Categories: Decorating

by This Post

Share

Categories: Decorating

by This Post

Share

Decorate the Fireplace to Wow Potential Buyers

Selling a house is no easy task. From the hassle of cleaning to the stress of negotiating, the process can be long and tedious. However, getting your home in tip-top shape for showing doesn’t have to be a chore. The key is in the details. One such important detail is the fireplace. As it’s often the focal point of your living room, the state of your fireplace can have a huge effect on the overall design and feel of the room. Check out these simple tips for getting your fireplace ready for your next showing.

Balance

Essential to any home décor project is creating balance in your space. With your fireplace, you will need to balance its size, prominence, colors, and decorations so you don’t over or underwhelm your room. Plus, a balanced design and decoration will be pleasing to the eye and make your space feel more welcoming and put together.

Some simple ways of striking this oft-elusive balance are through texture and accessories. For example, you can use plants, vases, candles, paintings, and a host of other objects to frame your fireplace.

You can go for a mirrored approach- having similar-sized (or duplicate) objects on either side of the mantle for a 1:1 ratio- or you can use different textures and multiple items in an asymmetrical combination to pull it all together. Experiment and play around with what you have. You should recognize balance when you see it- it just feels right.

Color

Color is a wonderful way to add personality, atmosphere, and balance to a space, and the fireplace is no different. For a lighter, airier look, use white or light, neutral tones. Painted brick is a striking element of home décor and the texture will add interest without overwhelming the viewer.

Besides painting, you can use your accessories to add splashes of color for a more a dramatic effect. Use brightly colored vases, bottles, or even plants to spruce up the mantle. Be sure that your color scheme does not clash with the rest of your living room décor. You want the fireplace to be a cohesive, if not eye-catching display that will boost the presentation of the entire space.

Accessories to Decorate the Fireplace

Next, choose your fireplace mantel accessories carefully. The objects you use to populate your mantle and fireplace are key to directing the look and feel of the entire space. What kind of look are you going for? Is the room itself more traditional, modern, classic, or eclectic? Depending on the décor of the room, your fireplace accessories should complement and enhance that design.

Some interesting ideas for fireplace accessories include mirrors, vases of all shapes and sizes, shrubs, flowers, trees, branches, glass bottles, and even driftwood or seashells. Practically anything can be used in home décor—it is simply a matter of how you use it.

Mirrors are an excellent way to add the illusion of light and space to your room. Vases can be mixed and matched in style, color, and size, for an interesting arrangement on the mantle, and small trees and shrubs can fill that dark void in the fireplace itself (if you aren’t using it). To keep your plants vibrant and healthy all year-round, you can place small grow lights around the fireplace to promote growth and prevent your display from getting dried out and droopy. Again, experiment with different items and pay attention to balance.

Cohesion

Finally, seek cohesion in your design as you decorate the fireplace. You want the fireplace itself to look and feel balanced and inviting, but you also want to make sure it goes with the rest of the room. By balancing the weight, colors, and textures of the fireplace with the living room, you will succeed in creating a dramatic and beautiful space that will surely impress prospective buyers.

About the Author 

Nina Hiatt researches and writes articles to help people find balance and beauty in their personal space through landscape and interior design. In her free time, Nina blogs about many of her interests, which include gardening and baking.

Related Posts

View all

2 Comments

  1. Steven Jones September 4, 2013 at 10:27 AM - Reply

    Great post. The last part about ‘cohesion’ is so true. Many times I have worked on a project where the customer picked a fireplace that looks great in the catalog but doesn’t fit the room. Unless they are made of money, the get stuck with the eyesore. Cohesion is key!

    • Tom September 6, 2013 at 10:04 AM - Reply

      So true, Steven. Whether it is exterior architecture or interior design, cohesion makes all the difference.

Leave A Comment

By submitting your comment, you agree your name and comment may be published. Your email address will never be published. In accordance with our Privacy Policy, it will only be used to notify you when there is a response to your comment. It is never shared with or sold to others..

  • A Halloween fireplace mantel scarf is the fabric drape that covers the top of the mantel. It provides the foundation upon which a Halloween themed mantel is created. The mantel scarf is to a fireplace mantel like a tablecloth is to a dining table: It sets the color scheme and theme. You can find a […]

    Continue reading
  • Make no bones about it, skeletons are the backbone of Halloween decorating. A Halloween skeleton fireplace with simulated human, dog and cat, bat and rat, bird and reptile, or even dragon and unicorn skeletons can send tingles up  your spine. In addition to decorating the fireplace, skeletons can sit on chairs or couches and hide […]

    Continue reading
  • Usually when we think of a fireplace, we think of sharing it with friends and family. There is one type of fireplace, however, that is designed to enjoyed alone, in privacy: the bathroom fireplace. A bathroom fireplace is a personal and elegant indulgence. It is the ultimate for creating a spa-like retreat from the cares of the […]

    Continue reading
  • If you burn wood in your fire pit, you have the makings of DIY fire pit log stump stool – the firewood logs themselves. From the most basic to the most clever, fire pit log stump stools capture the essence and simplicity of gathering around a fire. Here are directions for making a variety of DIY fire pit log […]

    Continue reading