Today, I’m thrilled to welcome a guest blogger, Matt Zajechowski from North Shore Fireplace. Matt is here to give us helpful design tips on sprucing our fireplaces for the warmer months.
Take it away, Matt
Thank you, Simone, for this opportunity to speak to you on how to make your fireplace still be the focal point in your home during the warmer months.
Decorating Your Fireplace For the Warmer Weather
Summer is here! The birds are chirping. The scent of flowers is floating in the air. People with allergies are going to the pharmacy and everyone is spending more time outdoors. Is there anybody out there who doesn’t enjoy the changing of the seasons? When the weather changes, a lot of us go through a series of rituals. Everybody has their own routines. If you are a lover of home décor, then you may have your own home décor changes that you make around the house when the weather turns. People that have started to decorate with freshly cut flowers.
One area of the house, though, that often gets ignored during the summer is the fireplace. A lot of people think that fireplaces are only good in the winter, when you can cozy up in front of them with a cup of hot cocoa and a favorite book. So they let their fireplaces sit idle when the weather turns warm. When it’s warm out, it is usually more fun to be outdoors, playing in the sun or just lounging and soaking up rays. But that does not mean that you cannot also enjoy your fireplace in the warm weather months.
For starters, every summer has rainy days, and often, rainy nights. Simply use your fireplace as you normally would during the winter. If you want to make it feel a little bit more like summertime in front of your fireplace, break out some graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows and make some smores! Delicious, fun to make, and requiring only a few easy to assemble ingredients, smores are a wonderful addition to a fireplace scene.
You can also decorate the fireplace especially for summer by making the whole area look more “summery.” Start by clearing everything off the top of the mantel. Dust it, clean it, and wipe it down. Now line the mantel with flowers. You can either choose one bouquet for the middle of the mantel or you can line it with multiple vases full of flowers. Replace the flowers every week if you can. It will add a fragrant, fresh, and beautiful element to your living room and fireplace area.
If you are willing to make a major change to your fireplace, then consider doing something bold like painting it white. This works really well with brick fireplaces. It will really lighten the look of not just your fireplace but your entire living room. It does not take a lot of time, money, or skill to do it either. Pretty much anyone can do it – just go to your local hardware store and tell the salesman what your project is. He or she will point you in the right direction and make sure you buy the proper paint, brushes, drop cloth, and painting tape.
Whatever you decide to do with your fireplace, the important thing is that you love the way it looks. But do not fall into the common trap of forgetting to utilize your fireplace just because it’s warm outside! A fireplace should be considered a yearlong fixture in your home. Whether you are using a wood burning fireplace, a gas fireplace, a pellet fireplace, or something else entirely, stay stocked with your tinder all year long.
Thank you, Matt, for these helpful design tips on sprucing up our fireplaces for the warmer weather.
Simone