If you’re lucky enough to have a wood-burning fireplace, cold weather comes with a silver lining: an excuse to build a roaring fire.
“Fire becomes this really great focal point of a room, whether it’s traditional or modern,” says New York-based interior designer Thom Filicia. “There’s just something poetic, sexy and inviting about gathering around a fireplace.”
But before you make that first fire, make sure you’re ready. That means not only decorating the mantelpiece – which naturally draws attention during the holiday season – but also choosing the right tools and accessories to keep your fireplace looking and working well. We asked Mr. Filicia and other designers for advice.
Assess the situation
Not all fireplaces are beautiful. In older homes, some homes have beaten-up mantels and damaged trim; in newer homes, they may not have much personality. In either case, a simple change – or a few tweaks – can give a fireplace a new look without taking everything out.
While you can remove your fireplace mantel and replace it with a new one, it’s not always necessary. Never underestimate the power of paint. When Mona Hajj, an interior designer based in Baltimore, Maryland, was working on a home in Washington, D.C., her clients found the wood mantelpiece in their dining room “so dark and depressing,” she said, that they asked her to scrap it.
But she could tell it was a quality piece, and when she covered the mantelpiece and surrounding walls with off-white paint, it changed the look from frightening to fresh. “It just softened that area,” Ms Hajj said.
Mr. Filicia used a similar approach when renovating an old Colonial-style home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Instead of white, however, he painted the mantelpiece a dark aubergine color and covered the walls and edges of the room in the same color so that nothing stood out. “You simplify it by doing everything in this one beautiful, rich color,” he said. “It turns all architecture into texture.”
Changing the surround instead of the mantelpiece can also give your fireplace a new personality. When Amanda Jesse and Whitney Parris-Lamb, the founders of Brooklyn-based interior design firm Jesse Parris-Lamb, renovated a brownstone in Park Slope, they encountered tired fireplaces surrounded by damaged subway tile within attractive original mantels. Instead of replacing the damaged tile with something similar, they opted for more distinctive, contemporary tiles: a blue-and-white checkerboard pattern by Balineum for one fireplace and a russet floral pattern by Neisha Crosland for another.
“Changing the fireplace surround is a nice way to update it while respecting the home’s history,” said Ms. Parris-Lamb.
Add signature Andirons
A pair of andirons or a fireplace grate is critical to getting air under the logs and preventing them from rolling into the hearth. But choosing the right one isn’t just about functionality.
It’s the jewelry. It adds a bit of character,” says Victoria Hagan, the New York-based interior designer. “I like looking for special and unusual bucks.”
Sometimes it’s the first purchase she makes when furnishing homes for clients, she said, “because it’s the focal point” — not just of the fireplace, but of the room.
Ms. Hagan favors vintage andirons, coordinating them with the period and style of each home, from curly wrought iron pieces for a casual Colonial-style home to heavy brass ones with heavy bulbous finials in a formal space.
Others opt for more playful designs. When Gary McBournie and Bill Richards, the married partners of Boston-based interior design firm Gary McBournie Inc., were decorating a fireplace in Nantucket, Massachusetts, they chose anchor andirons.
“An anchor is about as cute as we get,” said Mr. Richards, adding that they like the contemporary bucks made by John Lyle, who creates models with anchors, fish, stars, human figures and other sculptural elements, as well as more traditional English designs from Jamb.
Choose FireTools
You could buy a set of matching fireplace tools with a stand that sits on the hearth, but Ms. Hajj and Ms. Hagan prefer a more minimalist approach: They limit the number of tools—often using a single poker or fireplace tongs— and simply lean the tool against the mantelpiece when not in use.
“Normally I don’t like tools in a stand,” said Ms Hagan, who thinks it’s too formal. “I like to find them casually placed by the fireplace.”
She buys tools with the longest handles she can find because they are more elegant and easy to use from a safe distance.
An ash shovel is also useful for cleaning up after the fire has gone out, but it doesn’t need to be kept near the mantelpiece, so it doesn’t have to go with the other tools. “I actually find the spades awkward,” Ms. Hagan said. “Personally, I prefer a can.”
Add a fire screen
If your fireplace doesn’t have built-in metal mesh doors or curtains, a fire screen that prevents hissing logs from spewing embers into the room is essential. A wide variety of designs are available – from flat panel models that almost disappear when in use, to foldable multi-panel models and models that curve outward into the room, which often look more traditional and allow easier access to the provide fire.
Whichever style you choose, the main thing is to use one that matches the size of the firebox opening. If it’s too small, it won’t do its job; if it is too big, it will look uncomfortable.
“We see a lot of fire screens that are too small or too big, and it seems the fireplaces are wearing the wrong size clothing,” said Ms Parris-Lamb. She and Mrs. Jesse often order screens in custom sizes from Wm. H Jackson Co. or Etsy suppliers.
Most fire screens are made with a metal mesh, but glass models are becoming increasingly popular. They provide a clear view of the fire and can block some of the heat, which may or may not be desirable depending on the room.
That was Mr. Filicia’s goal when he designed a dining room with a fireplace. “We chose a glass fireplace screen that fits the room almost perfectly, so it deflects a lot of heat,” he said. “It ensures that when you sit at the dining table, you are not overwhelmed by the fire. That has been very important.”
Find a place for firewood
To keep the fire going, you need logs on hand – and a place to store them. Many manufacturers make special metal racks and leather slings to hold a few logs near the hearth, but almost any large, fancy container will do.
Mr. McBournie and Mr. Richards usually select large, sturdy baskets woven from natural materials. “We usually have a big basket that can hold at least a day and a half’s worth of firewood,” Mr. Richards said.
Ms. Hajj uses a large Moroccan copper urn in her own family room and has purchased similar copper buckets for clients’ homes. “I’m always trying to get these big buckets,” she said.
A bonus: the buckets catch dirt and wood shavings that fall off the logs, keeping the mess off the floor.
Pull up some chairs
“There is a kind of primal interest in fire. It’s an attraction,’ said Mr. Richards. “That means people want to be there.”
To create the coziest spot in the house, Mrs. Hajj likes to place a large, comfortable chair or chaise longue next to the fireplace.
Mrs. Hagan has designed rooms with upholstered stools placed directly in front of the hearth, a few feet from the flames. “It’s a nice place to sit,” she said. “In winter it is very cozy.” And in the summer, the crutches can be easily moved elsewhere.
In a row house in Brooklyn, Jesse Parris-Lamb placed thick, tasseled floor cushions by the fireplace. “It’s nice to have some sort of ottoman, stool, or floor cushion close to the fire so you can get cozy,” she said.
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