Banish the Brass

How is it that I have been living with the brass on the fireplace surround for so long? Oh and don't forget about the tools with the glaring brass!  I have been wanting to get rid of the brass for so long. Other bloggers have banned the brass, but I wasn't completely sold until I saw how well our neighbor's fireplace turned out (thanks Johannes and Brian!) I was so happy to see that the finish was matte so not only was the brass gone, so was the shiny black surround.

Here's a quick look at the fireplace and tools before...I know so late 80's early 90's - yuck!

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to painting, but I am trying to really prep well to make the overall project much less messy. I took the time to prep the night before I was planning to paint.

I have to confess after I started taping the tools I was trying to figure out a way to paint them without taping...well then it dawned on me that they came apart so I could remove all the marble.

All prepped and ready to paint. I used Rust-oleum High Heat.  

Make sure you open all windows and doors - the smell is extremely strong.

Look how much better the surround and tools look without the brass!

Now what do I do with my wood bin which I absolutely love??? Should I leave it red or paint it? Spring pretty much marks the end of fire season in our house so maybe I will store it in the garage and decide in the Fall.

Now if only I could install the slate tiles...just more to add to the list.