Easy DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover with Paint: Before and After

This easy DIY fireplace mantel makeover with paint completely transformed a dated honey oak wood mantel into a fresh, bright focal point in the living room.

If you have a stained wood fireplace mantel that feels dark, dated, or doesn’t coordinate with the rest of your room, painting it can be an easy and budget-friendly way to give your fireplace a whole new look—without replacing the mantel.

In this tutorial, I’m sharing a painted fireplace mantel before and after, the white paint color used, the supplies used, and how to paint a wood fireplace mantel in 3 easy steps for a beautiful, durable finish.

This is a relatively quick DIY home improvement project and a great way to update an outdated fireplace over a weekend.

DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover: Before and After

One of the features that needed an update in this living room was the honey oak orange-brown stain on the wood fireplace mantel.

While the mantel itself was in good condition, the dated golden oak finish didn’t complement the bright, airy look planned for the living room.

The biggest issue was the color. The wood had strong yellow, orange, and red undertones that competed with the other colors and finishes in the room rather than creating a cohesive look.

From an Interior Designer and True Color Expert® perspective, an element that isn’t working with a room’s color palette doesn’t always need to be replaced. Sometimes, simply changing the color or finish can completely transform how it looks and how well it coordinates with the rest of the space.

Painting the wood fireplace mantel white allowed the existing mantel to stay while giving the fireplace a cleaner, brighter, and more updated appearance.

DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover: The Before

Here’s what the dated orange-brown wood fireplace mantel looked like before the DIY fireplace mantel makeover.

DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover: The After

After painting the wood mantel it’s now updated, fresh and stylish!

The details in the mantel are highlighted and it looks and feels clean and bright.

The white paint color coordinates with the white baseboards and trim for a cohesive look and makes this small living room look larger.

The woven wood blinds will to be replaced with beautiful white roman shades.

Create a complete fireplace update by painting the fireplace tile white.

It brightens a dark room and makes it feel spacious, cozy and more relaxing.

The Supplies You’ll Need For This DIY Fireplace Mantel Makeover

• 1 can of this white enamel paint in semi-gloss finish
• Paint brush – I love this one because it has a short handle and is easier to hold onto!
• Small high density foam paint roller
• Paint cup with magnetic paint brush holder
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Painter’s tape – this is my favorite one for crisp lines and no paint bleeding!

What Is the Best Interior Paint To Use On Wood?

It’s really important to use this enamel paint because it creates a strong bond with the wood, doesn’t yellow and has great flow and leveling.

It has a tough, durable surface so you can decorate your mantel and not worry about it chipping or scratching.

This white paint and primer in one is also an option – it’s a great way to paint wood mantels, seals and blocks stains and is the exact paint used to paint the fireplace tile.

Step-By-Step Instructions on How To Paint A Wood Fireplace Mantel

This easy 3 step paint project makes such a high impact transformation to the room.

The prep work is really important, do not skip it! 

1. Cover the floor and hearth with a drop cloth.  Cover the firebox insert as well so you don’t get paint on it.

Tape off the mantel area and firebox with painter’s tape and lightly sand  the entire fireplace mantle with 220 grit sandpaper.

(If your fireplace mantel and surround is really dirty you can also use a soft brush and heavy duty cleaner to clean. Make sure you rinse really well to remove all the cleaner and let dry completely before painting.)

2. Vacuum with a soft vacuum brush attachment and remove all dust, dirt and debris with a tack cloth.

A tack cloth is a tacky material that picks up debris before and after sanding. It gives a smooth and blemish-free finish so don’t miss this step! It’s reusable so keep it for your next painting job!

3. Paint the mantel with 3 coats of paint white enamel semi-gloss paint using a paintbrush, paint cup with magnetic paint brush holder and a small high density foam paint roller.

Three coats of paint gives complete coverage.

Let each coat of paint dry 24 hours.

Follow the instructions on the paint can and let the paint cure and harden completely before adding decor to the mantel. This is make the paint durable and help prevent any scratching or marks.

Was A Primer Used?

No. A primer was not used.

A paint primer is not needed because the paint itself prevents any stain from bleeding trough the paint.

If you want to use a coat of primer, this Multi-Surface Stain-Blocking Primer and Sealer is a good choice.

Here’s the painted fireplace mantel before and after transformation.

Before the fireplace mantel was dark, dreary, boring and dated.

After, the fireplace mantel is bright, updated, stylish and on-trend!

The results of this DIY fireplace mantel makeover with paint completely transformed the look and feel of the entire room. Painting the dated wood mantel and trim white instantly made the space feel brighter, lighter, larger, and more updated.

Painting dated wood trim white is recommended when the existing stain color and undertones no longer coordinate with the overall design of a room. It’s a relatively simple update that can make a dramatic difference without the expense of replacing existing woodwork.

Removing the orange-brown wood stain also created a more versatile backdrop for decorating. Strong wood undertones can sometimes compete with paint colors, furniture, flooring, and decor, making it more challenging to create a cohesive color palette.

The fresh white painted fireplace mantel provides a clean, timeless look that makes it easier to introduce different neutral and accent colors throughout the room. It also offers more flexibility when switching out decor for different seasons and holidays.

The white mantel creates beautiful contrast in the living room while allowing the other neutral tones and accent colors to stand out. It also complements the existing wood flooring, allowing its natural color and character to become a beautiful feature of the space.

This simple painted fireplace mantel before-and-after transformation shows just how much impact a new paint color can have on a room.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the fireplace gas or wood burning?

This fireplace is electric. It’s not a gas fireplace and it’s not wood burning.

What color paint was used?

I used this white paint straight out of the can – the color is called ‘White’. It’s a bright, fresh, ‘clean’ white with no undertones.

If you want a different color, you can get it tinted to any color you’d like.

What color should a fireplace mantel be?

A fireplace mantel can be the same color as your baseboard and window trim- which is typically a neutral white. This allows the mantel to blend in with the room and create a cohesive look.

The fireplace mantel and surround can also be painted black, which will tie into the black fireplace insert color. Make sure you repeat the black color throughout the room though to make your room look pulled together and cohesive.

Painting your mantel a neutral greige or dark brown will look beautiful – as long as you repeat that color throughout the room to tie it into the space.

The Best Greige Paint Colors for a Timeless Home

Should the fireplace mantel match floor?

A painted mantel should not match the floor. It should match the baseboard and window trim color.

A stained woodd fireplace mantel should match the same stain color as the floor. For example white oak floors should have a white oak fireplace mantel.

A wood mantel can be stained a different color from the floor as long as the stain color coordinates with the flooring color undertones and the stain color is repeated in the room to make it cohesive.

Do I need to sand the fireplace mantle before painting?

Yes, you need to remove the old stain or paint finish so the new paint does not peel, chip or flake off.

Lightly sanding before painting gives the new paint good adhesion, durability and washability.

What paint finish should a fireplace mantel be?

A semi-gloss finish is recommended to allow for easy cleaning.

A washable matte finish, eggshell or a gloss finish can also be used.

What kind of paint do you use to paint a fireplace mantel?

Use an urethane alkyd enamel paint for the best adhesion and durability.

Alkyd vs. Acrylic Paint: what is the difference?

Alkyd paint usually has a volume solids of 55%, while acrylics have about 40%.

This means that alkyd paint provides much thicker film than acrylic paint. This gives alkyd paint a harder, more durable finish.

Can you paint a brick fireplace?

Yes you can! You’ll need to use a masonry primer and a paint that’s specifically formulated to paint brick and porous surfaces, so that it completely covers all of the brick texture, crevices, grout lines and mortar lines.

If your brick is dated this is an excellent way to refresh your room!

Can you paint fireplace Tile?

Yes! If you have fireplace tile, check out this How To Paint Tile tutorial with supply list and step-by-step instructions: How to paint fireplace tile

How to remove soot?

Soot has to be removed with fireplace cleaner formulated to remove soot and water before painting so that the paint adheres properly.

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