How to update a brick fireplace

Does no one know what bricks are?

We were looking for bricks at the local home improvement stores and none of the clerks knew what bricks were. They kept sending me to their pile of pavers. Apparently the newest generation of home improvers doesn't use brick any more. As a matter of fact, if you do an online search for bricks, this is what you come up with: pavers, concrete blocks, bullnoses...Bullnoses? What's bullnose?

I finally found a clerk at Home Depot that knew what an actual brick was (without me having to describe them and getting the blank deer caught in your headlights kind of look). She said you have to order them because no one carries them any more. Um, OK. I guess the world is changing in many ways, including the most basic ways. A brick? I just can't believe someone wouldn't know what a brick is...

Did you know brick can be painted?

My FB friend, Leslie Stocker @ Colorways has an 80's fireplace that needed updating:

Leslie applied a lime wash with Pure & Original’s Fresco Lime paint; the results are quite dramatic.

Environmentally friendly, lime paint is a centuries-old finish used as early as 1500 BC. ‘Fresco’ is Italian for ‘working wet’ and is best known in fresco wall murals throughout Europe.

I have used Pure & Original on a project before - I painted my mom's old dresser for a contest, "A Family Dresser Rescue" and loved the quality.

Here is her "AFTER" picture:

There is no reason to be "stuck" with parts of your home that are outdated. Leslie here shows us there is always a way to change our surroundings to fit our personal style. Visit Leslie at Colorways for more inspiration. Thanks, Leslie, for letting me share your project!

NOTE: Due to many questions, I contacted Pure & Original to get more information. Here are Helene's answers:

"Lime paint is beautiful on interior brick.

Bare brick, natural stone or slate (not coated with any kind of product)

As long as the surface is free of fat, dust and is solid (no loose parts), Fresco will adhere without using our special primer. If you dilute the Fresco (2-3 parts water : 1 part Fresco) you can create a beautiful lime wash. Or full coverage if you dilute it with the regular amount of water.

Brick, natural stone or natural slate covered with a coating (paint, lacquer)

Can also be painted with Fresco, but our special primer is needed for good adherence. So a transparent lime wash is not an option in that case.

Fresco will adhere on exterior brick, but it is not tested on weather and air pollution circumstances since it is an interior product. So we do not recommend it for exterior use. For that we have Kalei, a special exterior paint, Kalei is only available on special order in the USA."