Give Your Fireplace a Makeover for the Holiday Season!

The holiday season is a great time to consider giving your fireplace a makeover. Whether you just moved into your new home in Ottawa or have been in the same home for years, there are things you can do to liven up the focal point of the room and incorporate it with your other holiday decorations.

• Fireplace Design

The design of the fireplace can start to look dated, depending on the age of the home. Consider upgrading the doors in a new design or colour. There are also new designs that include blower motors so you can blow more of the warm air into the room.

• Fireplace Mantel

If your fireplace lacks a mantel or only has a narrow shelf above, you might want to consider replacing it with a different one. There are all sorts of mantel designs to consider, from single piece shelves to “U-shaped” mantels that can liven up the appearance of your fireplace.

• Fireplace Fascia

If you are tired of the red brick or stone colour used in your current fireplace fascia, you do not have to do a major renovation to give it a makeover. There are special types of paint that adhere to brick and stone. Plus, this is one project you can do yourself and do not need to hire a contractor.

Just make sure to select a colour that best matches the rest of the décor in the room. In addition, keep in mind, brick and stone can absorb the paint, so you may need a few coats to achieve the desired results. We suggest applying one coat and allowing it to dry fully first. This way, you can look and see how much paint actually absorbed. Who knows? You might like the new look after a single coat of paint.

Fireplace Decorating Safety Tips

It is important to make sure that you do not put anything flammable too close to the fireplace. With garlands, lights, and wreaths, make sure these are hung well above the fireplace and do not hang down in front of the opening. If you hang your stockings off of the mantel, make sure they are hung to the sides so they do not get too hot and catch on fire.

Before lighting a fire, check around the fireplace and move any decorations that are too close. Sure, that stuffed, animated, dancing Father Christmas looks great next to the fireplace when it is not being used. However, the last thing you want is dancing Father Christmas to burst into flames in front of the kids because an ember spark flew out of the fireplace!

You should also use protective screens to stop wood and embers from falling or popping out of the fireplace. However, even with a small mesh metal screens, there is still the risk of very small embers getting through.

We hope our makeover ideas inspire your creativity as you get ready for the holiday season. If you are looking for new homes in Ottawa, check out our new homes here.