The Easy brick fireplace makeover to achieve that vintage brick look.
If you all stopped by last week, then you saw our Vintage Cottage Style Living Room Reveal! Part of that reveal was to give the fireplace a new face-lift. Now, this won’t be the first time I’ve updated this fireplace, you can see how it all started here with our white wash and creating a mantel, then the second time I white washed it, and now the ultimate vintage brick look. So, if you’re like me then you love anything that’s old and has character. Either you live in an old house or you’re trying to turn your cookie cutter home to feel vintage. Well, that’s where I’m at, and I think I have been leaning more and more towards vintage lately, then ever.
So, let’s start by talking about how I always thought my brick looked “strange” and never could quite put my finger on it until recently. I mean it was white washed and already had a fireplace makeover, so why did it not look like all those other beautifully white washed brick fireplaces and facades? Then instantly the other day while making over this room it dawned on me, I did not have a grouted brick. It was so crisp looking and neat that it always felt so modern…or should I say dated and still feeling 1980’s or me, even with it’s white wash appearance. So, the light bulb moment happened and I knew that I needed to grout my brick. Now I had two options I could run to the store and buy grout or I could plaster the gap and create almost a “German schmere” look without really being German schmere, if that makes any sense lol. I did not want to totally cover the bricks since they were already white washed, but I wanted to at least give them that “sloppy” effect of a white mortar appearance. So, I went with option B and used some Plaster of Paris that I had in the garage, and then of course had to run back out to the store and buy another container to finish.
Materials to get the vintage look for your bricks
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Water
Paper Dish
Before of the Brick Fireplace
Steps to Apply Plaster (P.S. indoors only)
Start with small amounts of the plaster. This is a little tedious since the plaster does dry so fast..but you don’t want to make big portions of this and then have it all dry up on you. I used paper dishes to create the paste since I ruined my own bowl initially since it stuck all inside. The paper dishes are easy too, because if it gets gloppy after 2 uses toss and grab another plate.
- Add your small amount of plaster and begin adding water. You want the consistency to be more of paste like appearance, not too water and not too thick.
- Grab your putty knife and apply between the grooves of your brick. No pattern or starting point necessary.
- Then grab you finga’ and smooth in that grout line. Honestly your finger is your #1 tool here guys.
- Then begin again for each brick. If it does get onto the brick a bit it just adds more of that character look.
Apply Plaster with Putty Knife
Smooth out Plaster with finger
Plaster in grooves of brick.
AFTER
It’s that simple, it just take a little time and patience since you have to do small sections at a time. But then your fireplace has tons of character like mine. If you want you could paint over brick afterwards. I thought about it, but then took a vote on IG and all followers there were pretty strong on voting for the white wash look.
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More Brick Fireplace Makeover Posts
DIY Mantel and White Washing Brick
DIY Faux Brick Exposed Chimney
Fixer Upper European Cottage German Schmere
4 Responses
That’s pretty interesting. I wondered how it would look if you used a slightly grey shade of plaster. Would it be too difficult to add color to the material? Not that you should have done yours differently at all, but just imagining a different look. Sadly, I don’t have a brick fireplace. Don’t have a fireplace at all. I really want one, but I think I will have to settle for just a mantle to decorate. Otherwise, I would be “aging” my brick, too!
Thanks Naomi! I really wanted that heavy white mortar look to it, so that’s why I did the white. I thought about painting the brick all white…but then when I took some votes on it on IG stories…mostly everyone voted for me to leave it as is. Anyhow, you should def build a mantel to decorate. I built one in my master bedroom and love it!
It’s wonderful!! I love this look you’ve achieved. The German shmear house is one of my fav makeovers 🙂
Thanks Steph! I know me too!!!