Fireplace Makeover Ideas - Giving New Functions to an Unused Fireplace

Mr. Pig (my boyfriend) and I have a majestic-looking fireplace in our apartment, but if we try to use it, we might end up as dead as smoked trout. Yep, it's just for show. There is no chimney or any kind of ventilation for the smoke. Nowadays, many people who have a real fireplace don't even use it to warm up their house anyway. A gas or electric heater is just more convenient, less messy and much easier to handle. If you decide not to use your fireplace any longer or have a fake one like I do, why not transform it into something else? An unused fireplace is like a sullen monster with a wide-open mouth. It constantly begs you to do something about its emptiness.(At least, that's how I feel about mine.) To revivify your old hearth and assign new functions to it, consider these fireplace makeover ideas:

Try transforming your unused fireplace into a new cozy home for your indoor plants. Fill the empty hearth with a few large potted plants of different heights and colors. Or you can furnish it with a low shelving unit full of cute mini cacti. Some popular plants that grow well without direct sunlight are Moth Orchid, Chinese Evergreen, Bird Nest Fern and Devil's Ivy. If you are more of a flower person, sprucing up your old hearth with a marvellous floral arrangement can also be a sweet idea. To take another step further, install a couple can lights inside the fireplace. Once the nightime falls, just switch them on and revel in the lovely sight of your luminous indoor greenery.

Most people don't have a huge enough wine collection to occupy a whole room, though many of us might just have enough to fill up a small fireplace. To make it look like a "special wine cellar" rather than a random storage space, equip your fireplace with a wine rack that fits in it as perfectly as possible. Or, better yet, have your wine rack custom-made to match both the size of the fireplace and the color of the mantel. Also, if you really want to go with this makeover idea, dry grapevines are charming decorative items to utilize.

This makeover idea can only work if your fireplace is pretty large and preferably elevated from the floor a little, or else it might just look too funky. Instead of purchasing a ready-made entertainment center that could cost over $100, look for a low and sturdy cubby storage unit, the right size for your hearth. Arrange your DVD player, cable box, DVR machine, etc. in those cubby holes. Place your T.V. on top of the unit, and maybe put a wall DVD rack above or near the mantel. That's it. This type of entertainment center requires absolutely no floor space. A great way to declutter your room, isn't it?

If you are an avid reader who have collected tons of books but don't have adequate bookshelves to accommodate them, consider adapting your unused fireplace for this purpose. You don't even need to put a bookcase in there. Unlike wine bottles, books can be stacked on one another nicely without risking a damaging accident. To make it look chic, try to stack them up in a creative way. Don't just pile them on top of one another like heaps of garbage. Be playful with the shapes, colors and heights of your "book towers." Placing small framed photos or knickknacks on top of each pile could also add a "cutesy factor" to your new library.

Burning candles will not provide much warmth like burning wood, but they can make the room just as beautiful and cozy. Try decorating your unused fireplace with a candle-holder centerpiece or candle jars of various sizes and colors. If your hearth has some extra space, antique figurines or dainty pottery pieces might be fantastic items to accompany those candles. This makeover idea allows plenty of room for creativity. Just let your inner artist have some fun!