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Sparking Interest with Nonworking Fireplaces
It might not keep your toes toasty, but a nonworking fireplace can still set your living room, den or study aglow
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel... More »
I lived with a beautiful but nonworking fireplace for years. It was utterly useless except as a decorative feature, but I loved its mantel and its scrollwork and its presence. Like "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski famously said, "It really tied the room together."
It also presented an interesting design challenge. Decorating the mantel was easy, but what to do with the actual fireplace part? I alternately filled it with books and candles, and covered it with a screen-candelabra combo. But first I painted the whole thing antique white. Here are more ideas of what to do with a nonworking fireplace, a space that can actually be an asset.
It also presented an interesting design challenge. Decorating the mantel was easy, but what to do with the actual fireplace part? I alternately filled it with books and candles, and covered it with a screen-candelabra combo. But first I painted the whole thing antique white. Here are more ideas of what to do with a nonworking fireplace, a space that can actually be an asset.
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Fill it with wabi-sabi decorative logs. They hint at coziness, aren't too formal and require no matches.
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| Birch, aspen and gum all have lovely white bark. A symmetrical stack of logs is a design element and a nod toward coziness. |
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These felt logs are a true no-mess option. They also have a certain handmade design cachet. Plus, they're just kind of funny.
by gardendeva.com
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A decorative spark screen could be all you need.
by Home & Harmony
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Cover it up and then paint it with chalkboard paint. There is something very Parisian looking about this. And it can change with your mood, bearing everything from love notes to to-do lists.
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| A custom-cut mirror adds dimension and design cred. |
by Jeanette Lunde
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Candles create a feeling of warmth and light without the pesky smoke.
This horizontal stack of boards is both "design-y" and logical. It echoes the horizontal lines in the rest of the room, and it's a clever nod to traditional fire stacks.
Paint it with an accent color and use it as a nook.
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| A vertical stack of books is linear and design savvy. You can also pile books in willy-nilly for a more eclectic, natural look. But no book burning allowed. |
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| A screen serves as a piece of art and also covers the cavernous black hole of an empty fireplace. |
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| You can fill a fireplace with knickknacks. Here they used shells, but there is no reason this couldn't be a display spot for all sorts of collections. A vintage typewriter lived in ours for a while. |
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| And you can always just block off the fireplace with wood or sheetrock, keeping the mantel as a focal point and design element. More: Make Your Fireplace the Focal Point Mantel Mania: Sprucing the Space Above Your Fireplace |
Comments
CJ Sebert These are all so different. I love those felt logs. This is a photo from my parents house, they keep a painting in front of the fireplace when it's not being used. Sorry, it's so hard to see, the house was set up for Christmas dinner. 
15 months ago · Like
karicolwell I love the chalkboard and the book stacking ideas. I'm so afraid it's going to look cheesy in my home. I don't have those other strong design elements in my living room. Although I can't say the plastic I put on there in the winter looks good. ;-) It does keep the room warmer. Any ideas? 
15 months ago · Like
martenw There are gelburning firecasettes that will give a nice feeling but no smoke or heat.
15 months ago · Like
Yagoona Design some years ago in Australia we were renovating a Federation house in Sydney and uncovered a disused fireplace. We created this glass mosaic fire in its place... 
15 months ago · Like
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jennalpfaff I love the look of birch logs but have had a terrible time finding any to use. Anyone have a good source?
15 months ago · Like
dancingfish I still love the look of candles in an unused fireplace..
15 months ago · Like
rgillenwater Design: Such a wonderful idea for an unused fireplace - using tile to mimic fire!!!!
15 months ago · Like
iluv2decor8 Added bookcases and this totally faux fireplace to a 13' bare wall! 
15 months ago · Like
wghoots An inexpensive electric fireplace keeps my toes warm.
15 months ago · Like
Madison Modern Home We put a candelabra in a non-working fireplace in this Spanish style home. The wrought iron ties into the home's character and its branch design creates a dramatic silhouette against the white plaster.
by Madison Modern Home
by Madison Modern Home
Spanish Style Living Room Fireplace15 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Feb. 22, 2012.
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