Brick Fireplace Ideas: 10 Looks to Elevate Any Living Room

The fireplace area is among the most cared-for places in your living room. It’s where you fall on a Sunday, where you gather your guests of course, and where your eyes fall the second you step into. But, so many brick fireplaces appear to be in a time warp in the decade when installation was taking place. Fortunately, brick is one of the most malleable materials for a re-design.

Adding a coat of paint or a lime wash, or simply letting it get the exposure and adding the perfect style, can transform the atmosphere of a room. You can go either for a crisp Scandinavian white, for a moody charcoal or for a warm terracotta glow, whatever you are drawn to there’s a brick treatment to fit the space.

Here are ten great fireplace looks you can steal, and some tips on what does and doesn’t work before you get started.

Crisp White Brick Fireplace in a Sun-Washed Scandi Living Room

There is something very fascinating about a Scandinavian home. It rarely gets proper sunlight but still looks so magical. White brick is useful in these homes as it can reflect and absorb light at the same time. Interior designers usually recommend this style as it fits in modern homes completely.

You can use flat or eggshell white paint on your walls to make it look even more attractive. When the paint is shiny or plastic it will make your room look ethereal. As soon as you enter your house after a hectic work schedule, it will look like your own paradise.

Oak floors, linen curtains and a sofa that is grey in color, and here your beautiful room is ready to shine even in the dark. If you use white color it may lose its shine quickly but with some tips it can go on for many years to come.

Cozy Charcoal Gray Brick Fireplace Ideas for a Modern Living Room

Charcoal gray brick adds depth to a room without adding weight, particularly when the remainder of the room is light. This is one of the more popular brick fireplace paint colors today as it will appear modern rather than trendy in a way that will become dated very easily.

You can place it as an anchor wall behind your television or console and enjoy all the entertainment with your family or alone. Your TV will run smoothly and there will be no shade as you are watching it. If there are darker shades of furniture in your room you can go for lighter shades to compliment it well. Black color can take away the beauty.

Warm Terracotta Brick Fireplace That Makes Any Living Room Cozy

If you prefer a brick fireplace to be covered, then a terracotta brick or burnt-orange toned brick fireplace will do the job nicely. As long as the brick has warm tones to it, this appearance is best achieved, otherwise the brick will tend to look muddy if it’s too cool.

Use rust, mustard or dark green fabrics around it and an unpainted wood mantle to complement. A great match for those seeking a contemporary fireplace ideas design with a modern, but still lived-in feel to it.

Bright White Painted Brick Fireplace for a Fresh, Airy Living Room

The soft Scandi white is different to a true bright white, which is more crisp and gallery like. This is a good version for rooms with a high ceiling and lots of windows, where there is not a lot of clutter to mix in with the fireplace.

Paint over the masonry with a masonry primer, otherwise many coats of paint will get absorbed into the brick, resulting in an uneven surface. Unlike white walls, which tend to blend in with the rest of the room, bright white walls can be accented with black metal such as a fireplace screen or picture-light fixture, providing some contrast without making the wall the focal point.

Elegant Navy Blue Brick Fireplace Ideas to Elevate Your Living Room

Navy is a rarely useful choice, but it works surprisingly well on brick due to the richness of the color, which camouflages the mortar joints to a certain extent. It is both sophisticated and not frilly, which is ideal for living room spaces that serve as reading areas or home libraries.

It complements the navy with brass or traditional gold touches on the mantel and light fixtures, respectively. A practical tip: Navy paint can appear virtually black in dimly lit rooms, so try a patch at other times of the day before applying to the entire fireplace.

Dreamy Blush Pink Brick Fireplace for a Soft, Feminine Living Room

A blush pink brick is a more assertive selection, but one with a subdued, dusty color, not a bright bubblegum tone, that doesn’t appear to be a nursery. It is ideal for use in living spaces that have a lot of natural texture, such as a jute rug or linen sofa, because the softness of the color requires a grounding to make it less saccharine.

These are among the makeover ideas for brick fireplace that look great in photos but are best for a few weeks with a swatch before you decide to commit to it, as pink colors can appear quite differently in various lighting situations.

Breezy Whitewashed Brick Fireplace with Coastal Farmhouse Charm

Whitewashing is different from painting. You can do it by brushing a light-colored paint or lime wash over the brick, allowing some of the brick to show through. It looks relaxing and you achieve that sun-bleach coastal farmhouse style.

It does have some advantages as it is more forgiving than a solid paint job and imperfections in the brick only enhance its character. The disadvantage is that a white wash is harder to even with after, so it is best to try it on a spot you can’t see before trying the whole face.

Warm Greige Brick Fireplace Ideas for Quiet Luxury Living Rooms

Transitions of gray and beige are good in combination to create a neutral shade, good as gray/beige, that’s a popular choice for those seeking the quiet luxury aesthetic. On brick, it is able to tone down the total white without being cold like straight gray. If you’re unsure whether you’ll appreciate a fiery hue in another five years, this is a secure versatile selection to provide a modern, new look to the fireplace.

Complement with warm wood tones, cream boucle upholstery and simple hardware. Since greige is a mixed tone, it can appear very different in warm lights compared to cool lights; therefore, test the color under the light that you will be using in your room before purchasing gallons.

Retro Caramel Brick Fireplace for a Warm Mid-Century Living Room

Carmel colored or amber brick fireplaces are perfect for a mid-century aesthetic in your living room, which may already be a minimalist, almost low-below-the-knee style. Many original mid century homes already have this brick color – just style it to suit. Increase a teak media console, mustard or olive accent pillows, and also a sunburst mirror over the mantel.

A fireplace in the living room is a great addition for anyone who desires to have a brick fireplace living room design with a more modern look rather than the old fashioned look, but maybe they simply don’t have the money to repaint their home right now.

Ready to Give Your Fireplace a Fresh Look?

There are 10 ideas to think about and you can’t do them all at once, so start with a few. Select the color(s) you desire in the living room, and apply a paint sample or whitewash sample on the brick to determine the exact look of the room before painting the entire wall. Lighting can make a huge difference — check your sample in the morning, afternoon and evening before making a final decision.

If your fireplace is frequently in use, consult your local mason or contractor to see if the paint or lime wash you select can withstand heat in close proximity to the fireplace opening. This is a weekend project and can really make a difference in the overall feel of the room, so spend time getting the colors just right the first time.