Top 8 Things you can put on your Fireplace

If you are wondering about the best way to bring style and class to the fireplace in your home then here are some ideas for making it really stand out and become the focal point of your room.

1) Flowers - use a large vase to have a big flower display on the top of your fireplace. The eye will automatically be drawn towards it, particularly if you use large blooms in bright colours. If you want a more suble approach choose colours that match your room to make them blend in more but still have an impact. If you don't want to buy fresh flowers every week then you can use dried or silk, but make sure you keep them looking clean and be aware that they won't be so eye catching as the real thing.

2) Photographs - if you put family photographs on your fireplace it draws attention to the relationships in your house. The fireplace is usually the focal point of the room, so by putting framed photographs on top of it, it will really help you realise who is important to you in your life.

3) Candles - these are great for bringing out the romance in anyone. If you use subtle lighting elsewhere in the room and light candles on the fireplace it makes for a lovely cosy atmosphere and adds romance to every situation.

4) Ornaments - if you use items that you have picked up at special times in your life, like when you have been travelling or presents for special anniversaries, then looking at your fireplace will always bring you happy memories from the important times you have had.

5) Items made by your children- children often make little pots, candle holders or ornaments out of clay when they are at school. These are a great way to decorate your fireplace, as they are a great talking point when guests visit and show your children that you really value them by displaying their work.

6) Use seasonal decorations - in the autumn you can have a display of pine cones and fruits, the winter you can use holly and ivy, or spray leaves white to look like snow, the spring you can put spring bulbs in pots and have a display of mini daffodils or crocuses, and the summer could allow you to have a beach scene with shells and wooden logs or simply beautiful flowers or roses.

7) A moneybox - this isn't necessarily a pretty item, but it is a great place to put all those odd coins you find when you are cleaning your house. You can save up and give the money to your favourite charity, and they will benefit when you may not have given them anything otherwise.

8) A picture or mirror - a lot of people would hang these above the fireplace, but they can be just as effective propped up on the mantle piece above the fire.

Depending on the piece of art or mirror that you choose, you can change the whole atmosphere of the room. A mirror can make the room look bigger, but equally can make it feel cramped if it is reflecting a lot of heavy furniture or clutter. A picture can make the room feel brighter or darker depending on its subject so choose carefully so you produce the kind of mood you want for your room.

Tanner C. is a writer for HowDoIBe.com. If you are interested in becoming an interior designer, take a look at this site: http://www.howdoibe.com/how-to-become-an-interior-designer/

May I also suggest a beautiful new fireplace mantel ?

How to Build Fireplace Doors Using Black and Decker Power Tools

A fireplace is a vital household accessory for people who live in cold areas. Though their importance cannot be understated, individuals should ensure that their fireplaces look good to boost the value of their homes. For instance, they can enhance their appeal by installing fireplace doors. People can choose from an array of ready-made styles and designs that are available in many offline and online retail shop. Those who want to attain a customized look or operate under a low budget can make custom doors. They must only have their Black & Decker power tools to help them through the process. Installing fireplace doors has its advantages to individuals who use them. For example, they will enhance the appeal of fireplaces and prevent smoke from entering their living areas.

As a result, people will enjoy a warm evening and avoid a myriad of health problems. They will also prevent soot from building up in their living rooms once the fire runs out. This limits the inconveniences of having to clean rooms after using their fireplaces. Individuals who want to build the first fireplace doors should follow these steps:

Plan: people should plan their entire construction project to get better results. They should collect all required materials and tools that they will use. These include assembling their black & decker power tools, measuring tapes, steel and glass materials. Homeowners should then design their firehouse designs. They can draw a rough sketch of their fireplace doors by reading material such as magazine or venturing online to gather ideas. After completing their designs and procuring all material, people can proceed to build their dream doors.

Take measurements: individuals should then measure their fireplaces. They can use tape measures or gadget that can determine the correct dimensions. Principally, people must make sure that they factor provisions for expansion. They can get a host of ideas from home safety websites to make sure that their fireplace doors are not only functional but also safe.

Create the door frame: using their stipulated dimensions, homeowners should cut their door materials to create a frame. This will form the backbone that holds all facets of these doors. They must ensure that they cut precise measurements using their Black and Decker power tools. This should be the norm when cutting other fireplace door components. As a result, all components will fit together to produce strong fireplace doors.

Assemble door segments: After cutting all major components, individuals should proceed to assemble these parts. They must make sure that the outer angles are square and fasten them in place using a welding machine. All welded joints should be strong to enhance the durability of these doors. People should then use their Black & Decker power tools to create holes that will house hinges and glass clamps. Finally, they should use a rotating grinder to smooth the edges and remove artifacts. This ensures that the final product is appealing.

Install the door: finally, individuals should fit door glasses and hinges and then fit in on their fireplaces. They can use power drills to make holes, and fasten the door to the fireplace. They should then open and close the door to make sure that they are functioning well. Individuals who follow these steps can make good fireplace doors. They must only ensure that they buy good-quality building materials from reputable retailers.


GUEST POST by: Mark Barry for www.integrityseoexperts.co.uk

Fireplace Mantel Shelves An Easy Makeover

Fireplace shelves are often a solution for homeowners when it comes to dressing up a brick or stone fireplace opening. Used to hold decorative items like pictures and vases, fireplace shelves can be the finishing touch to an otherwise empty fireplace opening without the hassle of installing side frames or the expense of a full fireplace mantel. 

Intro to Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

When you think of a fireplace mantel, typically you envision a complete wooden frame built around the top and sides of a fireplace opening. That''s where fireplace shelves differ from traditional fireplace mantels. 

"A fireplace shelf is just the top of the mantel?just a shelf," explains Georgia fireplace mantel manufacturer Park Pigott. "There aren''t any sides to it." 

Reasons for choosing fireplace shelves differ. Some prefer a minimal invasion into a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, or don''t want to detract from a masonry or brick fireplace. Cost and effort can also make the final determination: sometimes, it''s just cheaper to buy fireplace shelves and doesn''t take as long to replace or install. 

Fireplace Mantel Shelves: Styles and Sizes 

While there are no "standard" sizes for fireplace shelves, Pigott says there are sizes that seem to be the most popular. 

"The normal widths for fireplace shelves are five, six, seven inches," he explains. "The depth is usually 10 inches, with the whole box being about nine inches tall." 

Styles for fireplace shelves vary just as much as the sizes. Of the woods used to make fireplace shelves, Pigott says quarter sawn oak, heart pine, mahogany and cherry are his top sellers. Poplar is popular for those who like to dress up plain wood with a coat of paint, as is Asian choi, a tightly pressed wood similar to American white oak. Other options for fireplace shelves include bare, unfinished styles to hand-carved ornamental pieces with elaborate designs for the shelves and brackets. 

Uses for Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

Stuck on what to put on a fireplace shelf? Don''t want the usual picture frame or candle cluster? A variety of home decorating publications reveal a trend toward the unusual when it comes to dressing up fireplace shelves. For instance, a set of beautiful book-ends and a few, classic books make a stately statement in a formal room. A beaded wreath made from unusual material makes a classic, understated declaration, while clustering different objects of similar color or size (say, a set of tall, tubular vases or odd trinkets that have only a color in common) look stunningly abstract in uneven groupings on fireplace shelves. 

Measuring for Fireplace Mantel Shelves 

When selecting fireplace shelves, remember that measuring is a different experience for replacement shelves than it is for new fireplace shelves. If you''re replacing an existing shelf, measure the current shelf''s width and depth and the width of the fireplace opening. If you''re buying a new fireplace shelf to center on a fireplace that''s never had one, measure the width of the brick, masonry or sheetrock surrounding one side of the fireplace opening and the width of the fireplace opening. 


May I suggest:
Beautiful Mantel Shelves
The Aberdeen Fireplace Shelf
How to install a fireplace mantel

Heatilator Fireplace Doors - Redo it yourself with quality

Fireplace glass doors offer a safe window into our fire, keeping ash, smoke and excessive heat inside the fireplace, where they should stay.  They are made to tolerate the high heat of the fire, to which they are in close proximity.  The glass doors improve general fireplace safety, protecting the immediate area around it, facilitate ease in caring for the hearth, and add elegance to the look of a fireplace.

Glass doors are able to stand the heat of fire because of a special heat treatment process, which shields the glass from the high and near heat of the fire.  Thus, glass that has been heat treated can tolerate much higher temperatures than can normal glass.  Glass treated in this manner is made to last and any worries regarding the safety of glass doors in such close proximity to excessive heat can be calmed.  Safety of glass doors does not end in their treatment; fireplace glass doors add safety to the whole area in proximity to the fireplace.

Fireplace glass doors are one of the greatest additions to fireplace safety and comfort of recent times.  Protecting the immediate area near the fire from excessive heat as well as from burning embers, glass doors provide a neat partition.  The glass doors manage to control the size of the fire and the temperature of heat in the room.  Glass doors are created to slide open or closed effortlessly.  Thus, glass doors will easily slide closed to allow you to contain excessive heat of the fireplace when needed.  If the fire suddenly gets bigger than expected, closing the doors will reduce the flame by limiting air to the oxygen-hungry fire.  It is wise to remember that while we have learned to control fire by containing it in a fireplace, the elements still can wield their unpredictable powers over us. 

Even in the fireplace, a burning ember or a flying spark cannot be completely controlled.  Fireplace glass doors will control this, and ensure that no leaping sparks manage to burn either your rug or your friend who happens to be sitting near the fire!

Fireplace glass doors are also a desirable style element and keep the hearth tidy.  Extra embers and sparks will no longer leave burn marks on rugs nearby, no longer leave extra gray streaks or piles of ash to clean.  The embers and sparks will burn their lives out inside the fireplace.  While keeping the area neater, the doors dress up a fireplace – the right finishing touch for an image of an elegant fireplace.  Glass doors framed by a mantel and a modern fireplace make a strong impression, commanding the attention of all who see the room.  The frame the glass doors provide into the fire creates a picture that will complement any of the framed art pieces on or above the mantel.

Seemingly minor in the scheme of the fireplace, glass doors prove quite useful in the safety and care of your fire.  Adding the defined look that glass provides, fireplace glass doors prove to be the most chic of all the tools used to control and care for your fire.  Glass doors will improve the look of your fireplace, simultaneously giving you clear control of the fire burning inside it.  

UPDATE: Your one stop shop for Heatilator Fireplace Doors

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