Decorating Guides

Suggestions for Fireplace Remodel

If you’ve purchased a pre-owned home, it could have come with a lot of out-of-date decoration. Because fireplaces are built, remodeling is generally a more extensive procedure than just applying a coat of paint, however when the fireplace is the focal point within a space, the money spent on remodeling may be well worth it. Not only can upgrading an important focal point boost your everyday enjoyment of your home, it can aid with resale later on.

Replace Old Materials

Lava stone was cool at one time, but it hasn’t made an attractive fireplace surround in decades. With any luck, it won’t make a return to popularity. Remove old, outdated surrounding substance and replace with stone, marble or tile which complements the decor of your home. If your fireplace surround is the floor-to-ceiling kind, now may be a good time to replace the bottom half of this fireplace surround with fresh substance, and drywall and paint the rest of the wall.

Boost a Plain Fireplace

If the fireplace is only a opening in the wall free of mantle or a little, insignificant mantle, add molding to the fireplace to make a polished, more expansive end. Place column molding on all sides of the fireplace to make the fireplace area wider, then add a big, decorative mantle over the fireplace that fits on the top of the column molding and also extends beyond the pillar molding in width. You can add cornice bits below the mantle right on the pillar molding for a more decorative finish.

Concrete Fireplaces

Some contractors have started using molded concrete to make the surround and mantle for fireplaces. Even though the sides and mantle of the concrete are usually individual bits, once put collectively, the concrete provides the look of one strong unit enclosing the fireplace. The concrete may be painted to coordinate with the color scheme of the space, then sealed to prevent discoloration from ashes, if your fireplace is the wood-burning type. For an even more decorative look, add ceramic tile right on flat regions of the cement to tie in the fireplace with other colors in the room.

Gas Conversion

If your fireplace is the wood-burning kind, consider converting it to a gasoline model. Fireplaces which use gasoline are cleaner to use and permit you to use the fireplace for brief amounts of time without even dealing with smothering the fire when you leave the home or retire . You might even put costly rugs and other decoration near a gas-burning fireplace without having to be worried about flying embers.

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