A fireplace is one of those elements that many homebuyers look for when they are considering particular properties. A fireplace helps heat a house in winter but looks great all year round; and better still, it provides a place around which family and friends can gather throughout the seasons. In the room in which it sits a fireplace also creates a focal point for the room – a component to which the eye travels almost immediately and instinctively. Because a fireplace acts in this regard, many homeowners understand the importance of actually “decorating” the fireplace since it has such an influence on the overall design of the room. Everything from paint to mantel clocks can make a fireplace come to life.
To this end, many homeowners make the decision to:
* Paint or remodel the material surrounding their fireplace. In many cases it is brick that surrounds a fireplace and if this is the case, it takes very little to add some paint to create a dramatically different design. For those who do not enjoy the look of raw brick, a quick coat of white paint followed by some work with sandpaper can give the hearth an interesting, “distressed” look. Some homeowners may choose to take the brick out altogether and replace it with different material that is more contemporary in nature.
* Change the grate. Nothing can dramatically make over a fireplace more than the changing of a grate. There are a variety of styles available – everything from traditional to modern, ornate to simple; with a quick replacement an old fireplace becomes new again
* Pay attention to the mantel. The mantel offers the perfect opportunity for homeowners to display those pieces that have the most visual impact. Because this is the focal point of the room it is important to help the mantel stand out with simple, well chosen items. In this capacity, mantel clocks are the perfect components to use in decorating this small space. A well chosen mantel clock – in the design of the overall room – can be placed in the middle of the mantel and quickly add a finished, sophistication to the fireplace.