Painting a stone fireplace

[Fred]

What' the best paint to use for a stone fireplace? (The fire is no longer used so not heat involved).

We've given it a couple of coats of white emulsion, are we right in thinking it will be fine to put a coloured emulsion on it?

Also does anyone know how much paint we would need to do the job as I don't want to spend millions on French paint ?

[Brian]

You'd get good results from chalk paint. It's not cheap but a little goes a long way. I don't know of any French brands but Annie Sloan paint is very good and can be bought at the interior deco shop in the main square at Le Dorat.

[Fred]

Thank you Brian, hadn't thought of using that. Good idea.

I think I've seen it in Leroy Merlin too.

[little Al]

If you pre-prepare it, almost any paint will do.Undercoat needs to be spirit based (it forms a seal)..then can use any emulsion...chalk paint OK,and can look good, but stupid price..(you pay for the theme,....),so any 0.5 litre will do.
people who disagree may well depend on selling Annie Sloane etc etc as their foothold in the French economy.

[Brian]

I was also dubious about the Annie Sloan paints - triumph of marketing etc etc. But I tried some and was very impressed.
It's very well pigmented, covers very well and goes a long way. I think it's one of those rare cases whereby it commands a premium price because it is actually a better product.

I tend to buy mine on trips to the UK as it is substantially cheaper there.

Edit to add that I have nothing to do with Annie Sloan paints or their retail outlets other than as a satisfied customer.

[Fred]

If you pre-prepare it, almost any paint will do.Undercoat needs to be spirit based (it forms a seal)..then can use any emulsion...chalk paint OK,and can look good, but stupid price..(you pay for the theme,....),so any 0.5 litre will do.
people who disagree may well depend on selling Annie Sloane etc etc as their foothold in the French economy.

I was also dubious about the Annie Sloan paints - triumph of marketing etc etc. But I tried some and was very impressed.
It's very well pigmented, covers very well and goes a long way. I think it's one of those rare cases whereby it commands a premium price because it is actually a better product.

I tend to buy mine on trips to the UK as it is substantially cheaper there.

Edit to add that I have nothing to do with Annie Sloan paints or their retail outlets other than as a satisfied customer.

Thank you both for the information I did see chalk paint on the Leroy Merlin website. But nice to know Emulsion would be ok too.

We were wondering about getting one of those colour tubes you add to white emulsion as we have a few tins of white, has anyone used them and do they give a good colour. ?

@Little I have checked it out and I can see why you said that as it states on their website: "Your shop must not sell any other paint brands." So some recommendations could be fake.  

@Brian I know you wasn't promoting Annie Sloan for your own benefit, if you were you would have promoted it in a different way and carried some around on your knife sharpening bike.