Ideas for Painting a Tile Fireplace

Solid Color

• Choose an accent color from somewhere else in the room where the fireplace is located. This color could come from an area rug, window treatments, throw pillows or wall art. Paint the tiles of the fireplace in this shade for a subtle, complementary look. Avoid painting the grout lines in order to keep the look of the tiles authentic.

  Alternatively, select an accent color from the room and purchase paint in this color, along with one shade darker and one shade lighter. Create a random design of the three shades of paint on the tiles for more visual interest through variation.

Accent Tiles

• Select a minimum of two colors for the fireplace surround. One color will be the main or field color, while the second will become an accent color. Paint one row of tiles in the accent color, or paint the tiles in a stair-step design, random-placement design or symmetrical design of two or three tiles on either side of the hearth. Fill in the rest of the tiles with the second, field color. Make sure the two colors are different enough to stand out from one another.

Mural Design

• Trace the fireplace surround onto a large piece of craft paper. Sketch in the tile shapes to scale on the paper and practice creating a mural on the paper. Each tile should connect up to the next one, with the design simple enough that the grout lines will not interrupt details.

  When you have the design the way you want it, reproduce it on the fireplace surround. Trace it lightly in grease pencil first before painting to ensure the design is correct.