18 Painted Brick Fireplace Ideas To Keep Your Home Cozy And Stylish

Brick fireplace painted white to match the walls
Photo: Alexandra Rowley; Styling: Olga Naiman

While we still love the look of a raw, exposed brick fireplace, we can't help but see them as blank canvases. "You don't have to keep the brick bare!" says interior designer Grey Joyner of Grey Joyner Interiors in Wilson, North Carolina. Add a little paint, and brick fireplaces can reach their full potential. To brighten up your home, opt for a soft white that will instantly open up the space. Or, up the cozy factor by painting your brick fireplace a moody black or charcoal gray.

If you're looking to give a plain living room some pizzazz, try a bright color like home blogger and DIY-er Cassie Bustamante who took painting her brick fireplace into her own hands. "When it came to painting our brick fireplaces, I wanted something deep and had already used black in our former home and was ready for something different," she says. From colorful fireplaces to warm neutrals , here's our favorite painted brick fireplace ideas to inspire your next refresh.

01 of 18

Don't Fear Color

Green brick fireplace
Cassie Bustamante

"We wanted to create a look that was cozy and earthy, but still bold," shares Bustamante. "In the end, I selected Sherwin Williams Secret Garden for our brick fireplace because it still felt rather nature-inspired but was also unique and complemented the existing neutral palette." Blues and even trendy pinks are also excellent options to highlight the flames.

02 of 18

Favor Timeless White

Get Inspired by Art
Laurey W. Glenn, Styling: Matthew Gleason

It's hard to go wrong with white paint, especially on brick, and the fireplace is no exception. White paint can have the dual function of brightening up the space and still having a softening effect. Choose a crisp white for a sleek design, or a warm white to lean into white's coziness potential.

03 of 18

Coordinate with Natural Light

Covered Porch with Fireplace and TV
Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Capitalize on all the natural light from the day on your porch with a painted fireplace. On this Tennessee home's deck, a tall fireplace has cream-colored bricks to coordinate with the rest of the white paint to make a bright area for relaxing outside.

04 of 18

Outline the Opening

Know When To Save or Splurge
Laurey W. Glenn, Styling: Heather Chadduck,

Keep the pattern interesting by outlining the opening of the fireplace with brick laid in framing pattern. The fireplace in this living room has white painted brick with oppositely oriented bricks to create a visually appealing separation.

05 of 18

Have a Contrasted Interior

Accommodating Fireplace
Photo: Lisa Romerein, Styling: Rebecca Omweg

With a stark white painted fireplace, adding contrast can turn it into a true focal point. The fireplace in this living room features a bright white painted fireplace with a black interior to highlight the beautiful wood logs and add dimension to the piece.

06 of 18

Keep a Peek

New living room
Brie Williams; Styling by Kate Malpeli

If you prefer a more modern aesthetic but want to keep the integrity of an original brick fireplace, get the best of both worlds by having a peek of whitewashed brick from the wall. In this living room, wood panel framing added a modern look to the space while still keeping the original brick visible.

07 of 18

Go For Gray

Still neutral, but significantly moodier than white paint, gray is another excellent choice to paint your fireplace like in this Southgate Homes Dallas-Fort Worth living room. Use a creamy, light gray for sophisticated airiness or a rich, charcoal gray to add depth. We're not opposed to a warm greige either.

08 of 18

Layer Similar Colors

Pass Christian Living Room

Dane Tashima, STYLING: Buffy Hargett Miller 

In room full of bold colors, a pop of white can be provide a much needed focal point. This living room features a painted white brick fireplace with a frame in the same bright shade to keep the space from feeling too cluttered.

09 of 18

Embrace Asymmetry

Playing with dimensions and placement can add interest to your fireplace display. This wayward hole-in-the-wall fireplace is balanced with a left-skewed mantle and uneven decor to fill the space.

10 of 18

Raise The Contrast

Using both black and white paint creates a striking contrast that will draw the eye to your fireplace. To make things even more interesting, opt for a bold color for the exterior of your brick fireplace, then choose its color wheel polar opposite for the interior.

11 of 18

Leave The Inside Bare

A polished exterior and raw interior is another way to add interest and contrast to brick fireplaces. A little bit of red brick peaking through maintains its rustic charm, while fresh paint on the outside cultivates style. "I painted my brick fireplace to brighten up the small den so that the room would seem bigger," says Caroline Gibson, a North Carolina DIY-er, designer, and owner of this gorgeous fireplace. "I left the inside of the fireplace unpainted as I didn't want to draw the eye to this part of the fireplace. I also considered safety factors as it is important to use paint that is safe for high temperatures and I wanted to ensure I could us the fireplace in the future."

12 of 18

Paint From Floor To Ceiling

Don't shy away from a floor to ceiling painted fireplace display like this one. They're bold, clean, and sophisticated, yet prime to keep you cozy through the winter.

13 of 18

Black It Out

Set the mood with rich, dark paint. Dark paint can open up a space and be an accent in the room. Black fireplaces look especially gorgeous with wooden mantels and earthy decor as shown.

14 of 18

Take It Outside

Outdoor white painted brick fireplace
Courtesy Grey Joyner

A fireplace will be the centerpiece of your outdoor entertaining, especially during cool-weather months. Add a little paint, and you've got a picturesque and functional fireplace.

15 of 18

Match The Walls

Brick fireplace painted white to match the walls
Alexandra Rowley; Styling: Olga Naiman

Blend your fireplace seamlessly into the walls by matching the paint colors. This will create a clean, elegant look that emphasizes textural changes from the smooth wall to the brick fireplace.

16 of 18

Directionally Challenge

Fireplace Decorated with Garland, Ribbon, and Lemons
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lilt Floral Design

With just a simple twist and turn, this fireplace is both classy and fun. Installing the bricks in strategically different directions is a unique take on a classic that we hope to see more of.

17 of 18

Layer It Down

FIreplace with a row of painted bricks
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Go for a subtle painted brick look with a single layer or bricks. A row of painted bricks around the fire pit enclosed by mantle of another material leads to a gorgeous color-blocking effect.

18 of 18

Add Embellishments

Brick seashell fireplace
Courtesy Grey Joyner

Why stop at paint? Brick fireplaces are a site of such great potential to hone in your style and create a focal point that sets the tone for the entire room. "If you are seeking a more relaxed look, add a bit of stone to the frame of the brick fireplace to soften it," recommends Joyner. "Or if you want something more formal looking, it might be good to add a bit of wood paneling to the brick fireplace to create a bit of formality." In this beach-side home, she chose seashells as a natural adornment for a framed brick fireplace.

Was this page helpful?

Related Articles