My old fireplace screen has been living a tenuous existence for about eight years. I picked it up at an “antique” store (code for junk store) back in our old house and had one side of it rigged for ages. (You can see the top isn’t even hinged in this picture from last March!) It finally bit the dust and I hunted the perfect replacement for weeks.
I found some nice ones but they were either too expensive, too small (I have an unusually large 1964 fireplace, come to find out), or curved at a different angle than the mantle (which really bothered me). I ultimately resorted to Amazon and purchased a four fold polished brass fireplace screen. I used it in the den through most of our winter (Jan and Feb here in Atlanta this year, ha!) but decided a few weeks ago that I didn’t love the polished brass with the rest of the antique gold in the room. I don’t have a before picture, but I pulled it out to the garage and gave it a few coats of Antique Gold Rub n Buff. This was after the first coat, so the final product looks much neater.
And here it is finished and back on the mantle! I wear plastic gloves and just use my finger. I don’t perfectly coat it, and I do leave some places thicker than others.
I never really knew I didn’t like the old fireplace screen until I got this one in place. The little touch of gold really does brighten up the space and this one is a better height than the original. It is also much lighter and easier to move when lighting a fire!
While I was fussing around at the fireplace, I also decided to take down the somewhat dated flower arrangements. In the throes of a closet clean out in John’s room, everything was fair game for the donation pile. These felt heavy and dusty and old. After staring at the gaping holes for a while I decided to just hang two more salad plates in their place.
These two simple changes have made the room look so much lighter visually, in my opinion.
before
after
Here you can get a feel for a wider angle of the room.
You can see more of the space and find sources in THIS POST.
I also have another technique for getting an easy antique gold finish in THIS POST.
Have a wonderful day!!
fireplace screen | rub n buff
affiliate links
The Delightful Home {Dixie Delights Home Tour}
DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
I love the new fireplace screen, and the new look! It’s much lighter and brighter. Enjoy your “new” space! xo
I love the plates over the fireplace! What a great idea. Jess at Just Jess
Can you please tell me the color of your walls, the brick and the mantle? I am in the process of choosing colors for our new house, and I like the way your paint colors go together.
Thanks!
Abbey
Love the new fire place screen and the mantle arrangement. It really did open up the space.
Simple changes but such a big impact! Lovely.
Love the new look. Fireplace screens are very hard to find. It went down that road a few years back.
I’m going to paint my brick on fireplace this weekend. Do you have any tips or tricks for that?
I thought I liked the flower arrangements, but I love the simple plates even more!! And I can’t imagine doing that big screen in Rub N Buf!! I’ve done small projects and don’t think I’d have the patience for something big. :)
I had that same screen (as your new one) in my bachlorette condo! Seeing it brings back alot of fond memories of my home in those days. You will never get tired of it and the gold rub looks great!
(bachelorette) Ugh! I hate typos! ;-)
Have you noticed the shape of those “finials” on the screen is repeated on the top of the pagoda and gold frame on the coffee table?
there is no problem with this getting hot? my fireplace screen gets pretty hot.
No, we haven’t had a problem with it!
I just stumbled on your blog looking for guidance changing black iron light fixtures to a gilded iron (brass) look. I read your light fixture post with the spray paint and dark rub and also read this with the rub and buff. Do you recommend one over the other for any particular reason when it comes to light fixtures? They’re actually newer light fixtures that I’m regretting buying the black in stead of the brass, so I’m nervous to ruin them. If they were old, I wouldn’t care so much! Thanks!
Hi, I think either would work, I went with rub and buff on the fireplace because it was already gold to start with! I think going from black to gold I’d start with spray paint. You could also do that first and then rub and buff gold on top of it. I hope that helps!