How to Paint Fireplace Tile

Today we are gonna talk about painting tile.  We moved into our house three years ago and I hated the fireplace tile since the day I saw it.  I knew I also wanted to replace it but I couldn't find anything I liked within my budget.  So, I thought I'd paint them.  But, (say this with me if you've heard it too) everyone said not to paint them; they look fine they way they are.  So I lived with them.  Well... some people might call me stubborn, so of course, in the back of my mind, I always knew I would change them somehow.  Enjoy another sneak peak into the living room redo.  The whole room change-up is coming soon.

- Fireplace before -

It turns out I was just waiting for the right product to find me.  Lucky for me, two products found me at the same time.  The first was the tile of my dreams!  I love it!!!  I even got Brett on board with buying it, ripping out the old, and installing it.  Wait, it gets even better... the price is only $7.99 per square foot.  Everything else I found was at least $2 more per square foot, if not more.  You may be asking why I'm doing a tutorial about painting tile then instead of installing new tile.  That's a great question.  See, right after I decided I was going to buy the tile, the husband decided that we should turn our gas insert fireplace into a wood burning one.  Now, don't get me wrong, wood burning fireplaces are nice (I grew up with one) but I just don't want that mess, not to mention having to cut firewood.  Anyways, we decided to have my dad come out to take a look to see if it was even possible.  Since it would be ridiculous to replace the tile to only have to redo it again soon, we decided to wait.  Oh, and I'm not going to show you the tile or tell you where to find it because I want it to be in stock when I'm finally ready for it.  Man, I really am crazy - we all know it won't be there anymore!

But, I just couldn't face that ugly tile ANYMORE!  That's when product #2 found me.  Metallic paint.  I'm sure you've seen it.  Every store has their own brand, including Martha Stewart.  I found Rust-oluem Metallic Accents at Menards.

The jars are tiny and cost $3.99 each, but I had some left over.  I think $8 for a whole new look is pretty darn good if you ask me.  The colors are Champagne and Sand.  

Here's how I did it:

1.  Depending on your tile, you may need to sand.  Mine didn't require sanding because it had no gloss.  I did wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to pick up any dust and dirt so that my paint would stick.  Note - my fireplace is essentially a non-working fireplace.  Seriously, we use it maybe twice a year.  If  you use your fireplace more than we do, you may need to use paint that is safe to use close to fire.     

2. I poured some of the lighter color onto a paper plate.  From there, I used a small, dry, flat-tipped artist's paint brush to lightly dip into the paint.  The key word here is light.  You want to dry brush the tiles as much as possible so they retain their realistic look.  If you slop on the paint, you will erase the natural characteristics of the tile.

3. Repeat all over tile.  I painted the grout too.  I rotated my brush strokes so that it looks like the tiles were laid in a haphazard way.  I think this helps with the natural-looking factor.

 - The ugly is almost gone -

3. It's time for color #2.  Once all of the tile is covered in the first coat, lightly (even lighter than with the first color) dip into color #2.  Go back over some of the tiles in a random pattern.  The added color provides depth and a realistic feel.  Depending on the light, my tile now looks like pearlized tile or marble.

4. I mentioned above that I painted the grout with the first color.  It was just easier to paint it than to stay within the borders of the tile and still make them look realistic.  But, it was too much of the same color for me.  I decided to fill in the grout with the second color.  It was exactly what it needed!  This part is completely up to you though.  You could leave the tile completely unpainted, use either of the colors, or choose a third color for it.

If you don't have kids or pets, then you are done!  Sit back and enjoy your work.  Pretend you have a roaring fire and brand new tile to surround it.  If you have kids and/or pets, your work is not done.  Your new job is to keep them off the wet paint.  I think this was the hardest part of the whole thing.  Luckily, this paint dries really fast, just about the same time when they get bored with stepping on or licking (yes, I said licking!) the paint.

Here's the finished product:

Have you painted tile?  What was your experience?  What do you like or what would you change about mine?  Check back soon for more living room updates.