rust-Oleum's High Heat paint, which promises to stand up to 1200 degrees! That'll do. 

I applied the first coat of paint with a bristle brush, but switched to a foam brush for subsequent coats. In both cases, I had to take care not to overload the brush. The paint is thin and drips easily. I kept nail polish remover and paper towels handy to quickly remove drips from the hearth . . . from the floor . . . from me . . . 

The first coat took a while to dry, remaining tacky for hours, and a lot of brass showed through.

Twenty-four hours after the first coat, I applied the second. It covered wonderfully and dried quickly!

The third coat was the finishing touch! I brushed it on the morning of our Grand Summer Sleepover (brave? or foolhardy?) and it was dry in time for wall-to-wall beds that evening! 

I was happy to say good-bye to the brass!

I am loving the look of the black surround. 

I think the room is happier. 😊

We had the chimney inspected this week, so now I am just waiting for a chilly evening so that we can build a cozy fire in the fireplace!