DIY fireplace decoration

The fireplace creates a warm and inviting environment, which is facilitated by the presence of an open fire. Here we spend a quiet evening in an armchair reading a book, or have a warm conversation with friends over a cup of tea on quiet winter evenings. A room with a fireplace has traditionally become the center of family comfort and warmth. Any fireplace can be made special and unique with the help of finishes and decorative elements.

The mantelpiece and the place above the hearth serve to create home comfort with the help of decorative objects and little things, without which the design of the house would be incomplete. Whimsical wooden sculptures of individual work and antique dishes will bring the room closer to the rustic style.

Glass products in the form of a vase, glasses will add a glare of celebration and romance to the home atmosphere.

Metal installations or natural stone products on the mantelpiece will give the house an appearance of solidity and solidity. Mantel clocks, photographs of loved ones, bright panels, flowers in pots are arranged, taking into account the interior of the room and the taste of the owners.

Decor ideas can be very diverse. You can even make them yourself and hang them on a false fireplace. These designs are often decorated with tiles or stone. Concrete is also suitable. The area near the wall should also be decorated. Around the fireplace in the apartment, you can arrange the space in the style of your choice. Do not forget about the boxes of the design itself.

There are many DIY fireplace decorating ideas.

For decorating the fireplace, special heat-resistant glass is used. It can be used in the form of a mosaic and fancy patterns can be laid out on the body. Fireplace doors and fireplace screens are also made of heat-resistant glass. Glass can be transparent, tinted and stained glass.

It is important to use heat-resistant glass for the screen or door that can withstand high temperatures. The tempered glass used to make dining tables is not suitable for this purpose. It will not withstand such heat loads and will burst.

Screens not only serve as a decorative decoration, but also protect the house from the ingress of combustion products, in other words, they serve as fire safety. In addition, if there are children in the house, then fireplace screens and doors will protect them from burns. Watching the fire through glass is much safer and more comfortable than sitting by an open hearth.

Stucco molding can be made of gypsum, expanded polystyrene and polyurethane. The use of stucco molding is justified in different styles, but is more often used for a fireplace in a classic design, as well as in the Empire, Baroque, Rococo styles. Gypsum and polyurethane are more in demand for these purposes. Expanded polystyrene is less durable and degrades faster from use in conditions of temperature extremes. It is advisable to fix the stucco molding not next to the firebox, but on the chimney casing.

Disadvantage: if the products of wood burning enter the room, this will complicate the care of the stucco molding. After all, complex patterns and ornaments are located on it, with many recesses and convex elements that are not easy to clean. Over time, dirt will spoil the overall appearance of the fireplace.

Covering a fireplace with wood is not the most expensive option, but with competent and skillful surface treatment it looks dignified, modern and stylish. The main condition is to place the composition away from the firebox. First, it is necessary to treat the tree with special non-combustible solutions that will protect the structure from fire. For fire safety, it would be better to close the firebox with a door so that sparks do not scatter around the room and do not sit on the wooden lining.

The most popular decoration of fireplaces with ceramics and stone, which is of great variety.

For decorating a fireplace in the Russian style, one of the types of ceramics is suitable - a tile. A stove or fireplace with tiles is a primordially Russian invention. The difference between tiles and ceramic tiles is in the way they are applied to the contour of the fireplace. The tiles are simply glued. And under the influence of high temperatures it often falls off.

According to the technology, the tiles are installed in cells, which not only serve as a stop for the material, but also help keep the heat of the stone longer. Until now, in the Winter Palace and in the palace of Alexander Menshikov, there are 17th century stoves decorated with tiles.

Clay serves as the material for the manufacture. The surface is glazed, which is easy to clean, unlike modern tiles. Tiles can be combined in any order, changed, added.

The main advantages of facing a fireplace with tiles:

1. They absorb heat well and give it off gradually, which serves as a long-term preservation of the thermal effect, this is a huge plus for fireplaces.
2. The tiles are durable, they retain their beautiful appearance after many years of use.
3. Unpretentiousness and ease of care.
4. Tiles consist of natural components, they are environmentally friendly and do not emit harmful substances when heated.
5. The peculiarity of laying tiles gives the fireplace additional strength and reliability.
6. If there were defects and irregularities in the fireplace masonry, then with the help of tiles you can hide them.

Decorating a fireplace with ceramic tiles is a common decoration option. Here, the choice of colors and textures depends on the style solution in the interior of the room. The texture of natural stone is often used. Ceramic tiles are a good substitute for natural materials. A decorative facing material that imitates masonry has appeared on the market.

There are several types of cladding panels, differing in the material of manufacture:

1. concrete panels;
2. clinker panels;
3. porcelain stoneware panels.

Compliance with the technology of laying clinker tiles or porcelain stoneware on the fireplace guarantees:

1. long service life of the product;
2. heat preservation;
3. safety of using materials.

The use of natural materials gives the fireplace a unique look and increases the cost of decorative finishes.

Each natural stone has its own characteristics in use:

• Shell rock it is easy to process, inexpensive, but, having a porous structure, it can eventually clog with dust and firewood combustion products and lose its presentable appearance.
• Limestone and sandk are also relatively inexpensive natural materials. They are varied in types and colors and fit into almost any interior. But not too strong and durable.

• Slate interesting and original material, has an unusual look that is not suitable for every interior.
• Marble - not the most expensive stone, is very popular as a facing material. The pattern and color of marble is unique and depends on the deposit in which it is mined. With the right colors, it will fit into almost any interior style.
• Granite is one of the most durable facing stones. It is hard and quite difficult to process, but it can withstand heavy loads and is durable in use.

With a professional approach to cutting, grinding, polishing stone, the care of marble, slate and granite surfaces is simple and does not require much effort.

They are used for decoration and panels made of polymer resins with the addition of crumbs of natural stones or, in other words, artificial stone.

Artificial stone is also durable and resistant to high temperatures... It polishes well and is difficult to damage. It does not absorb harmful substances and odors. When applied correctly, it will last for years.

In addition to panels imitating masonry, there is also decorative plaster:

• cement-based, not the most durable option;
• acrylic;
• silicate based on liquid glass;
• based on silicone resin;
• Venetian plaster that looks like polished stone.

Venetian plaster is not the easiest material to cover a fireplace and requires certain application skills. But it is very convenient and unpretentious to care for, does not absorb dust and is easy to clean.

To decorate the fireplace, you need to choose a heat-resistant material. The surface preparation must be suitable for the selected material. Glue and other solutions required for fixing and processing facing materials must be heat resistant. It is also necessary to consider whether the fireplace is used as a decorative element of the interior, has a purely aesthetic function, or as a heating device with regular heating.

Processing a fireplace with simple plastering is a fairly inexpensive finishing method that does not require much effort and skill. In addition, this does not make the fireplace heavier, so there is no need for additional reinforcement of the structure. For plastering, a special mixture is required, which will not crack during long-term use of the product. The advantage of plaster is that it can easily change the color of the cladding, if necessary. Additionally, you can decorate the casing with intricate patterns using heat-resistant paint.

By covering the fireplace body with heat-resistant plasterboard, you can design and create complex, rounded designs or multi-stage asymmetric models. The metal frame, on which the material is subsequently applied, can be given any fancy shape at will.

Metal elements are used in the manufacture of fireplace doors, screens and ventilation grilles. Usually cast iron or heat-resistant metal alloys are used. If the fireplace is supposed to be fired not only with wood, but also with coal, then preference is given to cast iron as the most heat-resistant material.

In other cases, the choice of metal can be made at the discretion of the owner. Forging technologies are often used to create a product with an individual pattern. Die-cast models are readily available and sold in specialized stores. Patterns and ornaments on doors and grilles are usually tied to the style and decoration of the entire room.

The fireplace serves as a gathering place for the whole family, especially on New Year's Eve and Christmas. Therefore, it is very important to decorate the mantel and the place next to the hearth. According to an old European tradition, socks with the names of family members are hung over the fire so that Santa Claus does not make a mistake at night when laying out his gifts.

The mantelpiece is decorated with tinsel and garlands. You can put a small decorated Christmas tree over the hearth. It is better to put multi-colored Christmas balls in glassware. Candles in candlesticks, placed on a shelf above the fireplace, will complement the festive atmosphere.

The decoration of the fireplace for each holiday, for example, for a wedding, can be special and new every time. It all depends on the imagination of the author and the artistic direction. On Valentine's Day, you can use the fireplace to create a special emotional atmosphere by arranging flowers and decorating the space above the hearth with hearts. Fresh flowers are most suitable for the portal in summer.

The fireplace serves not only as a heating device, but also as a center where it is convenient to gather with the whole family, spend time talking, celebrate holidays and other joyful events. It can be put both in a studio apartment and in a private house.

Our mood depends on how the fireplace looks. Having spent a little time decorating the fireplace, we transform our home, bringing even the smallest details of the decor to perfection. And we invite friends and relatives to the fireplace to share with them the happy moments of our life.

For the New Year's decoration, you can choose all kinds of tinsel and Christmas tree decorations. Decorations can be made by hand.

The decor of the fireplace in red and white looks beautiful.

Decoration for Valentine's Day should be delicate. Add as many cute things as possible.

For tips on decorating a fireplace for the New Year, see below.