Hello AT,
I live in a LES tenement studio with two brick fireplaces, one in the 'bedroom' that's not much of a centerpiece but certainly visible, and one in the "living room" that is the focal point. Many new yorker's have these things, and every new yorker's visceral reaction is to immediately store things in them. i'm wondering what the more design-minded folk like to do. Mine are beautiful - floor to ceiling brick, several feet across. I'd like to do them justice.
here are some recent suggestions I've recieved:
(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.)
1. dried flowers ('fraid that's a little too girly for me.)
2. christmas lights (perfect! i'll put some empty liquor bottles in there, too - awesome! i hope we all stay in touch after graduation.)
3. candles of assorted size (messy, and I threw out my Lisa Loeb CDs years ago.)
4. shoes (ah - see! they almost slipped that one past me . . . but as I said before I don't want to use them for storage)
all i've got is an inkling that something wrought iron might be nice, but what?
don't know if you'll see fit to post the subject to the site in some form, but I thought it was a question worth asking.
thanks, dean
Dean, you've got us cornered. You've got all the answers and none of them are good enough. (fyi SKGR says, "put in pictures of your wife! or a pet bed!) We agree, however, that finding the right thing to put in a fireplace is tough, and they tend to get dirty and dusty right away if you fill them up.
We think that LIGHT is the proper thing to put in a fireplace and anything else looks silly. What kind of light you use is up to your style. We think candles CAN look very good if you shy away from the gold drippy Liberace effect ones. Or how about a spotlight mounted up inside the chimney shining down on bright, fresh flowers? Anyone else? MGR
what about a modern squarish light fixture
http://www.lightboxhome.com/
Treat it exactly like you would a working fireplace. Anything else just makes it look fake and or unused.
The only possible exception: mirror the inside, including the sides.
I have my mantle covered with high fake grass, and there is a goldfish in a round take on the edge, a tv and speakers sits infront of it. but it is the only space,
All bow to patrick (the other one). Birch logs on simple black andirons.
Maybe that spotlight that Maxwell suggests could shine down onto a mother-in-law tongue plant in a container whose bottom fills the left-to-right space completely would be sort of a fun "green-and-yellow fire". And if you have a decently green thumb it will last at least a little longer than fresh cut flowers. for that particular fireplace, I'd want the planter to be white.
Create a fake aquarium inside your fireplace. Paper mache fish and plants!
I kind of like the assorted-sized pillar candle idea and think you can do it without going all crunchy and neo-hippie chick, but I get what you're saying. And I agree that using it for light/fire is the way to go. You seem to have kind of a Zen-thing going with the current accessories pictured. How about 3 tall square/chunky/block-ish pillar candles (white or or off-white) with some polished black river rock surrounding them at ground level? Maybe move the 2 black statues on the ground to the left of the fireplace opening, and add a simple ceramic vase--with a simple floral or leaf cutting--to the right? (At least you'd be able to throw out your Lisa Loeb CD and replace it with Ryuichi Sakamoto or Karsh Kale with this option.) Enna's suggestion of simple birch logs would also look great.
How about a old iron grate (decorative)(black or rusty), about the size of the fireplace opening, leaned up against the outside? Then some sort of light source behind it in the firepit (candle(s) or battery-powered).
Paint the inside with chalkboard paint and draw in your own flames.
Place a small flat screen monitor in it and run a DVD of a roaring, crackling fire.
Or, a page from Debbie Travis: take a length of "vanity mirror lights" but replace the regular bulbs with the flickering candle-bulb variety.
This is my favorite non-working fireplace idea.
here is is again: http://www.gnr8.biz/fireplace.html i could do without the slate base, though.
Molly--
WAY cool.
There are very interesting rechargeable lights at momastore.org and some of them are white, but some of them are in pairs, where one is orange and one is violet, so a couple of pairs of those plugged in to their very unobtrusive charger and kept there might be fun. And then you can move the lights elsewhere, too.
Years ago, I had an old white marble fireplace in my bedroom. My roommate merchandised it for me with an antique mirror in the back and an old, tarnished candelabra he picked up at a church white elephant. It was stunning and very romantic. The same could be done with a more modern approach.
I had seen this on TV on a decorating show and thought it was amazing. http://www.fire-science.com/new-crystalice.htm
It looks like fire burning in ice.
For the warmer months, you can place a three-paneled firescreen in front... either a vintage one, or one you make yourself by hinging three panels of wood, like a science fair display. It can be handpainted, stencilled, faux-finished, or upholstered to match other items in the room. A modern version could be made of hinged frosted plexi... Use chrome piano hinges for a seriously streamlined look.
Along the lines of Emy's suggestion, I've also seen large quartz crystals displayed beautifully in a fireplace (maybe in a Sills-Hunniford-designed room?) with some backlighting. Very Superman at home.
Or perhaps consider those lights made from glowing rock salt?
Illuminations has some cenerpieces that could be adapted to neatly fit in your fireplace... try the Soma Tealight Centerpiece. They also have a rather ornate fireplace screen that incorporates the candles righ tin to the screen... the Florentine Fireplace Screen.
Or try Crate & Barrel's Double Twig Bunch Candleholder
Mine has a wrought iron screen that fits inside the hole (not outside like a real fireplace screen) that has tealight holders mounted on it. Gives a bit of light and sparkle, without being drippy.
Put a large piece of coral in the fireplace, and put a simple firescreen in front. My mother has this in her study, and it's beautiful. It looks like a white fire that's been frozen.
I know I'm a drip this way (my apartment is a bit of an indoor jungle), but I'd probably just put a big plant in there. Maybe with an uplight behind it. If you did an architectural plant in a plain pot, it wouldn't look all country-fussy.
I have a non working fireplace and use Sunjel for a real looking fire that doesn't need a vent. it's kinda like a giant sterno.
http://www.sunjel.com/productinfo.htm
you can get a set of ceramic logs that fits the sunjel cans: http://www.sunjel.com/logs.htm
It does give off a little heat and smells a little bit, but not too bad. it does look very real and fools everyone who comes to my place.
I have to disagree about the Christmas lights thing - strings of white lights wound up inside big glass vases or decorative bottles can be really pretty.
Horchow.com has a mirrored fire board. Although the style they show is a little Versailles, it is highly copy-ably and adaptable to your own specific decor.
URL was too long to paste here, so click on my name to view.
Let's try that again...
A chinese scholar's stone, or other rock with character.
Go right the manufacturer 2 Burn for a Sunjel Log and Grate Set. www.portablesunjelfireplaces.com
Their sets are perfect for a non working unit. And the Sunjel is pretty awesome.
My girlfriend recently went through this debacle. She went with my suggestion of a stack of books, spine facing the back of the fireplace, with a copy of "Fahrenheit 451" propped up in front. (P.S. She's a writer.)
Go here: www.realflame.com. They have the jellied fuel much cheaper than Sunjel. It looks awesome with the ceramic logs. Crackles like a real fire and has real flames requiring no venting.
I think the coolest thing is these Portable Sunjel Real Crackling Flame Fireplaces. Amazing log sets in them. After much investigation sunjel.c is not the manufacturer, www.sunjel.net is, and www.thesunjelcompany.com
There staff is amazing and helpful. I bought a log and grate set for my mom's fireplace that didnt work and bought my wife a freestanding unit called The Oakland with Nickel Trim. Gotta take care of the ladies in my life! Burn that Sunjel!
isnt Joe sweet. Wish my husband would do that, but I had to buy my sunjel fireplace myself. Joe is right that Sunjel is unbelieveable. Warm and crackly. I bought my unit from www.weloveyourhome.com - Always kinda leary of buying online but they are approved by the National Consumer confidence Commission, everyone who buys online should look for that approval with the red x check it out www.theapprovalcompany.com very important with all the scams out there!
ohhh speaking of gel fuel log sets...that comment someone made about RealFlame, it may be a dollar less than sunjel but sunjel doesnt have a smell to it. I would pay more anyday for Sunjel.
hey Nancy - I agree with scams out there, I will check out theapprovalcompany.com hope all websites take that seriously. Didnt hear of them before what a great company to watch out for all of us.
Only Sunjel...Trust me, my gift decor store sold real flame through their distributor outofthewoods and The Sunjel Company contacted me and they are wonderful people so much more friendly. I pay a bit more for the product but i have to say, it is worth it everyday to work with nice people.
Order ventless fireplace logs from improvements.com. The logs come with 2 cans of sunjel.
Sunjel is the best. I can certainly add a bit of advice about gelled fuels. I have been selling Gel Fireplaces for years, with Real Flame Gel, I too, changed after many complaints from my customers. I have had customers thank me for bringing Sunjel into my store. And yes, it is a bit more expensive, but just like anything else, you get what you pay for.
Oh, that's probably the coolest fake fireplace I've seen. I suck at decorating myself but thought I'd post a link to a blog I got some ideas from.
http://sicarius.typepad.com/fireplace_lowdown/design_tips/index.html
Hope it helps!
All your comments have been very helpful, I went to the suggested weloveyourhome.com and bought a Sunjel Fireplace and My family and I love it. What a great addition to our rec room. I have tried 2 different Gels and I must agree that we prefer Sunjel over the other I think that was Real Flames. To us that one had a bit to much of a smell. Thank you for all your comments to help us make a decision!
Martin Sceenbold
These informational sites are really quite useful. I did some research myself (thank goodness for the internet) i bought a very modern unit called The Milan Sunjel Wall Art. It hangs from a stud in your wall. it is the coolest fireplace out there. Living in a modern condo in Miami, this unit is just what we wanted. It came with 2 cans of Sunjel but we bought realflames too, and i wanted to help everyone out there by saying sunjel has a lot less odor then the realflames does.
www.gelfuelstuffandmore.com is where I bought mine. someone mentioned the National Consumer Confidence Commission www.theapprovalcompany.com what a great source of reference for dealing with great companies. thanks for sharing. I only hope I have helped someone too.
Rather than utilizing my existing fireplace, I've decided to place my television in it. I've sat it on a stand, which has a small compartment for the dvd player below, and crammed it back in there. It fits perfect and frees up ALOT of space in the living room. Besides, I think it's an unusually great focal point.
A beautil backplate/fireplate in the appropriate (for your room) decor with a few candles in front to "light" it up! Look online at some of the designs - they are beautiful and a centerpiece that will get the "AHHH" factor when company walks in!
Check out pennsylvania firebacks to see how they look in a fireplace! www.fireback.com
Good luck!
My wife got me a flat-screen TV for my 40th. The next day, I ordered her the Paramount electric fireplace (the media center one).
Yes the flame looks real and it puts out heat.
http://www.whitestarliving.com/products/28wm198bes.html
http://www.whitestarliving.com
Hope it helps
I've tried Sun Jel and hated it. It stank up my entire house and gave me a headache. I'll never use it again. My cans had rust on the inside so perhaps it was old product that they shouldn't have sold. And, I checked out that Consumer Confidence web site mentioned above and it looks and sounds like a complete scam! Who are these people?? I going back to using only Real Flame gel fuel available at www.realflame.com. My wife and I have never had any problems with it and you can't beat the price!