Interior Brick: Paint it or Leave It?

Jonathan Baker Super smart point in the fourth photograph. Those beams are ridiculous, and having a red brick fireplace would totally detract! I love how many of these photos feature white walls with white brick, really shows how the texture difference can tastefully stand on its own. Great post!

cmu204 Can't believe it, as I always hate painted brick -- but you're spot on. All of these look fabulous!

Becky Harris I love it painted, but I think I'd be paralyzed with fear that I'd change my mind later. I have serious decor commitment issues. As well as a severe DIY disability.

ds design studio Great topic and helpful guide.

KAREN QUAM + JESSICA SPRIESTERSBACH + INTERIORS Really excellent post. You are spot on with this topic. I have really ugly brown and black splotchy brick--lots of it-- in a tiny townhouse. Painting it white was the best decision. However, if the brick had been a different color I may have kept it.

nenamarci I live in the burbs with the brick interior fireplace wall. I will most definitely paint the brick white!

Karen Schaefer Louw we decided to keep our brick wall in the winecellar as natural as possible, even the walls in the arches were left raw! I love the contrast of the high gloss walnut table we have recently moved into the winecellar, against the rawness of the bricks and walls...

amandamoore I needed this. Although I am still up in arms over painting my brick fireplace. The entire room is paneled with oak. It's all out of date. I just don't know where to start. I don't want to paint my house out of the neighborhood.

Casart Coverings @ Becky. That's exactly what I did. I painted an entire brick wall super-seventies white then years later changed my mind. Removing the paint was messy, time comsuming and costly. On the other hand, I left the brick exposed in a French Quarter condo and had to deal with constant regular vacumning of sandy grout on the floor. While they oozed old world charm, those walls were never meant to be exposed and were originally plastered in the 1800s.

lee_w We have a large brick chimney that cuts right through the living room. A wall had been removed at some point, leaving it sticking out like a sore thumb in the bend of the "L" of the two adjoining rooms. Painting it white let it blend in with the walls.

Amanda Haytaian This was an old closet we converted into a butler pantry. We decided to leave the brick we found behind the plaster exposed for the new space.

Vintage Renewal I love both!

dancingfish We painted our 70's dark paneling creamy offwhite/yellow but I have held off on the redish brick fireplace... Love the look of the room with the painted paneling but sooo scared that the fireplace will end up being a regret later

Rebecca This post has really helped me. I own a little townhouse where two walls were left the original brick (in an ugly colour). I've toyed with the idea of painting them or plastering them, and I think you've convinced me to simply paint. We can pick up on the slightly industrial feel of the brick with an industrial-style update to the kitchen later on. Plus, painting is cheap!

http://pourameliorer.blogspot.com/

nbatash Great post! I have Tudor still house which was built in 1910. Lots of nice details but brick fireplace was a complete disaster. I painted it and it actually looks nice now!

Mandi_ Deemter THANK YOU! I have, what I consider, HIDEOUS orange-ish brick in the living area of the house and have been haunted as to what to do with it. This was VERY helpful! (And confirmed that YES! I NEED to paint it!) ;)

nmoup456 Great topic and helpful guide.


chimney pipe

sgmb What happens if you paint your brick and later decide to cover the brick with a stone slate or with a concrete look?

nonagirl I have a townhouse built in the 70's with one wall in LR which appears to be white brick? Considering painting Gray

garethrussell I'd like to do my fireplace (ugly red industrial-looking brick), but the bricks are the surround, so I worry about heat. I would have to paint one brick-depth that is the inside edge of the fireplace opening. My idea was, for that inside edge, to use high-heat paint (spray can), and regular paint for the face of the surround. It will all be white, and I doubt any difference in sheen between the two types of paint will be noticeable given that there is an outside corner separating them.

But perhaps I'm worrying too much. Anyone have experience with the heat issue?

cubby325 We had a 70's house which we custom built. It had a floor to ceiling fireplace about 6' wide. It was done in clinker bricks (old, used bricks in different colors, some with paint). The gray grout was recessed, and it was very attractive, but when I painted the family room paneling Navajo white, the vertical dark fireplace just divided my 20' wall. I decided to white wash, only I used a light taupe color mixed with water and glaze in a 1-1-1 ratio. I used a wet rag, squeezed out, then dipped in the glaze mixture, which I gentle rubbed on to the very porous brick. I later used the same mix to paint the recessed grout using a small brush.

You could still see the brick colors through the wash, but it softened the look so it was much more appropriate for the light paneling. If you are afraid of the solid look, this is a nice compromise. I lived in the house another 15 years, and I never tired if it, as I felt it was much more up to date.

theprospecialist So how do you get that brick look in the first picture? That's my favorite one! And I don't think exposed brick can spoil a modern look if anything it can ad a more modern look.

Sara Huizenga Are there any brick painting guides out there that still allows for some of the brick variation feel to come through? I agree that some brick is definitely paint over worthy, but am not always a huge fan of the stark, solid color look of painting over it either.

Sara Huizenga Does anyone have any experience with using a lime wash or mortar wash ilo of painting over the brick?

Elle Kay My father designed our home with one entire wall in the living room covered with reclaimed brick. From what I've read, the wall should have been sealed periodically to prevent constant mortar & brick dust. This has never been done to my knowledge in the 48 years since it was built. Very porous, seems like an impossible task now.

cubby325 Painted Brick Fireplace as described above: 1 part latex paint, 1 part water-based glaze, 1 part water. Use a wet rag, squeezed out, dip in mixture, and gently rub onto brick. It is very porous and will absorb easily. The paint I used was a taupe color I had used on walls elsewhere in the house, I think Benjamin Moore #1045. I used the same mixture on the dark gray recessed grout, only I used a narrow brush (I believe an artist brush) appropriated sized for the grout line. This was done in the 90's, so the description is as I remember it. I also did the same process on the dark, rustic mantel. (originally, paneling, beams and mantel were dark stained)

nicolazzi It depends on the brick and the room. Sometimes brick especially worn antiqued brick adds warmth to a space and sometimes it just makes it look dated. If it is the later you should paint it.

catrinabeach Anyone have suggestions for painting brick floors? We just purchased a home with depressing red brick floors and I would love to paint them white but everyone tells me NO! Any other suggestions? Other colors?

garethrussell @catrinabeach, can you post a photo? I'm someone who favors painting ugly brick in general, but a floor will be tricky, and brick floors are relatively rare and don't need to be as 'darkening' as walls.

momstar I have painted my dated red brick fireplace and the gold insert, as well as the panel walls. I like it but I am not completely satisfied with the look, and I don't know if yellowish cream color should be a bit brighter or if it will be fine once I get rid of the dated carpet.

laurie112483 cubby325, can you post a picture of your fireplace? I have a full wall fireplace in my family room and I keep going back and forth with what I want to do. I'd love to see how your white wash came out!

lmmduff I am ready to paint...I just don't know what color. I have thought of whitewashing too. Walls are Restoration Hardware Silver Sage and trim is Dove White. I would love some advice!

vanessadennis I'm trying to decide if I should paint this wall from the main floor to the third floor white or keep it naturally exposed. Any thoughts? The house will be contemporary and I'm not sure if this is trying to hold onto the traditional aspect too much? Lmk!