Living Room With Fireplace

Living Room With Fireplace

Fireplace Surround - A "Hot" Decor to Your Living Room
By Aravind Ramesh - Ezinearticles

What do you think of a chilly night where you curl up on a sofa with hot coffee with the soft fire crackling in the fireplace? Quite romantic, isn't it? So what about a beautiful fireplace surround to add to the romance of the evening?

Fireplace surrounds are something that adds to the beauty of the fireplace, the area that lies immediately around the fireplace. As you already know from experience, when someone enters a living room that has a fireplace, the first thing the person would notice is not the fire burning inside but the surround that adorns the fireplace.

Fireplace surrounds are used for 2 purposes - decorative as well as to provide warmth. If it is meant for decoration alone you can let your imagination run wild. You can add any design to it and mould it any way you want. However, if indeed your room is cold and you want it for warmth there are a few factors that you need to take care of. First of all, it needs proper ventilation so that fire does not get out of control and spread outside. Next, you need to decide the amount that you are ready to spend for this. Because, the surround should have capacity to handle the heat.

Most people use the fireplace surround as a shelf to keep decorative items or books, DVDs and other similar items. This serves a double purpose - adds to the storage space in the room while adding to its beauty. And therefore, while building the fireplace surround you need to make sure that it has the strength to hold the items that you keep above it. Also, never keep very heavy or glass materials above it. It is not everyday that you install a surround and therefore take proper care of it. Clean and wipe it as frequently as possible. And while installing it, ensure that you give the correct measurements of your fireplace so that the surround exactly fits the fireplace.

Another factor is the material used for the surround. Wood is the most common material used and costs less. It is more flexible, providing scope for customised decorations also. In the case of stone or marble they are more durable though they are a little expensive. Another option is metal that comes with precautions as it conducts heat. You could also mix the materials like using wood with metal outline.

Fireplace surrounds enhance the fireplace in an effective, still affordable, way. Browsing online or discussions with friends can give you an idea on installing them without actually emptying your bank accounts. Remember, nothing works as much as a fireplace to make a home homely.

Living Room With Fireplace