Budget Mantel Update using Mineral Paint

And My Thoughts on Durabilty!

Since the day we found the double mantel hidden in the diary, I had a problem with it. Not the shape: that is definitely gorgeous. It was the colour that drove me nuts. Someone, at some point, did a very bad faux finish on the mantel in an attempt to blend it with the 70s updates to our farmhouse. Over time the colour had become even more orange. When we installed the mantel against the red brick of the chimney it looked like a vast expanse of BLAH. There was no definition and it wasn’t the focal point I wanted it to be. The solution was to do a budget mantel update using black mineral paint.

Why a Budget Mantel Update Anway?

When I first floated the idea I might paint the mantel many people questioned why I didn’t strip the mantel back to raw pine as I had the front door. The mantel is a very soft wood, probably baltic pine like the ceilings and doors but, honestly? The mantle was not in great shape. There was a massive burn mark where I leaned a smoking log against it (don’t ask). It also had a number of knicks and dings where it had been taken off the wall and then reinstalled. To find a wood filler that matched the natural wood and fix it would have left ugly patches all over the mantel.

My other reason for wanting to paint it was that the colour of the raw pine blended with the red of the bricks. So despite looking pretty, leaving those tones was more of the same. It was not creating a focal point.

The day we found the mantel we were super excited. We cleaned it up and brought it into the house, where it leaned against the chimney breast for over a month. It added such presence to the room and I had a number of ideas about how I might dress it up. You can see some of my ideas in THIS POST.

However, once I decided to paint it, things changed. First, I had to decide on a colour and finish. I knew I wanted a matt look, so I decided to go with a mineral paint and hemp oil finish. This was an experiment. I didn’t know how mineral paint would hold up without being varnished. I was reluctant to put a varnish product close to the fire. Reducing the number of chemicals in our home was also important to me, so I liked the idea of trying out hemp oil.

Corinna from Bird on the Hill had sent me a sample of her Black Cat mineral paint and some hemp oil. I decided to use these products on the mantel. This colour and paint brand are now one of my favourite paints because

• It’s LOW/NO VOC & NON-TOXIC and has no nasty paint fumes.
• there are 3 easy steps from start to finish, or only 2 if you don’t want to seal. Sealing is optional
• The paint is self-levelling which means minimal brush strokes
• It’s quick-drying and cures to a rock hard finish in 7 days.

The Process of Painting

To begin the process, we reattached the mantel to the chimney breast using every large self-tapping screws. I filled the holes of these with filler and then waited for them to dry. After this, I used 120 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the varnish sheen off the surface and provide a key for the paint. This step isnt really necessary but I wanted a good finish.

Next, I wiped all the excess dust off the mantel.

My first few strokes were tentative, for sure, but I went with my gut and stuck to my mantra of, “It’s only paint! If you hate it you can change it.” It didn’t take long before I knew I was creating the focal point I wanted in our living room. Painting the mantel made it pop against the red brick of the chimney breast.

I applied two coats of Black Cat mineral paint and left them to dry and cure for a couple of days. Since I’ve started using mineral paint, I’ve found leaving it for a longer time to harden gives the best results. If you’re anything like me, that’s the hardest part. I want it done ASAP!

The Hemp Oil

The finishing touch to my budget mantel makeover, was to apply a coat of hemp oil.

I brushed it on with a reasonably dry brush and left it to soak in. Because the oil is, well, oil it’s runny, so it is very easy to put too much on and have it dripping all over the place. (Learned that from experience). A thin coat works very well and you can apply a second coat once you see where it has soaked into the paint. After applying it looked like the photo above. You can see the wet patches where the oil is soaking in at different rates. I left this to do its magic for a few days. Then it was as simple as buffing with a soft rag. I used an old tea towel.

Again, the longer you are patient and leave the oil to absorb the nicer the finish will be. This was my first attempt with hemp oil. It was so easy to apply and buffed to a soft sheen that deepened the colour and gave the exact finish I wanted. My only gripe with this process is the fact it takes longer than regular paint to complete because you need to wait between each step. However, the paint is dry very quickly, the mantel could be used while I waited for the paint to cure.

My Thoughts on Durability

It has been about eighteen months since I painted the mantel. I am very impressed with the durability of the mineral paint and oil finish. It’s held up as well as, if not better than traditional acrylic paint. In my opinion, the finish is also less harsh and looks more vintage.

Recently I noticed a couple of chips on the the bottom centre of the mantel, near where we stack the wood. This is only because we are not precious about the mantel. It’s not a fault of the paint but normal wear and tear. To fix this, I took my paint touch up kit and repeated the painting process on that small area. No sanding.

The result shows no hint I’ve done a touch-up. The new paint colour has blended seamlessly with my original paint job. This is so hard to achieve with acrylic paint. Even if you have leftover of your original paint the colour often does not look the same when you patch it.

I would even consider using mineral paint on other surfaces in my home such as doors. The coverage and application of this product, in particular, are excellent. You use little paint to achieve a better look than acrylic and the cost is less than that of acrylic paint. Especially if you don’t want to seal the paint. As I mentioned before, you don’t need to do this but the oil or wax seal does give greater depth of colour and this is the look I love.