Great Decorating Ideas for Your Fireplace

The fireplace is an important place to start when you think of decorating your house. Because of its size and location, it automatically becomes the focal point in any room.

If you have a brick fireplace, you can give it a new, clean coat of paint to make it more appealing to the eyes. It is also the cheapest and easiest way of brightening up your fireplace. Choose a color paint that will complement the whole room. Try to go with a darker shade from that of the room to make it stand out more. You will not even need to hire anyone, you can do the painting yourself. Another good idea to consider is to paint the inside of the fireplace black. It will make the opening look newer, the logs, and the fire more visible with a dark background. It will also hide any stains or burn marks from using the fireplace.

The mantel should also complement the fireplace. There are many choices available, from just simple ledges to those with decorative moldings, made out of wood, marble, or stones. The decorations you put on the mantel is also endless. You can place art pieces like paintings or sculptures on it, propped on the mantel or hanging on the wall above it. A large mirror is also a beautiful choice. You can even surround it with candles for a more intimate and romantic feel. A nice way of showing off your collection of antique china would be to place them on the mantel. Framed photographs also work. Group them together in threes or fives, either at the center or on both sides.

A nice way to get your creative juices constantly going is decorating your mantel according to season. Dress it up with stockings, wreaths, poinsettias, and other Christmas items during the holiday. If you happen to collect turkey figurines of decorative places of this wonderful bird, you could give them center stage on your mantel during Thanksgiving.

Let us not forget the hearth or the floor of the fireplace. Make sure to clean out the ashes regularly and have a rug place in front to catch any falling embers and to protect the floor. You can place potted plants on either side or a big flower arrangement in the middle when it is not in use.

Accessorizing is also a great way in improving the overall look of your fireplace. You can look for decorative andirons (those iron bars that hold the logs for burning), fireplace screen, and your fire tending tools like pokers, tongs, bellows, shovels, and brushes. Keep them all in a nice tool stand near the fireplace. These accessories can be bought individually or in sets so that you can follow a particular look or theme if you want.

The furniture placement around the fireplace is equally important. Arrange the seats facing each other with the fireplace in the middle or place the largest piece of furniture, like the sofa, facing the fireplace directly and have smaller chairs surrounding it.

The result will be a cozy and comfortable place where everyone will be drawn to come together, sit down, and enjoy each other's company.

Article Resource: Elena Bautista