Have you ever used spray paint to faux paint a fireplace mantel?

I have a neighbor who said they refinished their pine mantle by first spraying in a random way, red & yellow spray paint, all over (looked like graffiti almost). After some good dry time she then sprayed black spray paint & allowed to dry.

photo credit: AdamCaudill

Using steel wool she rubbed off the black in areas - which then slightly displayed red & yellow hues.

Followed up with a few coats of Poly for protection and my goodness her mantle looked fabulous. I don’t know how she managed to keep the surrounding area clean. Have you ever done anything of the sort?

Hi Carrie,

Your neighbors painted mantle project sounds very interesting. Do you know if they did this spray paint finish before the mantle was installed? Spray paint fumes can be pretty lethal.

If you are going to attempt this in your own home, you will need to make sure you have the proper amount of ventilation in the room. And you will need to cover everything with plastic to protect from any over spray of the paint.

You can achieve a similar finish with regular latex paint if it would be easier for you. Here are a few simple steps:

1. Sand the surface of your mantle
2. Prime with a good primer / sealer
3. Base coat (2 coats) with either red, yellow or even black, let dry overnight
4. Sponge on either red or yellow (or both) on top of the base coat, let dry
5. Then rub wax on the surface where you would like the distressed / rubbed off areas to be
6. Roll on a couple coats of black paint, let dry overnight
7. Distress the surface with steel wool to reveal the colors underneath.
8. Finish off with a couple coats of water based poly or varnish

This should be a lot easier for you to paint fireplace mantel and a lot less toxic on your lungs. Let us know how it goes. Take before and after photos and send them to us!

That Painter Lady - DAWN

Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint