Fireplace Makeovers | Chicago & Chicagoland
That dated red brick is aging your entire room. We refinish brick and stone fireplaces by hand with breathable mineral finishes. Nothing torn out, nothing replaced, no dumpster in the driveway.
Real Projects, Real Rooms
Same fireplace. Same room. Same camera position. Nothing was demolished, and not a single brick was replaced.
A floor to ceiling brick fireplace, refinished by hand in a soft warm white. Look closely at the herringbone hearth and the mortar joints. They are the original brick. Only the color changed.
Caught Halfway
Let Me Ask You A Question
It is not the sofa. It is not the rug you spent three weekends choosing. It is the fireplace. It is the largest object in the room, it usually runs floor to ceiling, and every eye in the house goes straight to it the moment someone walks in.
Which is the problem. Most Chicago fireplaces went in between 1960 and 1995, and the orange-red brick that looked current then is now the single fastest way to date a room. You can replace the furniture, refinish the floors, and repaint every wall in the house. The room will still read as old, because the fireplace overrules all of it.
"You are not replacing a fireplace. You are changing the one color that is holding the entire room back."
Here is the good news, and most people never hear it. You do not have to tear it out. Demolishing a masonry fireplace is filthy, slow, and expensive, and half the time the wall behind it needs rebuilding once you are in there. The brick is not the problem. The color of the brick is the problem. Color is fixable.
A few days of work. No demo, no dumpster, no drywall repair, no structural surprises.
Plain English
It is a color and finish change on the masonry you already have. We use breathable mineral products, limewash, mineral stains, and mortar washes, that soak into the brick or stone instead of coating it.
The material goes in rather than on. That means the texture survives. Every rough face, every mortar joint, every shadow line is still there when we finish, which is exactly why a refinished fireplace still reads as masonry and a painted one reads as a painted box. It also means the masonry can still breathe, which matters more than most homeowners realize on a wall that heats and cools every time you light a fire.
Why Just Art Studio
Every project is personally completed by Justyna, with close attention to color, texture, and detail.
Years of experience in art and mural painting, complemented by a growing specialization in masonry staining and decorative finishes. Every surface is carefully crafted by hand to achieve a distinctive, one-of-a-kind result.
Breathable lime and mineral stain that bond into the masonry. Paint sits on the surface, seals it shut, and starts failing at the firebox.
Joints, rough faces, and shadow lines all stay. The finished fireplace still looks like stone, because it still is stone.
Chicago homeowners rate us 5.0 on Google. Floors covered, firebox masked, room handed back clean.
The Options
Every one is mixed to your room and your masonry. Treat these as starting points, not a menu.
The classic. Soft, chalky, warm white that lets the brick pattern read through instead of burying it.
For lannon and cut stone. Brightens the whole face while every ridge and fossil line stays visible.
Rounded stone takes finish differently. We work it by hand, stone by stone, so the tone stays even.
The raised hearth, the returns, and the sides finished together so the fireplace reads as one piece. Timber mantels are left as a contrast.
The One Mistake
Every spring somebody talks a Chicago homeowner into rolling latex paint onto a brick fireplace because it is cheap and it is fast. It is also the one decision on this list you cannot walk back.
Latex forms a plastic film across the masonry. That film seals the brick, so the moisture that used to move out through it has nowhere to go. On a wall that heats every time you light a fire and cools every time it goes out, that film starts lifting at the firebox first, then blisters, then peels in sheets. And stripping failed paint off rough brick is a worse, dirtier, slower job than the fireplace ever was to begin with.
"Painting a fireplace is a decision you make once and live with forever. Refinishing one is a decision you are allowed to change your mind about."
So we take the risk off you entirely.
Before we commit to anything, we put a sample directly on your fireplace. You look at it in daylight, you look at it in the evening with the lamps on, and you look at it with a fire going. You approve it, or we mix again until you do. Then we mask the firebox, cover the floors, work course by course, and take the drop cloths out with us. Zero work on your end.
What We Work On
If it is masonry, it can almost certainly be transformed.
Not sure what your fireplace is made of? Send a photo. We can usually tell you in one look, and it costs you nothing to ask.
Portfolio
Brick, cut stone, and river rock. Every photo here is our own work in a real Chicagoland home.
Meet the Artist
Justyna has more than 15 years of experience in art, mural painting, and creative craftsmanship. For the past three years, she has expanded her work to include brick and stone staining and decorative finishes.
Her background in murals and fine art brings a strong eye for color, detail, and composition to every surface. Each finish is carefully created by hand for a distinctive, one-of-a-kind result.
How We Work
Clear, clean, and done right. Here is exactly what to expect.
We see the fireplace in its room, check the masonry and the condition of the joints, and talk through what the space is meant to feel like.
Tone is matched to your floors, your trim, and your light. Bring a photo you love and we work toward it.
Not a board, not a chart. On the actual brick or stone, so you see it in your own light before you commit.
Firebox sealed, mantel wrapped, floors and furniture covered. The work stays inside the drop cloths.
Course by course, stone by stone, worked while the material is open so the tone stays even across the whole face.
The finish hardens over the following days. We take everything out with us and hand the room back clean.
The Brutal Truth
Three ways to deal with a dated fireplace. Only one of them leaves you options later.
Service Area
Based in Elmwood Park, we refinish brick and stone fireplaces for homes and businesses across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
A fireplace makeover in Chicago has one wrinkle most of the country does not deal with. Our freeze-thaw winters are hard on masonry, and a chimney breast that runs to an exterior wall moves moisture all season. That is the exact reason we use breathable mineral finishes here instead of the latex paint you will see recommended on national blogs.
Not sure if we cover your area? Just ask. We travel across the Chicago metro.
Social Proof
★★★★★
Real reviews from Just Art Studio clients.
"Justyna did an outstanding job staining our original brick fireplace with a schmeer. We couldn't be happier with the results! She brought a truly artistic eye to the project and worked closely with my wife to achieve the exact tint and patina we wanted. Justyna listened to all our preferences and made sure every detail matched our vision. The final look is beautiful and really transformed our space. Highly recommend Justyna for anyone looking for meticulous, creative, and high-quality work!"
Chris Rovansek"Justyna did an excellent job staining the brick on our fireplace. It looks beautiful, and we are very pleased with the result."
Ishraque Sk Md"Justyna is very honest and reliable. Her work is impeccable and is great with working with clients. She has a thorough understanding in Brick Staining and Color Tinting. I highly recommend her for murals, color matching and specialty paints."
Anna SarahLet's Talk
One photo from across the room is usually enough for us to tell you what is possible. Justyna comes out, checks the masonry, and puts a real sample on your fireplace. No pressure and no obligation to book.
Prefer to talk it through?
☎ (773) 698-5142Or email justartchicago@gmail.com or use the contact page.
Good to Know
It comes down to the size of the fireplace, the finish you choose, and the condition of the masonry and mortar joints. Since no two are the same, we give you a clear written quote after seeing it in person. Reach out and we will walk you through it.
Yes, and that is the whole point of what we do. Mineral stains and limewash soak into the brick and change its color from within, so the texture and the mortar joints stay visible. Paint coats the surface and flattens all of it. If you want the deepest, most permanent color change, ask about brick staining.
Yes. Mineral finishes are made for masonry that heats and cools, which is exactly why we use them here instead of latex. The firebox interior itself is a separate surface and we mask it off. We will tell you honestly on the walkthrough what we can and cannot finish.
Both, and they are different jobs. Cut and lannon stone takes finish across a flat face. Rounded river rock has to be worked stone by stone so the tone stays even. The photos on this page include all three, brick, cut stone, and river rock.
Most residential fireplaces are a few days from masking to final clean up, depending on the height, the surface, and how many coats the look needs. You get a firm timeline with your quote and we work around your schedule.
Usually, yes, and this is one of the most common calls we get. What we can do depends on how the existing paint is holding up and how much of it is failing. Send a close photo and one from across the room and we will tell you straight whether it needs stripping first.
Staining a brick fireplace means the color penetrates the brick, so it stays breathable, keeps its texture, and will not peel. Painting lays a film on top that seals the masonry, hides the joints, blisters near heat, and is extremely difficult to remove later. Our guide to brick staining vs painting covers it in detail.
We work out of Elmwood Park and cover Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including Oak Park, River Forest, Park Ridge, Norridge, Skokie, Evanston, Oak Brook, Hinsdale, and Naperville. If you are anywhere in the Chicago metro, send us a photo and we will confirm.
One Wall Changes The Room
Send us a photo of your fireplace and the look you have in your head. We will tell you honestly what is possible with it, and what is not. No pressure, just a free quote.
Explore More
Want the full rundown first? Read 7 brick fireplace makeovers we have done around Chicago.