Now that is RED!

We started a new project this week: The Fireplace. It's brick, but has been painted at least twice before. When we moved in, the brick was a pink-y, beige-y color. Not my taste at all. I had painted the wall above the mantle in our old condo a burnt red and really loved it. All of our decor went with it and I just love red as an accent color. So we decided to try it again in the new house.

Here's the fireplace right as we started painting:



Samson watches over us and isn't really sure what to make of it all:



And here's the fireplace after the first coat - Wowsa!



It's showing up a bit brighter in the photos then it really is (I was going for a more burnt, brown-y red), but it is still pretty bright. The Husband put a second coat on last night so it's a little darker/better, but I am just not sure. He also painted the mantle white, so I don't know if that makes the red even brighter or not. Either way, the red really makes the fireplace stand out and look bigger. Before, when it was that pink-y beige, it just kind of blended into the room, because the walls/wallpaper were all beige. Now...not so much.

What do you think?