Introduction: Whitewashing a Fireplace

About: I am an obsessed DIYer, Woodworker, and home flipper. I am not a professional or have any training, so I just pick the project I want to tackle and figure it out step by step. I picked up my first project at…

Today, I am going to show you exactly how I whitewashed my stone fireplace.

Whitewashing a fireplace essentially means painting it white while keeping the natural texture of stone.

If I had just straight painted this fireplace white, it would look like plastic.

I have now done this on 2 different types of fireplaces and you'll be able to catch the 2nd video at the end of this tutorial.

If you're interested in this full length video or checking out other content like this - consider visiting my YouTube Channel HERE and subscribing :)

Supplies

Gray Latex Paint

Plaster of Paris

Chalk Paint (color of choice)

Paint Brushes (bristle preferred)

Measuring Cups

Step 1: First Mixture

The base coat for the fireplace will come from the latex paint.

I pre-mixed this with the following measurements:

  • 1 Cup Gray Latex Paint
  • ¼ Cup Plaster of Paris
  • ¼ Cup Water

Stir Everything!

  • 1 More Cup of Water (add this cup after mixing previous ingredients)

Step 2: Apply First Mixture

Then it is time to paint this onto the stone and grout lines.

Have a bristle brush for this makes it much simpler as the stone is very porous.

Move the brush in circular motions to get ever piece of the stone possible.

The whole purpose of this first coat is to have a deep base color that will ultimately make the final coat consistent across all of the stone.

Additionally, just straight whitewashing with chalk paint will not be ideal because any smoke stains and yellowing from the stone will eventually bleed through the chalk paint.

Step 3: Mix the Final Coat

The final coat is just a 1 part for 1 part mixture:

  • 1 Cup Linen Chalk Paint by Rust-Oleum
  • 1 Cup Water

Mix this up real good and that is it.

Step 4: Apply the Final Coat

Apply this second coat an hour or more after the latex paint was applied.

This should be done in the same manner - brush it in a circular motion.

1 coat should be fine, I hit my stone with a second coat but avoided going through the grout again - that way the grout may still seep through a little and just help with a natural look.

Step 5: Finished!

That is all there is to whitewashing your fireplace! Or really any inside stone (this won't work on exteriors).

A couple of tips before you start this

  1. Take photos before you start. I don't have many good before images.
  2. Cover your walls and floor. I did a terrible job of prepping.

I have the video up top if you want to watch this process, or I have a basic type of whitewashing in this video HERE (this one doesn't have a base coat - not the premium method).

A FREE way for you to show your support is by subscribing to my YouTube channel HERE.

Thank you so much, and I'll see y'all on the next one!

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