How To Spray Paint a Brass Fireplace Screen

Brass fireplace screens are dated. Having a brass screen can make your whole space look dated even if your furniture & accessories are current. Unfortunately, a brass screen gives off a negative vibe and it can be give a new look quickly and relatively easy all for the cost of a can of spray paint. In my “fixer upper” the brass screen was screaming “makeover.”

Remove Screen Carefully & Clean!

The first step is removing the screen from the fireplace.  Be careful not to “yank” it off because there are most likely screws in place keeping it intact and you don’t want to rip it off the wall.

Next I cleaned the screen thoroughly using T.S.P. mixed into water.  Check the package details for the ratio of T.S.P. to water.  ( I used a little less T.S.P. than the container called for but it depends on the condition of the screen.)

Lightly sanded the screen with fine (120) sandpaper to remove dirt, debris, paint, and bugs ?

Now the fun part begins where you get to see the transformation.  I laid down the screen outside with a ground cloth.  (I didn’t want to paint my grass black satin.) Its helpful if you can put old cans or something under the screen so it can dry sitting above your ground cloth and not get stuck to the cloth.

Spray Lightly!

I lightly sprayed the first coat.  Lightly does it.  Spraying lightly avoids dripping. Can you see the difference already when I only sprayed the left side?  What a transformation a can of spray paint can have.

Use HIGH HEAT Enamel Spray paint

You need High Heat Enamel spray paint when spraying items that are exposed to high heat like a fireplace grill or BBQ. Do NOT cut corners on this!

Spray Screen Insert a 2nd & 3rd Time if Necessary

I left the screen to dry for about an hour.  Then I sprayed it all over again very lightly.  I needed to come back a third time to get some spots that I had missed.  It’s better to do a couple of light coats, rather than 1 coat where the chances of the paint dripping are high.

Clean the Fireplace Before Putting the Screen Back

Before I put the screen back on, I wiped the smoke off around the stone with my earlier cleaning mixture of water & T.S.P.

And the dreaded before picture again:

The Reveal!

It turned out really well in my humble opinion. lol. The ugly brass screen wasn’t the first thing that your eye was attracted to when you walked into the room.

Need some design advice? Check out my online decorating, color consults & staging packages here. 

Hi! I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Color Consultant & Real Estate Investor.

I help busy homeowners, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, where they can live and enjoy their home.

I conducted my first color consult at the age of 7 lol for my dad. I grew up looking at blue prints, going on construction sites and helping my dad, an Engineer|General Contractor and Co-Owner of a Design|Build|Engineering firm pick out paint colors for his buildings. 

I’m an Interior Designer & Color Consultant. Since 2006, I have been helping hundreds of clients to homes to make them look like they belong in a magazine page whether the client is styling to stay or staging to sell. 

In my spare time, LOL, I buy “fixer uppers” to fix up & either sell for a healthy profit or to rent. The advantage for you is that my recommendations will make your home stunning AND add value to your home at the same time!  

Read my full story including my design credentials here.