Fireplace Spark Guards And The Hospitable Hearth

By: Chuck Gibson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

When you devote time, energy, and money to creating a beautiful fireplace, it's probably because you want it to be an important focal point in your home. You can give your fireplace star status through your choice of color and materials, furniture selection and arrangement, and finishing touches such as lighting, and accessories. Additionally, you can make your home safe with a fireplace spark guard that is also beautiful and adds the crowning touch on your fireplace setting.

Fireplace Spark Guards Accentuate Your Focal Point

Any room might have a single natural focal point or several, depending on the size and shape of the space and the positions of key elements. A fireplace is a natural focal point, but so is a large window or a glass patio door - or a big piece of furniture, an important painting or sculpture, or even an impressive houseplant. And of course, there's that most compelling of focal points, the television set.

As you evaluate your room, take note of possible focal points, permanent or movable. In anything but a very large or open-plan great room, one or two will be enough. Your challenge is to make your focal points - including the fireplace â€“ work together instead of vying for attention.

A fireplace can work in tandem with another architectural focal point. Flanked by windows or patio doors, it can share light and views in a dynamic way that changes as day turns to night - and the view helps draw attention to the fireplace. Built-in cabinetry or shelving on either side makes a fireplace the center of an entire wall that functions as a focal point. Even a television cabinet (with or without doors) can share the scene with the firebox, giving two viewing options within an integrated scheme.

Some fireplaces are naturally dramatic focal points; a large stone fireplace in a lodge-style room, for example, is already the main attraction. But a more 'ordinary' fireplace may need a little help to grab center stage. Here are some ways you can dramatize your fireplace:

Make it 'pop' with contrasting color - paint the fireplace bright white, the adjacent walls a deep color, for example. Alternatively, a dark-hued mantel and surround will stand out against light-colored walls.

Create eye-catching pattern and color with a tile surround and hearth, or fashion a surround from copper or stainless steel for exciting shimmer.

Hang a beautiful painting, a mirror, or a striking object d'art above your fireplace.

Combine two focal points by hanging an important painting or photograph over the fireplace and spotlighting both art and fireplace with dramatic lighting, or by placing a standing sculpture or large pottery piece to one side of the hearth.

Use built-in seating - be it a traditional inglenook with seats perpendicular to the fire, built-in benches alongside the fireplace, or a wide ledge that's a continuation of the hearth - to draw the eye while beckoning the viewer to interaction with the fire.

When your fireplace is the focus of the room, its style sets the tone for the whole space. From the rustic style set by a rough stone fireplace to the gleaming formality of a carved-mahogany mantel, the fireplace 'calls the shots' when it comes to decorating. Allow that to define your choice of your fireplace spark guard.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Chuck Gibson is a fireplace enthusiast who loves to roast marshmallows in the comfort of his own home. Are you thinking about purchasing your own fireplace spark guard? You can also find fireplace tools, cheap fireplace screens and fireplace accessories.