DIY Painted Fireplace Mantel Project | Behr

Fireplace Refresh

We were given this gorgeous mantle, but it was not our home decor style. We took it from dark and drab to crisp and clean and I’m so in love with how it all turned out. Best part is it was so easy to do!

By Brittany Shaw

| A Spark of Creativity

Fireplace mantle, before and after

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I’m very fortunate to have a handy husband. I knew he could take this mantle -- which was too big for our space -- and make it just amazing with a few cuts and a gorgeous coat of paint.

This project was done completely indoors which made it very convenient since it was a heavy fireplace mantle.

The first thing we wanted to do is cut the mantle to fit the notch-out on the fireplace wall and also cut down the hearth to make it fit the size of our fireplace. By using a miter saw we were able to make the notch cuts easily and with minimal mess. To size down the bottom hearth, we took that piece outside to make sure we got a clean and even cut.

We positioned the hearth in place and then carefully placed the mantle in place, pushing it all the way back to the wall. We attached the mantle to the wall using a waterproof, all-surface, bonding glue. Once it was in place, we used a handheld sander and sanded off some of the pre-existing stains.

We headed to our local Home Depot and grabbed our favorite go-to paint which is BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Primer and Paint in Semi-Gloss, Ultra Pure White. We applied the paint using a roller. For the hard to reach details, we used a thin brush. After the first coat, we waited 2 hours before doing the second coat. It always shocks me how well this paint covers the underneath colors! It’s my favorite, hands down!

We wanted to give a crisp, clean look to this mantle and Ultra Pure White in Semi-Gloss was the perfect match.

Advice

Save yourself the time and frustration by using Behr's Paint and Primer in One. It’s less coats you have to do and the coverage is so perfect! The semi-gloss finish is the perfect finish for the mantle and I love that I can just wipe it clean if anything gets on it.

The mantle looks amazing and fits in perfectly with our home decor now. We were able to cut it down to size and notch it to fit the wall and now I can’t wait to decorate it for all the upcoming holidays! This product was one of my favorites and it’s amazing how a coat of paint can transform any piece of furniture!

CUSTOMIZE & BUY
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What Product Do I Need?
BLACK
BLACK
What sheen do I need?
8 Oz. Sample
1 Gallon
1 Quart
5 Gallon
The following product(s) is required to properly prep uncoated and previously coated concrete surfaces.
Required product
BEHR PREMIUM ALL-IN-ONE WOOD CCCC
$0.00
The following product(s) is required to properly prep uncoated and previously coated concrete surfaces. Only available in store at Home Depot.
Required 3rd party product
BEHR PREMIUM ALL-IN-ONE WOOD CCCC
The 9 in. x 1/4 in. Polyester Adhesive Roller Cover has a hard texture, making it ideal for applying all types of adhesives to smooth surfaces. It can be used for stippling and applying sand paints.
The following product(s) is recommended when a topcoat clear finish is desired.
$0.00
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