Painting Over a Gold-Colored Fireplace

Remove the gold pieces from the fireplace with a screwdriver. Place the screws in a small dish to keep them all together. You will have to paint these as well.

Wash the gold grate, trim pieces and screws or other hardware with warm, soapy water. Scrub off any rust with sandpaper or a wire brush, and rinse it off. Allow everything to dry completely.

Move all of the pieces to a location suitable for spray painting. A garage or covered porch is typically ideal. Cover a large area with plastic or a tarp, and lay the pieces out so that they are not touching one another.

Spray a metal primer all over the first side of the pieces including the screws, making sure to coat them evenly. Once they are dry, flip them over and spray the other side. Let this dry as well. Ideally, you will want to use something that can withstand high heat. Most hardware stores will have a selection of spray-paint primers that will be suitable to use on your fireplace.

Paint the gold fireplace pieces with a metal spray paint in a color that will go well with the room your fireplace is in. This should be a spray paint meant for high heat as well. Spray two even coats on one side, allowing for adequate drying time between coats, and then flip the pieces over once the first side is dry. Apply two more coats, and let the pieces dry for the time recommended on the spray-paint label.

Tape off the rest of your fireplace if you wish to paint this as well. Apply a primer using a paintbrush or roller that is suitable for the material of your fireplace and let this coat dry. Then, apply two to three coats of latex paint in your desired color, letting each coat dry before applying the next one. Once everything is dry, remove the painter’s tape.

Reinstall your freshly painted fireplace pieces as they were before, using the existing hardware that you painted.