Furniture paint recommendations. I’m ruining the fireplace.

[Boblingoblino31]

In a moment of madness and with no DIY ability at all I started giving my nasty fireplace a new look. I bought Rustoleum chalk paint and now the marble is a blotchy grey and every flipping brush stroke can be seen.

I was about to tackle the wood surround having buggered up the inset but don’t want to use the Rustoleum on it. Is there anything else that will go on smoothly but that will also cover the aluminium decorative strip going round the surround as well? I wish I’d not started now because it’s looking worse than before.

You will need more than one coat and I'd recommend using a synthetic roller rather than a brush. Thin coats work best, more work but a better finish.

Thanks. I’ve watered the paint down and have put 3 coats over the marble. It looks a bugger. I will see if I can get a small roller to do the surround but some bits are fiddly so will have to use a brush. I find the paint really hard to apply because even when I’ve watered it down it feels sticky and I can’t get it to go on smoothly,

If you want a good finish that lasts I wouldn't use Rustoleum or any chalk paint really, it chips so easily and would be a bit crap on such a shiny surface.

I would let what you've done dry, give it a quick rub over to get reasonably smooth, then start again with something like Dulux Satinwood. The coverage is so much better than chalk paint and will last a lot longer without chipping.

I would only ever use chalk paint on something I want to look chipped and a bit knackered!

Just to add - I painted one of my fireplace surrounds (it was hideous MDF, very shiny and orange) with Satinwood about seven or eight years ago. It has a big mantle top which regularly has things scraped around on and it still looks perfect.

I've just used authentic versante paint on woodwork in my porch and it was great to paint with and finish is pretty flawless. Frenchic paint also has a good reputation. Gloss roller worked well.

Badtaste. Your fireplace surround sounds very similar to this one. Shiny, orange MDF but extra hindered by a metal decorative strip. Will check out the satinwood. I’ve never had anything look so bleugh as this. Do you reckon now the marble has 3 coats of rust oleum that he Dulux will cover it nicely?

December thanks. Is the authentic stuff expensive. I want to keep the cost down what with wasting money on two pots of rustoleum.

Not sure but if it's reasonably smooth and given a quick sand it should be ok. My hideous orange MDF fireplace was really shiny too, I literally spent a few minutes rubbing over with sandpaper to prep the surface a bit better (am quite lazy with diy!) then went for it. I did apply two coats of Satinwood as I was painting it cream and the dark orange streaked through a bit on the first coat.

It looks lovely now though and has never needed any touch ups.

I’m going to go for it with Satinwood Badtaste. The ex browny marble now streaky dull grey can’t look any worse than it already does and if it covered your orangy super shiny MDF I think it’s what’s needed here. God I wish I’d not started though. This is getting expensive.

Ha yes that's the problem isn't it - although if your fireplace started off looking anything like as hideous as mine did, the end result will be worth it. I make a real feature of my fireplace now, loads of candles and twee crap - before I just wanted to try and hide it!

I’ll keep on chucking money and satinwood at it and hope I end up with a fireplace I don’t want a cloak of invisibility for

Just frenchiced my bright orangey cream fireplace and used some stick on tiles and updated the grate and chrome surround. How is yours after all these years?