Okay, let’s talk about this whole red fireplace bricks thing I just did. I wanted to give my living room a bit of a facelift, and that old fireplace was just staring me down. It was, you know, functional, but ugly as sin. Red bricks, but like, faded and covered in soot and who knows what else.
The Prep Work
First, I tackled the cleaning. I didn’t want to buy special “fireplace cleaner” so I used some stuff I had at home. I mixed up a goofy paste of dish soap and baking soda – about 3 tablespoons of soap and half a cup of the baking soda. I slapped that onto the bricks and let it sit for, like, 10 minutes. Then I grabbed a scrub brush and went to town. Rinsed it all off with warm water. That took care of some of the grime, but those bricks were still looking rough.
The Real Deal Cleaning
So, I figured I needed something stronger. I got my hands on some actual brick cleaner. Followed the instructions, which basically said to wet the bricks, apply the cleaner, let it sit, and then scrub. I did all that. It helped a lot more, but man, that was some work.
Color Consideration
After all that cleaning, I was thinking, maybe these red bricks weren’t the enemy. Maybe they just needed a little help to fit in. I was already planning on painting the walls, so I started thinking about colors that would work with the red. You know, something that would make it all look intentional, not like an eyesore. I grabbed some paint swatches and started playing around. I considered some light browns, some warmer reds, even the color of the mortar in between the bricks.
Finishing Touches
- Replace the mantle.
- Paint the walls.
- Clean one last time.
- Sit back and enjoy!
Then I thought about the mantle. It was this old, dark wood thing that just didn’t go with anything. I decided I’d replace it eventually with something lighter, maybe a nice piece of reclaimed wood or something. All in all, it was a bigger project than I anticipated, but hey, that’s how these things go, right? It’s a work in progress, but at least those red fireplace bricks are looking a whole lot better.
