Fireplaces bring a room to life by serving as a central focal point. They also heat a room to a toasty warm temperature during the harsh cold months of winter. Investing in a fireplace is not cheap, but as many will attest is well worth the investment, both in the value it adds to a room and also to the value of your property overall. Once you have taken the time to choose and install your fireplace, it is time to accessorize by adding an assortment of fireplace parts to enhance your fireplace area. Many people do not realise that there are a wide variety of fireplace accessories that will bring your fireplace to life, both aesthetically and practically. Here is a summary of some of the most popular accessories and fireplace decor.
Fireplace Andirons
Andirons – usually iron fireplace accessories, but can be made of steel, bronze, copper or even silver – are designed to hold logs inside the fireplace. They are normally used in pairs to build up what is called a firedog – sometimes called a dog-iron or dog. Because large pieces of firewood take a long time to burn, something was needed to hold logs in place. Andirons elevate logs allowing good airflow to the burning wood.
Fireplace Bellows
This is a device for manually delivering a burst of pressurized air into a fire to promote burning. Additional air is required for the combustion of wood and if it is lacking, the fire will wither and sometimes die. There are now more modern fireplace accessories and fireplace designs that promote better airflow, but a bellows can still be used and makes an interesting accessory.
Fireplace Chimney Caps
A chimney cap or chimney pot is placed at the top of a chimney for the purpose of improving the chimney’s draft, to prevent unwanted junk falling down a chimney such as leaves, birds, squirrels and rain, etc as well as preventing smoke back-draft from being blown back into the chimney in high winds. They often feature a metal wire mesh which acts as a spark arrester that minimizes burning debris from rising out of the chimney and onto the roof as well as keeping unwanted objects out.
Fireplace Damper Pulls
A damper is a plate or valve that is designed to regulate airflow within the chimney. A fireplace damper pull is a device that is designed to allow you to manually alter the airflow within the chimney. It is a hook shaped object that lets you pull the damper. These are usually brass fireplace accessories and often have a fancy design as well as serving a useful purpose.
Firewood Fatwood and Firestarters
A lot of trouble and anguish can be saved by investing in ways to make the job of starting a fire easier. Fatwood is regarded as nature’s best kindling and is loaded with resin that ignites easily and instantly. There are many ways to start a flame and many great products to make the job a cinch! A box of lightning nuggets is one such way. They usually come in boxes of 50 or so of which only one is required to get your fire up and running. Of course you could also resort to matches and if you do there are fancy fireplace match holders that make a nice looking accessory. A fireplace match holder that matches the rest of your fireplace accessories and surround decor can result in a nice effect.
Firewood Firebacks
The use of firebacks – a type of fireplace reflector – is a tradition that stretches back over a hundred years. The idea is to position these typically cast iron fireplace accessories at the rear of the firebox to preserve your brickwork while also serving the role of a fireplace heat reflector. There are many fancy firewood fireback designs to choose from in a variety of budget ranges. They are another great way of accessorizing your fireplace.
Fireplace Candelabras
For candle lovers who appreciate a flickering flame that is associated with a fire, but without doing the work that is required to build a fire, the fireplace candlebras (fireplace candle holder) will be well favoured. The fireplace candelabrum is designed to hold fireplace candles and to fit entirely within your fireplace. Fireplace candelabras vary in size and typically hold four to ten candles, with some thin enough to fit within your andirons and grate, while others completely filling the entire fireplace.
Fireplace Fenders
Fenders – typically quite elegant in design are fireplace hearth accessories designed to protect pets and young children from getting too close the fire and getting burnt. Fenders are typically made from cast iron or polished brass and are usually quite attractive to look at making them a great way of accessorizing your fireplace while making it a safer environment for young children and pets.
Fireplace Hearth Rugs
Fireplace rugs are specially shaped mats that are designed to be positioned in front of a fire. These fireplace mats are usually shaped in a half-circle and come in an elaborate array of designs. This is an obvious way of accessorizing your fireplace area and can be a great addition for a pet.
Fireplace Log Grates
Installing fireplace grates can go a long way to influencing the performance of your fire. A cast iron fireplace grate is designed to hold large logs securely and promote airflow. In essence it is an alternative to Andirons and is preferred by many people due to the fact that there is less of a need to fiddle around when positioning a log, however andirons can accommodate logs of different sizes more easily.
Fireplace Log Racks
Fireplace log racks serve the purpose of storing logs within close proximity of the main fire area. While a log rack is not entirely necessary it does save you a trip into the cold night to fetch another log if required. While performing a simple role, there are many very attractive log racks that will add a touch of style to your fire area. Fireplace log racks are also called fireplace baskets.
Fireplace Tool Sets
Fireplace tool sets are usually a rack of three or four tools that can be useful to have around the fire. Some of the more common fireplace tools that are offered with a fireplace tool set are a shovel, a fireplace poker, tongs and broom. These allow you to stoke your fire, reposition logs in an already burning fire and to maintain a neat, clean fireplace at all times.
Fireplace Screens
If you have an open fire – that is you have a fireplace that does not have doors, then a fireplace screen – also known as fireplace spark guards and fireplace guard will protect yourself from unwanted embers and sparks getting into the room or even causing a house fire. A fireplace gate or fireplace grill is also a great way of accessorizing as there are many unique designs available that are fabricated from different materials. Fireplace mesh screens come in all different shapes and sizes with multiple arrays of panels from two, three to four panels. There are flat as well as arched fireplace guard options with designs that both contemporary and antique. When it comes to fireplace covers to protect yourself and your family against dangerous sparks, there is a wide variety of choice here.
Fireplace Mirrors
A mirror placed above the mantel can make a big impact when positioned correctly. You can just purchase any old mirror for the job and the best choice of mirror will depend entirely on the look and position of your fireplace, the surrounding decor and how well it fits in with your other fireplace accessorizing. Note that unlike many of the other accessories, fireplace mirrors can be used with any type of fireplace, whether an electric fireplace, wood or gas.
Fireplace Tiles
The essence of your fireplace can be captured fully with fireplace tiles. Tiles can be used, bot on the walls surrounding the fireplace and on the floor immediately in front of the fireplace. Fireplace hearth tiles provide a contemporary look and feel to your fireplace area.
Fireplace Shelves
The fireplace shelf is the ledge directly over the opening of the firebox. Typically the fireplace package is sold all-in-one, however fireplace mantel kits can be purchased and installed separately and are a great way to spruce up your fireplace area when no shelf has been installed already.
Fireplace Curtain
While it may sound crazy, fireplace curtains do exist, but they are made from steel mech and not cloth, so there is no danger of them catching fire.
Buying Fireplace Accessories
Fireplace accessories can range from very cheap to a considerable amount of money. We all want to save money, so it pays to hunt around for cheap fireplace accessories. If you have time, you may want to go bargain hunting in your area and check out your local classifieds. If you want to save time and money there are plenty of discount fireplace accessories to be found online. Whether you are accessorizing a new fireplace or searching for fireplace replacement parts, there are plenty of cheap items on offer to be had by looking on the internet.
Summary
There are an infinite amount possibilities for you to choose from when it comes to fireplace furnishings that you can acquire to accessorize your fireplace area to its maximum potential. You could spend a lot of money on fireplace supplies, so it may pay to add items bit by bit over time. One thing is for sure however, a fireplace in one’s home can be literally transformed by acquiring the right fireplace accessories. While this summary is an extensive overview of some of the most common accessory options, this is not an exhaustive list and with some reasearch you will undoubtably find many more great options than those we have listed here.