If you're blessed with a fireplace,
Sprucing Up An Unused Fireplace
If you're blessed with a fireplace,
• 1, 2 I love the simple solution of adding large scale vases and urns. Fresh flowers are welcome in any space!
• 3, 4 Personally, I dislike when TVs are the focus of a room, and especially when they're hung above the mantel— neck strain! However, I'm warming up to the semi-disguised version inside the firebox. If you do decide to do this make sure your sofa is ultra low. In case you missed Maxwell's post on it, the second fireplace TV is Kelly Giesen's creative idea.
• 5 This Dave Coote image has been the center of some heated Apartment Therapy discussions, but I'm completely smitten with its visual appeal. However as a book lover, I think that custom fitting a bookshelf to the firebox would be a better solution than simply stacking the books inside.
• 6,7 Mirror the interior.
• 8 The circular convex mirror is an unexpected twist on the mirrored interior that's definitely in keeping with the bold look of the rest of the room.
• 9 Speaking of bold, this no-holds-bar fireplacescape from Domino has become a blogosphere favorite. While overall it's a little too dramatic for my personal preference, I appreciate the punchy vibe, including the vibrantly painted firewood.
• 10 This image is not the best example, but I could imagine the interior of a non-working fireplace being the perfect spot for a prayer shelf, meditation display, or zen garden.
• 11 Of course we had to include the favorite fireplace filler, candles! If you employ this idea, take note of this picture. Substantial pillar candles in varying sizes oozing with wax look infinitely better than unused, pristine candles, which tend to appear overly staged and catalogue-y.
• 12 We know the bugaphobes among you cringe at the idea of the traditional stacked firewood displays, so we've tracked down a close insect-free, albeit more time consuming alternative: stacked scrapwood in varying hues.
• 13 Another dramatic Domino special. Clean, unused fireplaces make the perfect spot for virtually any free-standing collection.
• 14 Have the mantelpiece act as a dramatic frame for a piece of artwork, poster, or print.
What other ideas do you have for putting your unused fireplace to work?
(Images: 1:via Casasugar , 2, 5: Dave Coote, 3, 6, 9, 13: Domino, 4: Apartment Therapy: New York, 7: Eddie Ross, 8: John Jacob Interiors, 10: HGTV, 11: Sunset, 12: West Elm Catalog via Design Mom, 14: Elle Decor)
Comments (10)
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I had friends who filled their unusable dining room fireplace with wine racks. It really suited the room.
view AussieBird's profile
we just recently ripped out a hideous 70's insert (from a gorgeous 40's mantel) and decided to drywall the interior and use it to display some baskets. if we weren't selling the house, we'd definitely put in another (more appropriate) insert but alas, we are. and i love #9!
view the polish chick's profile
Cool: n.5; nice idea: n.11; cute: n.9; favorite: AussieBird's friends' =]
view csmoura's profile
I hang Christmas baubles up inside the fire place (obviously only for the holidays) with candles underneath.
view La Vésigondine's profile
Love the mirrored ones, and love la vava's suggestion about birds. I have six fireplaces in my house, and none works. Four have cast iron (Victorian) covers -- they were originally designed to have coal stoves in them (even though they have fancy marble mantels), and are very shallow.
Of the two without screens, one has a tiled back. The last one is all brick and in the kitchen. It was originally a cooking hearth. I plan to have the interior of that one tiled when I have some extra cash. I love the look of ceramic tiles inside the f.p.
view eiw's profile
I have a filled in fireplace (it has a 1970's heater in it- which the guy who fixed it last winter was very surprised is 25 years old and still going- it only needed a minor adjustment). I dream of ripping it out and putting in a working fireplace but alas, no money. Maybe one day I can rip it out and put one of these ideas into action.
view bkk's profile
I agree: a fireplace, working or not, is a lovely focal point. Good ideas here. Somehow -- and I never imagined I'd say this -- even the TV in the firebox looks acceptable (much better than on the mantel)!
Seriously envying eiw's SIX fp's!!!
view mirandabee's profile
We filled our unusable fireplace with a salt water fish tank. The light, color, and movement is really relaxing.
view mjs7640's profile
To mjs7640--
A saltwater fishtank!? What a great idea (and I don't even like fishtanks) I would love to see a photo of that. It sounds very cool.
My FP is Very dirty and the interior bricks are covered with 90 years of soot and filth. Picture #11 (candles galore) would be appropriate for my space, but what are some other ideas to mask a filthy black FP? It's impossible to clean! I even tried plants in front of it but it looked too forced and contrived...
Any ideas?
view lollipop's profile
lollipop -
My mom had a similar issue and decided to spray paint the inside of the fireplace with a heat resistant black spray paint. She cleaned the brick a little, and sprayed right over the rest of the soot.
It worked like a charm.
view JulieLeanne's profile