$50 Fireplace Facelift

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It’s not easy, but it’s a cheap way to drastically change the look of a room.

Here’s the before. On the left was what it looked like when we bought the house, on the right was step one– spraying the insert a matte black. Even that made the fireplace feel about a decade more relevant!

Total cost so far: $5 for the spray paint.

For more “before photos” of our home, click here.

Before you start painting the brick be sure to clean and scrub it. Equal parts of vinegar and hot water will work well.

Then using a paint roller (the thicker the nap, the easier this is going to be) just start slopping on the paint. We used a semi-gloss so that it would be easier to clean. Be warned, you really have to muscle the paint into all the nooks and crannies so that the porous parts of the brick absorb it.

Try a roller like this:
Graco Roller Cover, 1/2-Inch Nap

Updated cost after one gallon of white paint, roller, and pan: $40

Here’s where we saved a good bit of money- the mantle. I lucked out big time. My dad had leftover rough-sawn cedar and built me a mantle in Michigan and actually drove it out to us in Pennsylvania!

(Disregard the stick-on bats it was Halloween 😂)

If you can’t find reclaimed wood for your mantle, pine is a low-cost alternative that will still turn out beautiful.

Then choose a stain for your mantle and voila! A low cost fireplace Facelift for about $50!

What project in your home cost you the least amount but made the most impact? Let me know in the comments below!