Decorating Guides
Sparking Interest with Nonworking Fireplaces
It might not keep your toes toasty, but a nonworking fireplace can still set your living room, den or study aglow
I lived with a beautiful but nonworking fireplace for years. It was utterly useless except as a decorative feature, but I loved its mantel and its scrollwork and its presence. Like "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski famously said, "It really tied the room together."
It also presented an interesting design challenge. Decorating the mantel was easy, but what to do with the actual fireplace part? I alternately filled it with books and candles, and covered it with a screen-candelabra combo. But first I painted the whole thing antique white. Here are more ideas of what to do with a nonworking fireplace, a space that can actually be an asset.
It also presented an interesting design challenge. Decorating the mantel was easy, but what to do with the actual fireplace part? I alternately filled it with books and candles, and covered it with a screen-candelabra combo. But first I painted the whole thing antique white. Here are more ideas of what to do with a nonworking fireplace, a space that can actually be an asset.
Fill it with wabi-sabi decorative logs. They hint at coziness, aren't too formal and require no matches.
Birch, aspen and gum all have lovely white bark. A symmetrical stack of logs is a design element and a nod toward coziness.
Felt logs
These felt logs are a true no-mess option. They also have a certain handmade design cachet. Plus, they're just kind of funny.
Cover it up and then paint it with chalkboard paint. There is something very Parisian looking about this. And it can change with your mood, bearing everything from love notes to to-do lists.
A custom-cut mirror adds dimension and design cred.
Candles create a feeling of warmth and light without the pesky smoke.
Paint it with an accent color and use it as a nook.
You can fill a fireplace with knickknacks. Here they used shells, but there is no reason this couldn't be a display spot for all sorts of collections. A vintage typewriter lived in ours for a while.
And you can always just block off the fireplace with wood or sheetrock, keeping the mantel as a focal point and design element.
More:
Make Your Fireplace the Focal Point
Mantel Mania: Sprucing the Space Above Your Fireplace
More:
Make Your Fireplace the Focal Point
Mantel Mania: Sprucing the Space Above Your Fireplace