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how to decorate an unused fireplace

Tips and Tricks -

How to decorate an unused fireplace ?

You would like to decorate your unused fireplace, but you don't know where to start? Or maybe you don't have any ideas how to do it?

We love to sit by their warmth at the fireplace on cozy nights, but they can be a pain more often than not. Furthermore, they get dusty and stained as well, don't they? And their dirt will often contaminate the rest of your house.

Consequently, it comes as no surprise that so many fireplaces are no longer functional. Even though your fireplace is unused, that doesn't mean it takes up less space or is any less of a focal point. Then what should you do with your unused fireplace? Should you cover it up? Should you accessorize it? Should you keep it hidden?

There is nothing complicated about decorating an unused fireplace. For example, you can convert your non-working fireplace into a storage facility, fill it with candles, with neatly stacked wood, or even concealing it (or adding a fireplace cover).

In this blog post, we will see:

  • How to make your unused fireplace still useful  
  • The best decorative ideas for you unused fireplace

Check out these great ideas for what to do with your empty fireplace, and you won't be disappointed. Let's dive in.

how to style an unused fireplace

1) Paint It White

Whether you like it or not, a dark, outdated brick fireplace might be draining the life out of your room, at least visually. Fortunately, painting over the brick is easier than you may think, and once you have painted it over, you will see that the difference in your room is almost tangible. Adding color to bricks is not the only option. With glazes and speciality paints, you can make your fireplace sing.

Make sure you make your choice of color on the basis of how it will complement your décor. You can achieve this by painting your fireplace the same color as the wall around it; in essence, your fireplace will fade away visually. Using colors within the color scheme of the rest of the room will make your fireplace a more prominent focal point.

chimney white

However, for an elegant and minimalist solution that can blend into virtually any setting go with the tried and true method of painting your unused fireplace white. You can also choose an off-white or cream color, but it's imperative that whatever the shade that you choose, it's painted well-poorly painted brick can look just as bad as a stained and damaged hearth.

2) Keep things elegant with marble

Elegant and lavish, marble is a great material. Almost every decor can accommodate it. Both from a practical and aesthetic standpoint, it is an excellent choice if you need a fireplace.

Marble resists high temperatures. The fireplace won't be damaged by fire, even if it is lit throughout the winter. Although marble is a pricey material, investing in it is well worth it. This material possesses the benefit of lasting for a very long time as well as it gives a polished and sophisticated, more classical appearance. To best illustrate, the following ideas could be used.

A) Traditional Marble Fireplace 

It is proven that a traditional approach is always in style. In order to achieve the antique style, you can give the interior of your fireplace a classical touch, as well as the whole interior. For the retro part of the design, you can use the luxurious 90's design to draw attention to it.

modern marble fireplace

B) Black and White Marble 

A fireplace can be decorated with either white or black marble. Although you can use any pattern, it will look good when you use the inside line with black and the outside line with white.

C) Iron and Marble design 

If you want a black marble work area with an iron frame, you can pick that. It will not give that common look, and it will give a balanced appearance with other polished and unpolished pieces of art.

3) Converted into a storage facility

You can provide the fireplace with additional storage space, that is, additional space to fit items you need within certain the shelves you add to the fireplace's interior.

If you're considering purchasing a printed wallpaper that you can paste to the fireplace to add some color, you could save a bit of money. Moreover, it is also a practical and fast solution. 

As a creative idea, you can use your non-working fireplace as a place where you can store your books. When this is done, all your books will all be accessible to anyone should they wish to grab one from your shelves.

Adding woods is another option. A fireplace filled with logs is warm and inviting, festive and fun. A wood interior evokes a feeling of warmth without being lit. An eco-friendly, natural, and organic feel is created with the wood. Regardless of their sizes, shapes, and colors, the logs present their own unique patterns and designs to each individual. For a vacation cabin or chalet, this trendy look is perfect.

fireplace storage

Having an empty fireplace is a great opportunity to display your collectables. Make sure they aren't too small or fragile, so they won't be easily damaged. It is easier to clean a few large items than many smaller ones on a fireplace when they become dusty. In case you're not a collector, create a small vignette.

If you have items inside your fireplace that you would not like people to see, then you could place a mirror or painting over the opening so that you wouldn't have to worry about people noticing your items. It will look decorative as well as serve a practical purpose.

4) Place a Plant

Growing a small garden next to your dormant fireplace is one of the best ways to make your home more comfortable. If you want to plant plants around your fireplace, first measure how much sunlight hits it each day and then choose plants that are appropriate for that area.

When, for example, your fireplace is located in an area of your home that receives little sunlight, then you'll need low-maintenance plants such as ferns that will survive with little sunlight. However, if your home gets a lot of suns, you will find that you have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a roof style.

Imagining what you could do in that space and then trying it out can give you a sense of whether it is right for you. In the course of your experimentation, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you can come up with, and you can always make changes if you are not happy with the results the first time.

plants on fireplace

An excellent way to update your work-at-home space is to incorporate potted plants alongside your books, knickknacks, and decor on your shelves. The pattern of the greens in your space can be varied for a wide array of textures to make the space appear much more spacious.

Why not make plants the focal point of your decor? They're a simple way to add an element of life to any room and are easy to make. Make an all-too-often dark void a little more green by adding a pair of stately plants either in front or in the cove of your fireplace. Place a few more on top of your mantle for an additional lush look.

5) Fill it with Candles 

Using candles to create a romantic environment where you can relax and spend time with loved ones is great, but they can be dangerous if you're not careful. When candles are used, a large number of children, adults, and pets have been injured, and houses have been severely damaged or destroyed. Burning different size and height candles within your fireplace can be very decorative, and it is also a safe way to burn the candles. 

There's no need to worry about your kids pulling them off the table or your pet knocking them over. Furthermore, nothing inside the fireplace can catch fire, so it's a great place to store candles.

Give pillars a new place to rest on a tier-shaped stand within the fireplace. If you are lighting them, make sure you use a fire screen to keep the flames away from your valuable rug or the children who are around. Make sure to put your pillar candles in the freezer the day before you plan to burn them to make sure they last longer.

portable fireplace candle

Let's talk about the decor now. Changing up the decor of a candle-laden fireplace is a great way to keep it fresh. There are a variety of candle types that can complement each other, such as taper, pillar, tea light, and others. As a result, clusters of candles provide a glow of light in the evenings that boosts ambiance, making them a good choice for fireplaces that aren't in use or simply inactive.

It is not necessary for you to take this approach, but perhaps you could also add some vintage candleholders, platters, plates, as well as Palo Santo and Sage for good measure. It's definitely more to fill the firebox with pillars, in this case, so make sure it's lavishly decorated.

6) A basket of warmth

There is nothing more beautiful than a clean and bright hearth that is the perfect place for displaying your favorite basket. If you want to channel the heat from the twinkle lights with something you can use actually to warm yourself, why not channel the heat through items that can be used to warm up? 

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It is possible to utilize the unused fireplace area for no other purpose than having a little bit of stylish storage. Make a cute display for your clean and unused fireplace by arranging a basket of cosy blankets and cushions.

The basket full of pillows at the bottom of the basket is an ideal setup for households that often encourage the use of pillows as a means to relax.

When you are not using the items in the basket, store them inside the basket, such as books or blankets that you want to keep tucked away.

7) Concealing or hiding a fireplace

Covering a fireplace that does not look nice and cannot be fixed is the only solution. Another good option would be to seal up the fireplace. It is extremely important to ensure that the firebox is filled with plywood and that the box's exterior is coloured the same shade as the room.

The addition of mosaic tiles could also be considered as an option, and a really good minimalist decor idea. These could be combined with wood to produce a rich and varied appearance. 

concealed fireplace

Additional products like decorative fabrics, decorative papers, and decorative metals could be used. Basically, anything could be used; the possibilities are endless.

8) Stand out with an impressive mantle

Incorporating a colourful and large mantle is another great way to incorporate your fireplace. Besides serving as an attractive place to display a few of your favourite items during the holidays or to hang stockings during the Christmas season, a fireplace mantle also contributes to the visual appeal of the whole space.

In addition to the protective frame on both sides, the fireplace mantel is a decorative frame that surrounds the fireplace. They often serve as the room's focal points and have become an integrated part of interior architecture and design.  

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By following the above tips, you can now decorate your unused fireplace. Be selective about the ideas you choose for your ledge so that it stands out.

There are many ways to decorate the unused fireplace that you have, depending on where it is located and how you want to make that section more lively and aesthetically pleasing.

Let your imagination run wild with unlimited ideas for decorating your home. 

If you are interested by adding some wall art canvas next to your unused fireplace, feel free to take a look at our online store. 

To thank you for having read our blog post so far, take advantage today of a 15% discount on your order with the coupon code: BLOG15.

See you soon.

Splash of Arts Team.