Painting A Stone Fireplace: Design Rules To Know

Today’s post is about all the interior design considerations you need to know before you paint your stone fireplace! I’ll walk you through choosing the right style, paint color, texture, and more to help you nail the look you really want.

Design Rules to Know Before Painting A Fireplace

Thinking about painting a stone fireplace?

Before you dive in to a full fireplace makeover, you need to make a few design decisions first. Your fireplace is a big feature in your living room and the design choices you make will impact the look and feel of your whole room, and maybe your whole house.

First, narrow down your design style: modern, cottage, contemporary, traditional, etc. Think through how that will impact your decisions on a paint color, mantel design, and decor choices.

Don’t forget to consider your room layout too. How will your furniture be set up around the room? Is your fireplace the focal point or an accent? This will help you determine if you should go bold or subtle with your color and finish.

Not every stone fireplace needs paint. If the stone texture is unique or high quality, consider skipping the paint brush and try lime washing, adding a German Schmear technique, brightening the grout, giving it a fresh cleaning, or even swapping the mantel or fireplace surround instead.

But if your fireplace is dragging down your space, a paint update can make a huge difference. I recently painted a friend’s stone fireplace and absolutely love how it turned out!

Save this post for later!

Fireplace Design Styles and Characteristics

Modern, Industrial style fireplace ideas

• Light woods, clean lines, shiplap, sleek, matte black insert, straight edges to the ceiling, fluted surround, painted stone, concrete

Transitional, European, Cottage-inspired fireplace ideas

• Natural stone, brick, arched firebox, marble or stone surround, lots of natural texture, German Schmear/mortar treatment, painted stone

Farmhouse fireplace ideas

• White brick, wood mantel in dark or medium stain, painted stone, whitewashed

Traditional fireplace ideas

• White surround, Brick inset, picture frame moulding

Eclectic, Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial fireplace ideas

• Patterned tiles, dark woods, terracotta, rounded bump-out, stucco, angled top

Midcentury Fireplace ideas

• Stacked bricks, vertical panels, square tiles

Living Room Layout Ideas With A Fireplace

Is your fireplace the focal point or an accent in the room? This might change how to renovate it! If it’s not the focal point, consider a fireplace makeover that helps it blend in naturally into the rest of the room. If it IS the natural focal point, consider a bolder design that attracts lots of attention (the good kind).

Living Room Layouts For Corner Fireplaces

The diagonal placement of a corner fireplace often disrupts the natural flow of a room, making it hard to figure out where to put your sofa, chairs, or TV. You might end up with furniture that doesn’t feel grounded or a layout that makes conversation awkward. Instead of fighting the angle, embrace it. Place a chair or small piece of furniture on one side of the fireplace and your couch parallel with the fireplace’s angle. If you have a rug, place this the same direction as your couch. This works great for small spaces. For more corner fireplace tips, head to this post!

Color Ideas For Painting A Stone Fireplace

When selecting the perfect shade of paint for your stone fireplace, think about the mood you want to create. I rounded up paint color ideas that could work for painting a stone fireplace!

Soft White Fireplace Paint Color Ideas:

A painted white fireplace can fit into most styles.

• White Dove by Benjamin Moore
• Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams
• Shiplap by Magnolia
• Slipper Satin by Farrow & Ball
• Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore
• Simply White by Benjamin Moore

Black Fireplace Paint Color Ideas:

For a more modern, industrial, edgy look, try black!

• Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore
• Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams
• Black Magic by Sherwin-Williams
• Railings by Farrow & Ball
• Carbon by Behr
• Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball

Earthy Green Fireplace Paint Color Ideas:

Sage green, light green, and warm greens offer a soothing, natural style with a little drama.

• October Mist by Benjamin Moore
• Escape Gray by Sherwin-Williams
• Vintage Vogue by Benjamin Moore
• Pigeon by Farrow & Ball
• Clary Sage by Sherwin-Williams
• Artichoke by Sherwin-Williams

Beige and Tan Fireplace Paint Color Ideas:

If you’re looking for an off-white or alternative neutral option, beige or tan could work too. I recommend testing these colors in a small area first to make sure you like it.

• Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore
• Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams
• Ballet White by Benjamin Moore
• Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball
• Locally Sown by Magnolia
• Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore

Mantel Ideas For A Painted Stone Fireplace

Try ordering a custom mantel through a local company or look for custom options online (like this one or this one). You can also get pre-fabricated mantels depending on the size of your fireplace. I recommend searching on Etsy for unique, handmade options.

Painted Fireplace Mistakes: Texture + Sheens

Painting a stone fireplace is a permanent decision to not take lightly. I’d recommend thinking through a few alternatives first, and here’s why:

I would never choose to build a new fireplace with painted brick or stone. I personally don’t think painted fireplaces are a timeliness design look.

But as a homeowner with a budget, I totally get that you can’t always just tear something down and start over. There’s lots to consider here like product waste, financial waste, and feasibility.

A known rule in home design is to incorporate a variety of natural elements throughout your home. Frick or stone add a lot of texture and depth to a space.

So when you paint a stone fireplace, the room can feel flat because you lose those natural elements. I’d recommend looking at ways you could resurface or re-grout the stone or brick first BEFORE painting it. Can you try giving it a good clean, or a lime-wash or German Schmear treatment first for some extra texture?

But if the stone is really outdated or just really not the look you want, painting your stone fireplace could be the right next step for your home.

I’d recommend an eggshell or flat sheen paint so it doesn’t look glossy/glam.

For my friend’s home, painting the stone made a drastic difference! It brightened up their living room and totally changed the look and feel of the space. I’m glad we chose this!

Alternative Options To Painting A Stone Fireplace

Here are some design alternatives to painting a stone fireplace:

• Whitewash
• Limewash
• German Schmear
• Change the brick or stone
• Change the mantel
• Change the surround

Painting A Stone Fireplace DIY Tutorial

I was intimidated by painting my friend’s stone fireplace at first. I started with a heavy duty cleaning, then primed and painted it. Once I started, it was easy! Whether your a beginner DIY’er or an experienced pro, painting a stone fireplace is a totally doable project.

Before & After: Painting A Stone Fireplace

This room in my friend’s house went from dark and dingy to bright and modern with our painted stone fireplace makeover. Although I’m not one to jump into painting stone or brick (I love natural textures), it was the right call for this space!

What design questions do you have on this topic? Drop them in the comments below and I’ll answer them!