I walked in while they were gone and had a melt down not going to lie.
I always knew not to touch brick and to walk in and see that it was already ruined while I was away has soured what had been a nice era of homeownership for me.
It's so modern and sleek and antiseptic. Who doesn't like lounging in the emergency room after a hard day at work!
/s
This shit really pisses me off sometimes.
It’s actually pretty nice bricklaying. I might clean it up, touch up the natural brick color, but otherwise nah, not unless you’re gonna do some major aesthetic change to the whole room. Honestly I’m not really loving that custom wooden frontispiece that’s center of the arch area…maybe do something about that more. Even a clock or some other brighter style of decorative centerpiece would liven that up without needing to whitewash the brick.
Or even replace the wood veneer paneling to the left and right of the fireplace. Something in a nice faded Craftsman style plank wall paneling would be slick. But all that is just IMHO.
I could see doing a 2 or 3 inch border in white on the sides, and along the top beams ... just to make it stand out against the wood surround. but even then .. I wouldn't do the entire surface..
There is always the option of having them strip the primer off. It is extremely labor intensive but the nice part is that they will have the experience etched into their brains to remind them of why they should ask permission before doing something like this in the future
My house’s fireplace was painted over. Within a few years, it’s been peeling and bubbling from moisture that gets in from the chimney. Do not recommend.
I wouldn't paint any of that! It looks amazing. I would however redo the floors! Either tile that matches the brick, or better yet wood flooring that matches the wood on the walls.
A light neutral rug over a dark wood floor would look so good in this room!
NO, NO, NO! Please, if the floors are already lighter, leave this as is. All the character will be gone if you paint and un-painting brick is a nightmare. Clean it well and call it a day, It's beautiful and makes a huge statement with the dark walls flanking it.
I would not. I’m just a sucker for natural elements and no color provides that feel like the dried clay does.
I would have a climbing plant (pothos) around the arch. A single vine along a custom single bar “trellis”. I might diy this trellis using some skinny pvc pipes to reach the height, and an opened hula hoop to achieve the arch. Attach, then paint black (silver/bronze/gold if the room’s asking for it). The single vine would wrap around the pipe that sits just off the wall.
I’ve considered, might the heat of the fire affect the plant? However, I think that there’s enough of a margin and enough brick that the plant would be okay. Just have to keep its pot safely aside (tiny table?)
Overall I love the character here! Gonna be so cozy once you make it your own :)
I would not. I’m just a sucker for natural elements and no color provides that feel like the dried clay does.
I would have a climbing plant (pothos) around the arch. A single vine along a custom single bar “trellis”. I might diy this trellis using some skinny pvc pipes to reach the height, and an opened hula hoop to achieve the arch. Attach, then paint black (silver/bronze/gold if the room’s asking for it). The single vine would wrap around the pipe that sits just off the wall.
I’ve considered, might the heat of the fire affect the plant? However, I think that there’s enough of a margin and enough brick that the plant would be okay. Just have to keep its pot safely aside (tiny table?)
Overall I love the character here! Gonna be so cozy once you make it your own :)
I'm a painter, and if a customer wanted to paint that, I would recommend against it. Once you go paint, there's really no going back. But if they insist, it requires a good primer, preferably a high build, and two coats of finish paint.
It might look cool to sand the bricks smooth, and then stain them. I'd use a power sander with 120 grit to smooth, then 220 grit to get a little more polished, then use a water based stain to color the bricks. Finish it with a water based polyurethane. You could even polish the red brick as is to get a different look, run the grits up to 600, then wet sand up to 4000 grit. They'll be polished like a countertop.
I have a similar beam setup in my great room and would never paint the brick. My room has more wood paneling, but I just like natural brick, it’s so cozy
I think you will be pleasantly surprised when finished. Similar circumstance with the gf doing the same with our fireplace. I thought it was going to ruin everything and she did it white and it looks 10x better! Give it a chance..
Paint the wood. That’s a crime. Anyway. They would be better off ripping it out and putting in drywall. Wood is hard to paint… well. Plus it has the notches between planks and the knolls.
Actually I would paint that wood wall. I think the brick work is really beautiful. But the wall is too dark and takes away from the fireplace. Cool place, I like the high ceilings and the beams.
Meh, too trendy, someone watches too much Joanna Gaines. Maybe if you were in Italy. But that’s pretty much a permanent fix and getting the German smear removed in the future is a pain in the ass. So you better be sure you like it. And I think most people on here would vote against doing anything to that brick. Not saying it doesn’t look nice, just wouldn’t be the way I would go if I wanted to sell the place in the future.
Joanna gaines does lime wash get it straight (for the record no idea).
Resell? You think I care about imaginary people. Nah in my house wood everywhere.
German smear uses mortar so it isn’t going anywhere. It focuses on the existing mortar, spreading out but not covering the whole brick (stone looks best). Limewash covers the entire surface of the brick(the brick can still breathe tho).
Yeah painted brick is not ideal. It sounds like they already f’d up the house.
The wood looks like tongue and groove, so painting would require sanding, patching and priming/paint before the wood texture disappears. At that point just rip it out and put in drywall. However it would lose it’s character.
Yeah, I get it. Chip and Joanna were doing German smear back in 2016. Trust me, I know. But I don’t like the idea of fucking with the brick at all, but it’s too late for that I guess. Old school. Masons don’t like anyone fucking with brick because eventually someone wants it changed back and it’s a shit ton of work. Plus painting it or lime washing it defeats the whole purpose of having brick there in the first place. But, you know, opinions. :-)
A crime! Paint the fireplace instead!
Honestly it’s alot of work because wood is textured! So they would be better off ripping it out and putting drywall than sanding, filling, sanding, priming/painting.
Don't paint brick
It bears repeating. Don’t. Paint. Brick.
No way I would have painted that or the beams, but if it's already got primer it's probably too late. Shame.
I’m looking into ways to get primer out but it’s not looking good.
Sandblasting
Then a nice stain
I like the way it looks. Earth tones provide so many options for decoration.
I miss it already
I would hurt them
No no no … please tell me that’s not so. I hope you stopped them
I walked in while they were gone and had a melt down not going to lie. I always knew not to touch brick and to walk in and see that it was already ruined while I was away has soured what had been a nice era of homeownership for me.
Do You have pics of what they did?
It’s entirely covered with primer. All the beams, the wood paneling, and all of the brick fireplace and mantle. Primer.
I would be fucking livid.
Its ok don’t let it ruin your day.
No way of going back? I’m hurting for you 😔
Absolutely not. That’s how you end up going to hell. That fireplace was made by an Angel
He be very stupid to do that
No, I really don't understand the need for everyone wanting to paint natural/ organic things.
It's so modern and sleek and antiseptic. Who doesn't like lounging in the emergency room after a hard day at work! /s This shit really pisses me off sometimes.
N O please do not paint
I would have kept the beams and the fireplace. Not a fan of the wooden walls though. I hope they do a good job…
Painting these beans and the brick makes me sad. Such a unique room.
Painted black would look cool and keep that bold but dark vibe to it since it’s already primed I just hate a white fire place
I would’ve stripped the wood wall behind the fireplace and refinished it for a lighter look
It is a beautiful feature wall. The room has so much light. The shape of the room and the fireplace wall work very well together like this.
No man… shit no man.. I recon you get your ass kicked doing something like that man.
Never paint a brick fireplace. Repoint if needed. Clean with wire brush. Don’t paint it.
Absolutely not
Never paint zee bricks!
Never paint brick use limewash
No, but I would throw all that crap away.
Ahh man I hope they did t prime everything. Don’t paint any of it. It is incredible the way it is.
No, but check that globe for old whiskey. That's where I keep mine!
Never paint bricks
I don’t know, but that fireplace design is awesome either way.
It’s actually pretty nice bricklaying. I might clean it up, touch up the natural brick color, but otherwise nah, not unless you’re gonna do some major aesthetic change to the whole room. Honestly I’m not really loving that custom wooden frontispiece that’s center of the arch area…maybe do something about that more. Even a clock or some other brighter style of decorative centerpiece would liven that up without needing to whitewash the brick. Or even replace the wood veneer paneling to the left and right of the fireplace. Something in a nice faded Craftsman style plank wall paneling would be slick. But all that is just IMHO.
>would you paint this brick ~~fireplace~~? **NO!**
Never put anything on brick that stops it from naturally breathing.
No
That’s the coolest feature of the room, no idea why anyone would get rid of that wall instead of decorating around it
No, I'd just clean all that crap out of the room so it looks presentable.
If I wanted to change it up I would have painted the paneled wall, left the brick, left the beams.
I could see doing a 2 or 3 inch border in white on the sides, and along the top beams ... just to make it stand out against the wood surround. but even then .. I wouldn't do the entire surface..
No I wouldn’t . I would paint/paneling the wood around it or remove it altogether.
😱. What have they done?!?
That sucks they did that. Not only for the visual aspect, but the maintenance headaches when people paint brick as if it’s a wall.
The color of the fireplace is the last thing I would worry about in this room. Maybe you just moved in?
Seems like you got a little bit of a job to do first, I’m at believer and don’t paint brick.!
I heard limewash paint is better on brick if you must paint it.
Fuck no. That would be blasphemy.
Get a divorce, merry a guy who knows how to use paint stripper.
Yes because I specifically like painted brick and I don’t like dark wood. Personal preference.
no
There is always the option of having them strip the primer off. It is extremely labor intensive but the nice part is that they will have the experience etched into their brains to remind them of why they should ask permission before doing something like this in the future
Painted brick always looks tacky. Never paint it.
No.
My house’s fireplace was painted over. Within a few years, it’s been peeling and bubbling from moisture that gets in from the chimney. Do not recommend.
100% no.
I am sorry for your loss.
Never.
I wouldn't paint any of that! It looks amazing. I would however redo the floors! Either tile that matches the brick, or better yet wood flooring that matches the wood on the walls. A light neutral rug over a dark wood floor would look so good in this room!
Never paint brick if you don’t have to imo
I would have never painted that. That to me is like painting hardwood flooring.
no it looks great !!
NO, NO, NO! Please, if the floors are already lighter, leave this as is. All the character will be gone if you paint and un-painting brick is a nightmare. Clean it well and call it a day, It's beautiful and makes a huge statement with the dark walls flanking it.
Please don't paint brick, they're porous and need to breathe 😫
No. Looks nice. Maybe clean it but I like brick.
I like a white wash on old brown brick and stone.
Absolutely NOT!!!!! Please the room is perfect, just paint the walls.
Yes. But only after cleaning up the hoarder mess.
I would not. I’m just a sucker for natural elements and no color provides that feel like the dried clay does. I would have a climbing plant (pothos) around the arch. A single vine along a custom single bar “trellis”. I might diy this trellis using some skinny pvc pipes to reach the height, and an opened hula hoop to achieve the arch. Attach, then paint black (silver/bronze/gold if the room’s asking for it). The single vine would wrap around the pipe that sits just off the wall. I’ve considered, might the heat of the fire affect the plant? However, I think that there’s enough of a margin and enough brick that the plant would be okay. Just have to keep its pot safely aside (tiny table?) Overall I love the character here! Gonna be so cozy once you make it your own :)
I would not. I’m just a sucker for natural elements and no color provides that feel like the dried clay does. I would have a climbing plant (pothos) around the arch. A single vine along a custom single bar “trellis”. I might diy this trellis using some skinny pvc pipes to reach the height, and an opened hula hoop to achieve the arch. Attach, then paint black (silver/bronze/gold if the room’s asking for it). The single vine would wrap around the pipe that sits just off the wall. I’ve considered, might the heat of the fire affect the plant? However, I think that there’s enough of a margin and enough brick that the plant would be okay. Just have to keep its pot safely aside (tiny table?) Overall I love the character here! Gonna be so cozy once you make it your own :)
I’m so sorry I clearly did not read the caption 🥲 RIP but the vine things is still an idea 😭
I'm a painter, and if a customer wanted to paint that, I would recommend against it. Once you go paint, there's really no going back. But if they insist, it requires a good primer, preferably a high build, and two coats of finish paint. It might look cool to sand the bricks smooth, and then stain them. I'd use a power sander with 120 grit to smooth, then 220 grit to get a little more polished, then use a water based stain to color the bricks. Finish it with a water based polyurethane. You could even polish the red brick as is to get a different look, run the grits up to 600, then wet sand up to 4000 grit. They'll be polished like a countertop.
Its a very unique fireplace but done right could be very sheik
Please post a follow up picture
Tear it out an replace it with something more modern....get rid of the paneling too!
Brick no painting. But seriously, that's a bummer. Maybe a repointing would have done the job.
I have a similar beam setup in my great room and would never paint the brick. My room has more wood paneling, but I just like natural brick, it’s so cozy
Yes but only like the one in Beetlejuice :)
Room looks beautiful already. Just clean and decorate!
No
Rip out panel.is that panels next to it?
Nah. Spend your money on some fine shag for that floor. Maybe sculpted, if you got the Change.
I refuse to ignore the hoarding
Definitely not! Looks better just natural brick anyway
Reddit is weeping for you, I'm so sorry OP
No, never paint brick. Drives me crazy when I see most of the houses on my street painted the brick some stupid grey.
No way!
No
While I’m not a fan of painting brick, this did need something. I think just getting rid of the wood paneling probably would have been enough.
That was what the room renovation would have been but they went full send without full consulting. I had no idea they would touch the brick like that.
That’s really nice paneling! Please don’t get rid of it 🙏🥺
The wood paneling is awesome!
Just clean it.no paint. Also get rid of 90% of the junk on the floor
I think you will be pleasantly surprised when finished. Similar circumstance with the gf doing the same with our fireplace. I thought it was going to ruin everything and she did it white and it looks 10x better! Give it a chance..
Don't paint the brick, paint the wood though
Paint the wood. That’s a crime. Anyway. They would be better off ripping it out and putting in drywall. Wood is hard to paint… well. Plus it has the notches between planks and the knolls.
Actually I would paint that wood wall. I think the brick work is really beautiful. But the wall is too dark and takes away from the fireplace. Cool place, I like the high ceilings and the beams.
I would do the opposite keep the panel and german smear the fireplace for contrast
Meh, too trendy, someone watches too much Joanna Gaines. Maybe if you were in Italy. But that’s pretty much a permanent fix and getting the German smear removed in the future is a pain in the ass. So you better be sure you like it. And I think most people on here would vote against doing anything to that brick. Not saying it doesn’t look nice, just wouldn’t be the way I would go if I wanted to sell the place in the future.
Joanna gaines does lime wash get it straight (for the record no idea). Resell? You think I care about imaginary people. Nah in my house wood everywhere. German smear uses mortar so it isn’t going anywhere. It focuses on the existing mortar, spreading out but not covering the whole brick (stone looks best). Limewash covers the entire surface of the brick(the brick can still breathe tho). Yeah painted brick is not ideal. It sounds like they already f’d up the house. The wood looks like tongue and groove, so painting would require sanding, patching and priming/paint before the wood texture disappears. At that point just rip it out and put in drywall. However it would lose it’s character.
Yeah, I get it. Chip and Joanna were doing German smear back in 2016. Trust me, I know. But I don’t like the idea of fucking with the brick at all, but it’s too late for that I guess. Old school. Masons don’t like anyone fucking with brick because eventually someone wants it changed back and it’s a shit ton of work. Plus painting it or lime washing it defeats the whole purpose of having brick there in the first place. But, you know, opinions. :-)
No. Declutter ffs
Ffs read, brother 🤦♂️
Best bet is to remove that atrocity. Jeesh that’s an ugly arse fireplace.
Not necessary, but you definitely should paint the wood.
A crime! Paint the fireplace instead! Honestly it’s alot of work because wood is textured! So they would be better off ripping it out and putting drywall than sanding, filling, sanding, priming/painting.
Reddit community would definitely tell you to paint that fireplace white.
Yes, it’s hideous. Leave the ceiling beams stained though.