front porch logo

Every home has a story, and they are as vast and varied as the world is wide. But they all start with inspiration, and inspiration starts with our surroundings. That’s what home is. Family. Friends. A sense of place. An amazing view. It is all part of what makes a space a home because your home is where you truly live. As homeowners ourselves we understand that your best life begins with a home that inspires you.

(This page includes affiliate links – our full disclosure statement is available {here}

We no longer build fireplaces for physical warmth? We build them for the warmth of the soul, we build them to dream by, to hope by, to home by…

— Edna Ferber

The hearth is often called out as the heart of the home, but that designation isn’t restricted to a warm and glowing fireplace. Here, 10 easy ways to make a nonworking fireplace a design focal point in your house.

Fill It With Fire-Ready Logs Anyway

Fool onlookers with the appearance of a hearth poised for lighting. Here, an ornate log holder and matching fireplace tools reinforce the period look of a detailed mantel and lavish sconces.

Embrace a More Organic Design

For a slightly different approach in displaying firewood in a log holder, fill most or all of the firebox with chopped wood. The organic approach will complement earthy, natural living room decor.

Fake Stacked Logs With a DIY Summer Front

Do you love the rustic look of chopped logs but loathe the mess real logs make? TOH magazine reader and Pepper Design blogger Morgan Spenla put together a charming summer front that makes cleaning a snap.

Follow the full how-to for creating a faux-log summer front.

Place Tiered Candles Inside

Give substantial pillars a new resting spot on a tiered stand in the fireplace. If you choose to light them, use a fire screen to keep the flames away from your prized rug or children. Lengthen the life of your pillar candles by placing them in the freezer the day before you burn them.

Cover It With an Ornate Fire Screen

Safety accessories can be pretty, too. Source a screen with a design you love and let it work as a piece of art.

Use It as a Shadow Box to Display a Favorite Object

Forget the traditional shadow box and tuck a hefty object inside the firebox, like a handsome architectural model or large family heirloom.

Handsome Firebox

Keep it simple—but dramatic. This worse for wear firebox got a flaw-covering paint makeover.

Check out other unexpected ways to decorate with black.

Paint It White

Create a bright space with the simplest of color. Here, a room coated in white helps the details of an old fireplace and mantel stand out.

Add some more oomph to your fireplace by painting the mantel in an unexpected color.

Highlight a Houseplant

Show off the houseplant you’ve managed to keep alive in an unexpected spot.

Add a Vintage

Bring some old-house charm to the hearth by sourcing a summer front from a tag sale or flea market.

Find summer fronts and other old-house parts by following our salvage yard shopping tips.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HERE'S WHAT WE WILL COVER

Give us 15 minutes and we’ll walk yout through all the details and benefits of our Agent Assist Marketing Program. This is a real live Zoom call so you can ask all the questions you want. We will cover building your brand, websites, social media, newsletters and our blogging and transforming you into a ROCK STAR!