@mofireman i believe the contractor put a board on brick first and then mounted mantel to the board using screws. must have been a thin board because it fits beautifully onto brick, doesn't stick out. i had decided if my white wash didn't look good i would just paint the brick like you, that looks really nice also.

Now you need some tall thin things to sit on mantel to make celling look higher. Pair tall vaces with some flowers are sticks that go to the celling or candle sticks an a picture, some that gives height .

Great transformation!

Much better!

hey looks great! with what did you white wash it? wanna do the same, but in bedroom and need to tone down the room...

Thank u! I used flat white ceiling paint from Walmart & a paint brush. If you step back often & look at what you have painted it helps. Really no wrong way to do it. I just swiped the brush across the brick from left to right. Went over it a few times. Post your pic when you finish!

Kewhart...I assume you thinned the ceiling paint down before applying it to the brick?

@6009kitty no I did not thin the paint, I just used it right out of the can. It was better home & garden brand from Walmart.

Amazing transformation!

Absolutely wonderful job! And so economical!

HOLY SMOKES! I am absolutely mesmerized when I see/experience transformations such as yours. I absolutely love it. Good for you!
-Robert

I was just about to purchase a brick whitening kit for $200, but your technique will have me running to the hardware store tomorrow. I guess I'll be starting my first DIY project this weekend. Thanks for sharing your fireplace looks great.

P.S. By mentioning the Grey you gave me ideas to maybe try 2 to 3 more colors after my initial color dries.

Just a great job!

Does anyone know about acid was on brick? I want update the look of my whole exterior 1980 ranch with red black brick and black mortar. Love my house but hate the brick!! Ideas???

You may want to consider lime washing the brick...that is supposed to tone the colors down to make a more modern, updated look. I would check with some professionals.

Such a nice transformation! Enjoy

Just makes you want to wrap up warm next to it, doesn't it?

Well done!

Very nice.

Hi Knewhart, I'm getting ready to paint my fireplace and that first picture where your fireplace is half done is exactly the look i'm going for. Could you let me know if you happen to remember what all you had done up to that point to make it look like that? I see in your posts that you used a sponge first and then a brush.

Use a paint that is a dark white instead of ceiling white for a better effect - even an off white in the direction of your things. Water the paint down by 1/3 and use a sponge to take the paint back off - the brick will absorb a lot of it -so wait until about 1 hour in to see what the final effect is.

Good deal, thanks!

@jaycek728, I simply bought a water based flat white ceiling paint at Walmart & was fairly conservative on amount of paint i applied. I began with a sponge wiping paint on in a stroke from left to right, then i would step back & look at it. Eventually i switched to a brush & went over the area i started with and applied it more heavily on some bricks. there really isn't a bad way of doing this, but i would suggest stopping & looking at it as you go. its easy & fun to do, you will do fine with it. but i didn't water my paint down or anything. i have been very pleased with the results.

Great, thanks so much. So with the sponge on the first pass through you were able to get the brick and also the mortar? My biggest thing is I want to make sure the gray mortar is covered up with white. I guess I could do the mortar with a brush and roll over the bricks with a sponge. I've been thinking about doing this for a year, I just want to get the look I'm going for and not have it look like crap haha

i was worried about getting the paint on too thick at first but it doesn't go on evenly & that's what is easy about it. when you step back & look at it, you will see areas that may need more swipes of paint. in some areas i used the brush to cover the mortar & others i didn't. you will get the hang of it quickly. i figured if i didn't like the outcome i could always paint it fully white. some of my bricks are whiter than others & i liked that, i didn't want it to look uniform. i've been very pleased & many people like the way it looks. you will have fun doing it.

So I am confused on how to do this. Some websites say to mix the color you want with water either 2 parts to 1 part paint or 3 to 1. But are you saying you just brushed the paint on then wiped it off? Just ceiling white paint? My parent's house is being remolded and they have this same exact brick. Thanks Rhonda

Love it!

@Rhonda, i did not wipe the paint off. i was careful to not have too much paint on the brush, then I just swiped it across the brick. You get the hang of it very quickly & taking a minute to step back & look at the brick as you go helps to make sure you are not getting it on too heavy or too light. its really an easy process. i did not know about diluting the paint with water so i did not do that. I just went to Walmart & bought Better Homes & Garden flat white ceiling paint, i think it was flat, possibly it was a satin finish but it was just a basic water based paint. If you put a light coat of paint on the brick, you can always go back over with more.

I would not use ceiling white. Look at the colors you are using - try an off white in the neutral direction - it helps it not come out pink. If you have swiss coffee trim, for instance, go one shade down from that to use on the brick for a more natural / integrated tone when done.

Oh, very nice! I love that look!

Lovely

Looks great. I have Sherwin Williams dover white trim and plan to white wash a large reddish brick fireplace with the same color. Hope mine turns out as well as yours!

beautiful!!!

Great remodel. Looks beautiful.

Absolutely stunning whitewash. It looks so elegant with the white mantle and molding. Wonderful work!

Is this house in Punxsutawney?!?

Yes it is!

My sister showed me this! This was my childhood home! It looks beautiful! I'd love to see what you've done with the rest of the house :) I'm also living in a mid-century home doing many upgrades. Maybe we could share ideas! I live in Indiana, Pa now.

Love the white wash! The new mantel looks amazing!

Great idea! it looks great

@Jillian Knox you must come see the house! I'm not there until late August. I bought it 4 years ago for a summer house (I live in San Antonio rest of the year) & completely gutted it. Moved walls, Windows, doors, staircase & so on. Haven't done much outside yet but it's next. I grew up over the hill from Beyer road & Snyder hill & remembered when the Jordan's lived there. Is Kay Bair your mom? I heard she lived there at some point.

Very nice!

@knewhart Yes! For sure. I can't wait to see it. I might cry as a fair warning. After my dad sold the house, I was sad to see it go. Lots of great memories there. The DIY/designer in me can't wait to see what you've done. Yes, my mom is Kae but it's my dad that lives in Pedan Park. My email is jillianjknox@gmail.com. Send me an email and we can exchange info for a future tour :-)

Jillian and knewhart, you guys are too cute. Love the fact we all got be in on this happenstance meeting. Suddenly, the world just got smaller.

What a beautiful, impressive, and cost- effective transformation! A job well done!

Great job!

current photo of fireplace wall

Wow! you transformed the previous eyesore into a stunning focal point, great job.

Love the white! Beautiful transformation.

Thank you!