Upscale fireplace accessories can add charm and elegance to your fireplace. When choosing fireplace accessories, don't forget to take the theme and style of the room into account. Is your room luxurious and elegant? If so, upscale fireplace accessories will suit the space better than casual varieties.
When designing a fireplace and the surrounding area, there are many things to consider.
Types of Fireplace Accessories
Mantels
The most common fireplace accessory is the mantel.
- Mantels are often made of stone or wood and surround the fireplace. Sometimes they stretch all the way to the ceiling and sometimes they are simply a shelf that sits just above it. Either way, when a mantel is used to surround a fireplace it often becomes the focal point of the room.
- Mantels come in all sorts of styles and designs. They can be elaborately carved and ornate, or simple and streamlined.
- Aside from framing a fireplace, mantels are often used as places to hold decorative accents such as candlesticks, photo frames, statues, and the like. They are usually between 10" and 20" deep, thus providing a surface for all sorts of accessories.
Screens
Fireplace screens serve a dual purpose: they keep embers and ash from escaping into the room, and they add a decorative element to the fireplace.
- Screens come in all sorts of varieties, the most popular being fine metal mesh and glass. They can be opened and closed easily and help to keep the fire contained.
- With the increasing popularity of gas fireplaces, the need for fireplace screens as a safety precaution is becoming less necessary. However, since they add aesthetic appeal many people use them to enhance the room's décor. If there's no risk of ash, embers, or sparks escaping, the number of materials that can be used for a screen increases. Exotic materials and fabrics can be used to create a fireplace screen that is a beautiful focal point.
Tools
A set of tools sitting next to the fireplace has a timeless appeal. Whether you need them for a wood-burning fireplace, or simply for decoration next to a gas fireplace, elegant tool sets make a great upscale fireplace accessory.
Tool sets usually consist of the following:
- a stand to hold all of the items
- tongs for moving hot coals and logs
- a poker for moving around wood and coals
- a shovel for scooping up coals and ash
- a brush for cleaning up excess ash
Tool sets come in an unending variety of styles and materials and upscale versions are very easy to find.
Accents
There are plenty of accents that can be added to enhance the look of a fireplace.
- firewood racks
- trivets
- andirons
- bellows
- blowers
- log holders
Where to Purchase Upscale Fireplace Accessories
There are plenty of stores that sell fireplaces and accessories. If you don't know of any, do a quick Internet search to get some names. Plenty of home décor stores also sell these items, so check out stores, websites, and catalogs.Another great place to find upscale fireplace accessories is at antique stores. Since older homes almost always had wood burning fireplaces, tools and accessories were common. Over the years many have ended up in antique stores and some real gems can be found.
Safety First
When buying accessories for the fireplace remember that they often serve a purpose other than just decoration. Fire screens can help keep a fire contained while log holders help keep the area around the fireplace organized. Keep safety and practicality as well as style in mind when purchasing.
Also keep in mind whether you're accessorizing a wood burning or gas fireplace. They have very different aesthetic feelings and the accessories should reflect those differences. Some tools might be necessary for one and not the other.
Safety is always the most important thing to take into account when accessorizing a fireplace, but with so many items and options available, you won't have to sacrifice style in order to be safe.
