If you have an old fireplace in your home that's not in the working condition you can still highlight the fireplace and celebrate it as the focal point of the room. If the fireplace is an old vintage fireplace, it can add a ton of character to the room and to the home.
In vintage homes, homeowners have often left the original fireplaces even though they no longer work because they are such a great decorative feature and make the room warm and inviting. If you have an old fireplace in your living room or bedroom, here are some unique ways that you can decorate them to keep the character intact while still making the room feel cozy and warm:
Fill It With Wood
Even though the fireplace doesn’t work, you can fill it with firewood anyway. The beautiful color of the wood and the rustic smell of the wood will add a lot of charm and beauty to any room. Since you’re not actually going to burn the wood you can just buy a few logs that will last for a long time. A basket filled with space logs or wood stacked artfully near the fireplace will look great and evoke all the nostalgic feelings that go along with a fireplace.
Fill It With Lovely Tiered Candles
Filling the empty space with many different size pillar candles that are set on candle holders will create a tiered effect. Use candles that are the same color, like white candles, to create a cohesive look. If you prefer a more Bohemian look then you can use candles that are different colors and patterns as well as different heights to make the overall effect very pleasing.
Screen It Off
Vintage fireplace screens are gorgeous and they can become the focal point of the room so that your eye is drawn directly to the beautiful vintage screen. Fireplace screens come in a range of metals and materials and they are lovely to look at.
Sometimes it can be awhile before you find the perfect vintage fireplace screen but you can look in vintage shops and resale shops to find the gems. If you can’t find the perfect vintage screen, you can buy screens that are vintage reproductions so they have the look and charm of vintage screens without the wear and tear that vintage fireplace screens have.
Make Your Fireplace A Pet Bed
Another way to turn that space into usable space is to create a pet bed in the old fireplace. By painting the inside and making sure there is a soft and cozy place for your favorite dog to lay down, you can create a custom built-in pet bed that your pet will love. A built-in bed will also give your pet a safe place to be that is cozy and protected.
Paint It To Bring Out The Detail
Vintage fireplaces that don’t work any more probably still have the gorgeous detailing and carving that vintage fireplaces are famous for. Those details can make the fireplace a truly unique focal point in the room. You can paint the fireplace all white to make the details stand out but in a cohesive way.
You can paint the fireplace in one color as a base coat then go over the carvings and details with another color to make the fireplace really pop. Vintage colored hobby paint is perfect for painting out the small details so the fireplace can stand out.
Place Plants In Front Of The Fireplace
Every room should have house plants in it. Plants clean the air and make oxygen, which will make anyone who is in that room more alert and more likely to be in a good mood. Pile on the plants in the space that used to be the fireplace by adding fresh flowers and plants all around the fireplace. Choose plants that have different heights and textures so when they are all placed together they will look interesting and appealing.
Use It As Storage
If you have a small living room or bedroom you can use the unused fireplace space’s decoration to make sure that you have your items. You can store books and magazines in it by putting them in pretty baskets or by my making a custom shelf with a piece of wood.
You can even store wine in there if you have an old fireplace in the living room or dining room and you want to make sure that the wine is always handy. A cooling wine fridge is just the right size to sit discreetly inside the fireplace. There are dozens of ways that you can turn a non-working fireplace into a beautiful décor piece that is useful too.
Fireplace Cleaning & Maintenance
How often do you maintain a clean and tidy fireplace? Well, it all starts with your chimney. Call the experts at Vertical Chimney Care to schedule a cleaning and chimney maintenance. To speak with a specialist - contact us today.
