You could try one large sculptural stem of dried hog weed, or alternatively, 'try individual stems in a collection of collected or salvaged pots, bottles, and jars along a mantle or in the center of a table,' suggests floral designer, Layla Robinson. How do you decorate with dried flowers?

When you’ve decided that you most likely will not be using your fireplace in the future, it might be a wise decision to seal it. If not for anything else, sealing your fireplace is more energy-efficient. Depending on what season it is, it is a way for your heat or air conditioning to escape out the chimney and for cold air or heat and humidity to enter your home. By design, your fireplace gives off light and warmth when in use. Why not take this idea and reproduce the same vibe more creatively? These are a few of my favorite ideas for ways to use light in your fireplace. The decorating concepts below that involve using real candles should be done with battery-operated flameless LED candles instead in households with young children or pets. This set of 7 Qinxiang Flameless LED Candles are highly-rated and come with a remote. 1. Create a Large Cluster of Candles If you have a non-working fireplace idea or an empty hearth that looks bare and dark out of season, there are plenty of ways that you can jolly-up the space and make it feel more homely year round. If you already have a memo board that you love, then you can attach it to your plywood fireplace cover with wood glue. If you want to make a new custom memo board, you’ll need a custom cut plywood fireplace cover, batting, fabric, ribbon, decorative nails, and a staple gun. Then follow these easy instructions for how to make a fabric memo board. 17. Place a Stylish Pet Bed in Your Empty Fireplace You can execute these ideas with style, but the priority is functionality. Of course, you can have both. All it takes is a little thought, imagination, and creativity. 15. Create a Chalkboard Fireplace CoverFor the baskets, you can use artificial or dried flowers to fill them. You can use artificial flowers, dried flowers, or freshly cut flowers in water for the large mason jars. The flowers’ color scheme should be consistent throughout, and you can change them to match the seasons. You can use the same baskets throughout the year if you choose neutral colors. Create a Stylish Space for Storage There are lots of ways to decorate with dried flowers. Grouped together in a posy, dried flowers are a fabulous way to pretty up shelves or a coffee table, or you could display single stems in a series of vases or vintage bottles. Finally, for a more opulent and personalised look, try filling in any gaps and spaces by adding wired bows or pushing in faux flowers - the end result is gorgeous and quite wonderfully OTT.' What can I put on my mantel for Christmas? The time honoured and traditional fireplace was once a necessity to heat a room, but in today's world they can be seen as more of a comforting indulgence and delight. From artificial gas and electric fires to rustic wood burners and roaring open inglenooks, there is certainly a style and type to suit every style of living room, bedroom, kitchen or even bathroom. FAQs How do you arrange a living room with a fireplace in the middle?

Speaking to Ideal Home, DIY lover and former Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh said she was surprised at how easy this was to do. She bought one from a secondhand flea market and completely restored it, building up the fluting and reshaping some of it, before priming, sanding and repainting it. Above the fireplace, go for vases, artwork and sculptural elements that mesh well with your design style. Plus, brainstorm creative ways to distract from your TV if your fireplace doubles as a TV stand. Don't forget that inside the fireplace doesn't have to be reserved for logs — you can go for a decorative tile pattern, then fill it with plants, books, lanterns or even a candelabra. If you're really feeling inspired, it's surprisingly simple to retile or paint an existing fireplace — or even learn how to build your own faux fireplace. Opinions are divided when it comes to whether a TV should take centre stage or you should hide a TV. One option that is popular with wide-screens is to position the TV centrally above a fireplace, for optimum viewing pleasure. Choosing a TV size that is in scale with the small living room fireplace ideas underneath is a way of creating a more balanced look. And although many are against having a TV in such a central spot, positioning it above the fireplace means that there aren’t two competing focal points.Whether you show off your paintings or someone else’s, the frame is almost as important as the piece itself. Make sure the artwork varies in size if you choose to display more than one. Unlike mirrors that are plain glass, the paintings will likely have many colors and more going on. It would be better to add simple accessories, like a plain vase or a leafy plant in a plain flower pot. 6. Fill Your Fireplace With Piles of Old Hardcover Books Try to position your seating in a way that surrounds the hearth, whilst still angled towards the TV,' says Sam Hood, co-founder and chief creative officer at AMARA. 'This will give you the best of both worlds, embracing both the modern and traditional focal points.' Should I buy a restored fireplace or reproduction fireplace? If you have young children or pets a fireguard can be a valuable addition and will prevent anyone from getting too close. If you’re unsure where to begin with your Christmas mantel decor, a simple idea is to choose decorations which match with your Christmas tree. Perhaps lay a fir garland across the top of the mantlepiece and dot in excess baubles from your tree. Tapered candles in complementary or matching colours will help add height as well as atmosphere come evening time. If you don’t have an open fire, you can still use a lot of mantel dressing ideas, as most can be easily adapted to work on decorative fire surrounds or ledges above a log burner. How long should a garland be on mantle?

For a beautiful statement display you could even, 'hang small bunches from a twisty horizontal branch, that is suspended from the ceiling,' suggests floral designer Layla Robinson. Depending on whether you use antique, rustic, coastal, or modern lanterns, you can easily change your room’s look for every season. Some lanterns have built-in LED lights, and some take regular or LED flameless candles. In place of candles, you could opt to fill the lanterns with fairy lights. Many LED lights can change colors so that you can set the mood for any occasion. Styling a Vintage, Rustic, or Shabby Chic Display There are plenty of ways to decorate your mantel for Christmas, no matter what your style or budget. Using dried flowers to make a garland is a lovely way to decorate a mantlepiece, plus would make the perfect table centerpiece, you could use it to adorn a mirror, too.If I’m going for a traditional look I’ll start by dotting three or five of our tall modern brass lanternsalong the mantel shelf and then carefully weave two of our faux green garlands in between, this gives a full and abundant festive look.' During the summer, a stove or fire remains a functional design element that boosts the aesthetics of any space, even though it’s not in regular use,' points out Declan from Morso. 'Keep logs and fireside tools close by to your living room fireplace ideas – whatever the season – they add interest and make the stove feel homely all year round.’ Another way to seal your fireplace is to create a custom cover that fits over the opening of your fireplace. These covers can be simple or decorative. We will explore these further later on. Fireplace covers of this kind are removable, and you can make them reversible if you prefer. Even if you don’t use your fireplace, there are still maintenance requirements. Gas or oil fireplaces should receive maintenance regularly because they connect to the heat and hot water system and your non-electric stove. Other oil-burning appliances could cause creosote build-up in your chimney. You’ll still need to have the inside of your chimney cleaned.