apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The first picture is gorgeous.

When we lived in New Orleans we had two non-working fireplaces that I put mirrors in... they were beautiful.

i had a beautiful plastered-over fireplace in my bedroom. i also coincidentally didn't have a bed frame (just sat the box spring directly on the floor, no dust bunnies that way!). the beautiful mantle of the fireplace became my headboard. perfect for my full-sized bed.

LOVE the LOGS !

also- a Custom cut Mirror set against the back inner wall- with Ardirons and "Logs" atop ="looking" ready to go....


....not so much with the Holiday lights- a bit too cheesy for my taste!

Yeah I agree, the holiday lights are really tacky. But the logs are beautiful!

I have a non working fireplace in my place and we put those electric fireplace logs in it. I put 2 sets in there (one on an invisible riser) and they look pretty good. I bought them at a thrift store for 5 bucks each and they work. I put an amber lightbulb in them and it's not to bad, much better than the holiday lights for sure!

In my old place, I used dozens of white/ivory pillar candles, varying heights. it was really beautiful when they were all lit, and kept the warm cozy firelit spirit.

Be careful if you choose the "natural log" route. They often have bugs and whatnot in them and that's never fun.

When I see a pile of logs, I think...spiders!!!

Is that supposed to be an ironic statement?

Let's see . . . .

our fireplace doesn't work, so we're going to buy wood--which we can't burn--and put it in the place where we would burn that wood, if we could burn it.

Unless you like the "log cabin" aesthetic, it seems sort of stupid.

In our fireplace we built a small shelve to go inside to hold knick knacks that were collecting on the coffee table.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2315472968_c5f3ba57c8_b.jpg

I like the logs in the first photo - I think they add a nice rustic touch (and some texture & color) to a very clean, modern space.

Our fireplace is a working one, but as it is not being used now that spring has sprung, I've stacked all my daughter's birthday gifts inside for her b-day party this weekend. I did it out of necessity because we don't have the space for a gift table, but it atually looks fantastic!

I am a realtor and view many homes with non-working fireplaces. Some in beautifully decorated rooms and others in not so beautifully decorated rooms.. What ALWAYS draws my eye to the fireplace, is... the DARK, EMPTY HOLE!! nothing attractive about it..
What is beautiful is a roaring fire, in a working fireplace!!

I disagree about the string lights, it's all in how you use them. What's cheesy is an imitation trying to look like something it's not like fake logs with an old bug light.

If they'd taken those logs and laid them on top of 2 or 3 wadded up strings of twinkling (NOT flashing) white lights, the materials would be obvious and the effect is very similar to the flicker of a fire. I have an old 5 gallon glass water bottle with a really long string of chasing lights stuffed inside. the cord comes out of the top and I don't try to hide it. I sit it in the darkened entryway when I have a party and it sets the mood for the evening and lets folks know they're in the right place. Everyone is amazed the first time they see it. The light really feels like a fire whether you have an empty fireplace or not.