Brick Fireplace Stain

For some time I have considered my fireplace in the family room. It is brick, which is lovely, but the color of the brick was too dark, though it matches all the other brick around the place. I wanted to try to stain it lighter, but when I started to research stains, I saw the price and laughed out loud. Mercy, they DO they take themselves seriously! I had a five gallon bucket of primer (that happened to be created for masonry) a while back, used in on lots of stuff (none of which was masonry) and had some left in the bottom of the bucket. So after an absolutely unproductive week I needed *something* to justify my existence and the fireplace became my victim.

 I thinned out the primer and tried a patch of brick on the side where it wouldn't show. Hmmm... not bad. 

So I tried some on the front...  

Weill... I think I've passed the point of no return!  

Hmmm...  (hubby gonna kill me!)

It took me a while to get the hang of getting it on the brick without wearing it or slopping it everywhere.

Ok, this is kind of fun.  A lot like actual work, but it's making a big difference.

It's growing on me, and I started to get the hang of evening out the thin areas.

I put it all back together and stepped back. Not too bad.  Certainly better than the dark brick, but I'm not sure I'm done with it.  I may try to even things out or purposefully uneven things out.

One of these days I'll give build a mantle, change the floor tile and that carpet has to go!  But this was a good project for another day home alone.  Hubby came home a little bit ago and noticed it immediately.  So that's good - it wasn't a subtle change.  He hates it, though of course it's too late.  But I like the change, it works in the room.  And I managed to actually accomplish something today, so that's good.

I just ran across this photo of the place before we moved in... that's the fireplace. 
It looks different now.

Here's to Spring, inside and out!

-Carmen Rose