Get That Brass Outta Here!

One thing I am definitely not a fan of is BRASS. The previous homeowners did a really good job of getting rid of most everything brass. All of the light fixtures and door knobs were replaced with brushed nickel or even a dark bronzed metal. I'm slowly working on replacing all of the knobs on the cabinets, but the brass on the fireplace doors had to go! Here's what I started with...

In this picture I had already sanded down the brass parts

The casing around the fireplace is black and the top and bottom of the doors are brass

I started by sanding down the brass so that the paint would adhere better. I used a sanding block and just roughed up the metal a little. Next, I taped off the glass and brick around using newspaper and painter's tape.

I used my FAVORITE spray pain in the world - Oil Rubbed Bronze (ORB). It's metallic black, but leaves a hint of shimmer.

It took 3 light coats to cover completely

And here's the finished product...

I taped off the wood pieces on the handles - but I think I will go back and paint them as well.

I just did the top - so you can see the bottom is still brass. I wanted to make sure I was happy with it before I finished the rest - but I will be finishing it here shortly!

Much better!!  I like how subtle it is now - it blends in. Once I get the living room painted, I will start working on painting the bricks around the fireplace to lighten the place up, so I think the black on the fireplace door will look much better in the end.