Very nice.....I am sure that you are very happy with the results.......

That looks great! So simple.

Nice

It really brightens up the space. Nice job!

That's a big change. Sure you didn't come home to a different house by mistake?

Good job. Brightening this wall makes it more comfortable to look at. But i have to say it would look very nice even in dark color if having ideal light decorations.. wish you all the best :)

looks great!so much lighter..

Love it sbrustein! I know you will, too, as I think that color gives such warmth and versatility to a space. Having used a similar color in most rooms of my last house, I speak from experience. And dealing with the fireplace issue, now you have a totally different look from your other fireplace(s)!

Bright and happy :)

Wow! What a transformation! Love seeing befores and afters!

You did a very nice job! I'm amazed at how the black mortar in the fireplace overwhelms the room. I've never seen that before--very unusual. I can see why you changed it.

That really opened up the space!

Looks great! Feels roomier. I also noticed that you changed some of the items you had on the mantel.

Great job! Thanks for sharing your pictures.

~Lyvonne

Quite the difference!
Much softer looking.

This is an instant update for your room. Very nice.

Great foundation! Now on to styling the shelves and mantel!

Deco- I pared down the mantel as much as I wanted to. The shelves are for books. We have tons and even though now we are using e readers, there are many that my husband just could not live without.

Very nice job!!

I still think the shelves can look better. Maybe if the visually "heavy" books are on the bottom and the lighter decor items on the top the bookcases won't look so top heavy as though they might tip forward. Just a visual balance thing to anchor them in people's mind - first impressions and all that.

Very nice!

Are the bookcases screwed to the wall? The original pic did look like they were leaning forward.

chook - I think its a mind trick caused by having the heavier items on top and the lighter ones with more space between on the bottom. Books on top aren't as accessible either.

The book cases aren't screwed to the wall. The painter painted behind them. OK- I will work on redesigning them and post the pix. But, they really are for book storage, the chotchkes are an afterthought . Maybe if I get rid of some of the decorative stuff in them?

Looks beautiful...kudos to you for joining the brave brick painters!

How did you change the gold trim to black? The gold trim is so outdated !

It takes guts and vision to look at brick (w/ ugly mortar) and decide to paint it. Good for you! I like the change considerably more than the "original".

nice!

What a nice change!

I agree, though that the bookshelves look cluttered. You don't need to get rid of books, to store some of them elsewhere. The family photos are precious, of course, but maybe pare the number down on them, too.

What a difference! Really love what you did. I enjoy seeing before/after photos.

My brick and mortar is exactly like yours! Would you please tell me when your home was built? Mine is from 1927. I can't accept that this was the original brick, but I have found that the use of black mortar does date back to that time. Congrats on your change! I have gone back and forth regarding my own, from hating it to trying to accept it and work with it. I am currently considering stucco.

Huge transformation! I'm a writer and reader so I love the bookshelves AND THE BOOKS. One way to make them have more harmony is to vary a few shelves with a horizontal stack now and then, and always keep the vertical books upright, using a statue, standing framed photo, vase or bookend. I wish the mantle was lower, by about 5 bricks (or no mantle at all), which would help declutter that area and allow you to hang a huge painting or photograph in that centerpiece space. Thanks for sharing the photos!

Could you give idea of HOW you painted that brick and what color you chose?
There are zillions of "whites"--
is yours a true white or more cream to go with wood tones?

Have you had fires in there since painting--
any issues with off-gassing?

Have what I think is "faux" brick wall w/fireplace in Florida vacation house and it really sucks the light out of the room which faces the north and has two narrow fixed-glass windows...
We put white wood blinds in them thinking we would paint the brick but then my husband balked...

This is our brick wall--no curtains is not normal--
too much glare for the flatscreen we have in there so keep blinds we installed closed most of the time...

Sorry- I haven't looked at this post in a while. My house was built in 1927 also, but the den that houses this fireplace was a much later addition by the previous owners, we chose Benjamin Moore Pearl Harbor beige for the walls and the next darker tone on the paint fan for the fireplace- it's called dark beige, but I must say it is yellower on the brick that it looks on the outside of the can. It's OK for me cause my sofa and loveseat are a yellowish beige. I have reorganized some of the books in the book shelves. Now you should see how crowded the book cases in my sun room look!!

The painter used a rust oleum black paint and hand painted the fireplace doors and utensils. In retrospect, I wish he had used a flat black paint instead of shiny. I have not had a fire in the fireplace. The fireplace has issues cause this addition is a one story adjacent to the rest of the house which is 3 story and the fire smell seems to linger which I find annoying. A fireplace guy I consulted said it has to do with a relative vacuum effect created by the differences in building heights. I have wood and I am tempted to build one tonight.

Locpves2read- you have a nice brick wall!! Muted colors in the brick and no ugly black mortar.

Loves2read. I would probably just do a light whitewash technique on yours if I did anything at all.

Thank you, Sburstein! I have also toyed with getting a diiferent color mortar in mine. The joints are very deep (FP inspector says it's intentional) so maybe not hard. I really love the colors you chose.

The brick owned the room before, now I think the bricks blend in with the room. Really neat and BRAVE! Nicely done.

Loves2read. I know the painter used a white primer on the bricks. I think it was a heat resistant type. The final color was 2 coats of I think was an eggshell finish.

Thank you for the added info--I haven't come back to view this thread since I posted the questions--and we haven't painted the brick, although I would still like to...
You might consider adding height to your chimney stack if you still have a smoke odor or have problem with the "draw" when you have a fire...
If there is an uneven/blocking roof line close to the chimney that could account for the failure to get good air flow...and if the den was an "add-on" then it seems the roofline might be the problem...

Loves2read- the den was an addition an it abuts the rest of the house which is 3 story. There is a device that we can purchase I understand.