As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Tuesday, September 11, 2018

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! 




24 comments:

  1. Huge improvement! And it looked just fine before! Funny how things can be like that, isn't it?

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    1. Thanks, Kate! It is funny. I guess you just have to go with your gut. :)

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  2. Wow it is amazing what a little paint can do. Looks awesome.
    Kris

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  3. You did a fantastic job and I love the way it looks now.

    FlowerLady

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  4. Great job, Cheryl! It looks even lovelier in your living room. Paint is the miracle cover-up. ♥

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    1. Thank you, Martha Ellen! Your own fireplace makeover was inspiring!

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  5. It looks amazing - a definite change. You have a really good eye for those details Cheryl. Your pineapple house is lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Rosella! We are having a great time making Pineapple House our own!

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  6. It looks amazing!! It definitely "cozies" up the living room! I have been wanting to do the same to our outdated brass surround. You've given me the inspiration (aka courage) to tackle the job!!

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  7. It’s perfect! Paint is the superhero of home improvement projects.

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    1. I like that: "Paint is the superhero of home improvement projects." It is!

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  8. Love it! It's the little things, isn't it?

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    1. Thank you! I agree, Carol. The little things go a long way!

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  9. Love the makeover. You did a great job. I'm always so impatient with taping things off. I just want to paint it!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy! The taping sure took a long time, but I was so afraid that I'd get paint on the porous brick and leave a permanent mark (!!) that it was worth the effort!

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  10. A well thought out plan that turned out great! You have way more patience than me. Such a lovely room.
    I'm giving all the blogs I visit fair warning that I might be real scarce as we sort out internet in the country. It will be satellite and just not sure how it will work for blogging. Blessings!

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    1. Thank you, Ellen! I am excited for you as you move to a new place. I know you're going to love being near Addy! I'll miss your place in Blogland, but your friends will patiently wait for you to get things sorted out!

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  11. It looks so good! Great update and thanks for the tutorial. Patience is the key I guess, and superb taping!

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    1. Thank you, Dotsie! It may have taken me a couple of years to get started (too much patience? lol), but I am pleased with the end result!

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