# Solid Mahogany fire surround - paint?



## Mel (30 Apr 2007)

Would it be utter madness to paint a Solid Mahogany fire surround in white or cream? The room it's in is very dark, it doesn't get the sun until evening, and I think it would brighten the room a lot, as the insert is cast iron and black, and the grate is also black marble.


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## priscilla (30 Apr 2007)

I think it would look lovely but bear in mind the soot from the fire will be a lot more noticeable.


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## jhegarty (30 Apr 2007)

Mel said:


> Would it be utter madness to paint a Solid Mahogany fire surround in white or cream?.


 


Yes... in fact I think its somthing you can be arrested for....


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## Sue Ellen (30 Apr 2007)

Mel said:


> Would it be utter madness to paint a Solid Mahogany fire surround in white or cream?


 
Yes.


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## davidoco (1 May 2007)

If it's pure Mahogany and worth a few quid take it off and sell it on buy and sell.  Then go get yourself a cheap and cheerful wooden surround that you can paint to your hearts content (no pun intended).


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## Mel (1 May 2007)

It's a bit of a story, but when I bought the house he fireplace wasn't correctly installed, it was literally screwed onto the wall over the skirting at one side, and it probably hadn't even been lit. I got it put in properly without really thinking about it so I'm stuck with it now. It would probably be a shame to mess with it, so will come up with some other ideas to brighten the room.

Thanks!


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

Ok, two more  months of looking at this and it's driving me mad, I dont' thikn I can live with it.  

I've looked through my interiors magazines, and about 90% of the fireplaces they show are nice, white and clean. Also was in a neighbour's house recently and saw that she has an identical fireplace, which leads me to believe that these must have been standard issue in the original council fitout of the houses, and thus might well not be mahogany at all but some other cheaper dark wood? 

SO

Considering that the surface is extremely smooth and shiny, do i need to sand this before I start the primer/undercoat/silk layers of paint?  Or will primer cling to any type of wood surface?


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## mf1 (27 Jul 2007)

We had the same problem, during an extension build. As the extension shone brightly back into the sitting room, it showed up every decor problem/mistake ever made, including the mahogany fireplace in a dark room. We eventually bit the bullet, had it removed and replaced with a stove. The builder visibly winced at the idea that we might paint it. 

mf


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

I mentioned it my Dad when he was helping out with (i.e. doing most of!) the work when I was moving in, he thinks it's crazy, but I'm determined at this stage. 
I think if I go with primer straight onto the wood then if someone down the road wanted to restore it then it should strip back relatively easily. I think if I sand it then that might damage the wood underneath, but not sure if the primer will take. I might just try it and see. 

I'm not going to the expense of replacing it, or puting in stoves or anything like that.


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## BlueSpud (27 Jul 2007)

If you do this deed, I will ask that you be banned from AAM. Go visit the taste police, or go to rehab, but I beg you, don't do this terrible thing. 

In a few years the same magazines with have mahogany fireplaces in them and your herd instinct will force you to undo what you what you are considering.

Maybe the reason the magazines fps are white is cos they are made from MDF & are only 1/4 of the cost. Look for the beauty in the mahogany, not the magazine.

I have a mahogany fireplace in my house since I first moved in and I love the look of it, as does mrs bs, and it often draws comments from visitors.


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

Oouch, that's harsh, I think I have very good taste!! I also painted cream over the oak (or oak-effect?) kitchen  
Maybe I'll take a photo and post it? 
I think it's horrible, and I'm not even sure if it's actually mahogany now.


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## Panacea (27 Jul 2007)

BlueSpud said:


> I have a mahogany fireplace in my house since I first moved in and I love the look of it, as does mrs bs, and it often draws comments from visitors.


 
Manys the visitor you hear leaving suggesting "hmmm they should really paint that fireplace magnolia"


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## ClubMan (27 Jul 2007)

Mel said:


> It's a bit of a story, but when I bought the house he fireplace wasn't correctly installed, it was literally screwed onto the wall over the skirting at one side, and it probably hadn't even been lit. I got it put in properly without really thinking about it so I'm stuck with it now. It would probably be a shame to mess with it, so will come up with some other ideas to brighten the room.


Is it that big a deal to take it out and put in something else that would be more suitable for painting as suggested earlier?


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

I'd be asking someone in my family to do it (probably my Dad) and it took two people most of a day to set it in; they used kango hammers, buckets of cement (and something stronger, bonding i think?) and so on, I think it would be a lot of work and mess.


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## BlueSpud (27 Jul 2007)

Mel said:


> I also painted cream over the oak (or oak-effect?) kitchen


 
It's ok to paint over oak furniture. Oak is for good quality flooring, not furniture.



Mel said:


> I think it's horrible, and I'm not even sure if it's actually mahogany now.


You don't fool anyone, you know it's mahogany (or teak, which is equally fine).


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## aircobra19 (27 Jul 2007)

Its obviously much cheaper to paint it but its seems a bad thing to do. 

How would the paint react to the heat?


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## ClubMan (27 Jul 2007)

Do you actually light fires in the fireplace? If not then, whatever about the rights/wrongs/aesthetics, then the paint job at least won't be suffering heat/smoke damage.


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

I know, it does seem a pity...  that's why I'm asking advice; If I go ahead I do want to have done as little damage as possible (that's assuming it IS mahogany, which we don't actually know for sure!!)


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## Mel (27 Jul 2007)

Not so far; I couldn't see myself using it more often than some weekends during the winter. I can't see it getting too dirty on account of being lit.

okay - here's a link to something like it (the one I have is far more ornate in design):
[broken link removed]

and here's what it might look like if it was painted, but I'm leaning towards white rather than cream:
[broken link removed]


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## ang1170 (27 Jul 2007)

If it's an antique (which is unlikely, as antique mahogany fireplaces are unusual), please don't paint over it.

If it's something more modern (e.g. last 20 years or so), it probably has no value over and above its functional and aethetic value, so I'd say if you don't like the aestehtics, go right ahead and change it to what you do like.

It probably has some form of lacquer finish, which is probably best stripped off (with some varient of Nitromors or something similar), before painting.

It's your fireplace: you do what you want. The only case where this is bad advice is in dealing with antiques, where it can be criminal to effectively destroy something that has rarity value by virtue of its age.


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