Ideas Inspiration

I absolutely hate hot weather, so there’s no time of year that makes me feel quite as giddy as the arrival of fall and, most importantly, fireplace season. Now that autumn is here, I’ve been thinking more about fireplace decor and looking for easy, affordable ways to dress up my own mantel.

I love fireplaces for their cozy ambience, but there was a time when they were more utilitarian than aesthetic. In my 1895 rowhouse, for example, there were originally fireplaces in every room for functional heat.Once radiators were installed, those fireplaces became unnecessary, and previous owners decided two fireplaces were plenty. But instead of leaving the other six fireplaces open to admire, they simply covered them up with drywall. Horror of horrors!On one hand, I get it.