Fireplace Design Ideas by Jessica

A fireplace design has unequalled impact on any room and it deserves special attention.  That includes the burning area, fireplace hearth designs and fireplace mantel designs.

There are some really great fireplace ideas that will come to you when you use your imagination. Most people think of wood mantels and brick designs. While they are beautiful and never get old to me, there are so many other designs available.

I was very intrigued when I saw a fireball that a sculptor created. The fireball itself was made of metal and incased Sunjel gel fuel cans for a beautiful burn. The fireballs could be placed indoors or outdoors. They were tall structures that were bolted to heavy bases and offered absolutely no fire danger.

Seeing pictures of the fireballs our sculptor had created "sparked" ideas of my own. I can't see anything creative without getting my own ideas bubbling and before long, I find myself throwing together something that will either inspire or make people laugh. But, it doesn't matter to me. I have to scratch that itch.

Table Fireplaces

I was thumbing through a catalog one day and I saw a vintage ad for modern living. I love those vintage ads that invite people into the future. It's fun to see if certain trends ever made a mark on society or suffer a quick death.

This particular vintage ad had a coffee table squarely seated in front of the couch. A wooden lamp on a stand sat beside the couch and a butterfly chair was carefully positioned to the side of the coffee table. You see what I mean? Anyway, the best part about the ad was the coffee table. There was a fire in the middle of it.

A metal container held the fire and it was nothing like a candle or even several of them. This was a rather large flame and it gave me an idea. So, I called a client of mine and made arrangements to destroy her coffee table in the name of science.

Her coffee table had bottom shelving that held magazines and what-have-you. There were four columns on the front and the back of the coffee table and then there was a top surface. It was perfect. I cut a square hole through the top surface and placed a metal sculpture I had fashioned in the hole. My metal sculpture was far from perfect but it wasn't going to be the center of attention, so it didn't matter. The metal sculpture lipped over the sides of the square hole and hung down to about two inches above the bottom surface.

It turned out great! A can of Sunjel was placed in the container and we had a fire in the middle of her coffee table. She still has that coffee table fireplace to this day and people ask her all the time where she got it. Sometimes, she makes up a French store that isn't there anymore and goes on for about an hour with her own story telling imagination. I don't mind. I have the satisfaction of accomplishment.

Washtub Fireplace

If you have ever had an eyesore of an old washing machine hanging around the house or saw one in someone else's yard, there is something you can do with it now. Tear out the tub and make a fireplace out of it. It's not that hard.

Once you've ripped the tub out of the tub housing and discarded the rest of the machine, attach legs to the tub so that it stands on its own. I've run a length of metal 2" by 4' across the bottom and bolted it to the tub. Then in a cross fashion, I've run another length of metal across the bottom and bolted it. Then, I bent the ends of the metal so that the tub was raised a bit.

When you place Sunjel gel fuel cans inside and light them with some kind of an extended wand firelighter, you'll have one beautiful spectacle. At night, the fire lights through the holes and the fireplace actually works as a great outside warmer. It's just another idea to "spark" your own imagination.

This is the time of season to really have fun. During the day, cooking places like grills and outdoor fireplace serve as great entertainment on weekends when you have company. At night, fire keeps the lights on outside when you're still entertaining and it keeps the bugs away. So, get your imaginations rolling and come up with fireplace ideas of your own. I'd love to hear from you about them!

It's so easy to breath new life into a room by adding a beautiful fireplace screen,

          Patricia Taylor
             Decor Stylist

Jessica Brylan has been a student of construction all her life, under her father who retired in 2004. Her passion turned to interior design and strangely evolved into becoming a fireplace expert. You can read her latest report, Summer Ideas Report when you visit Ventless Gel Fireplaces and sign up for the newsletter.

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Fireplace Design Ideas by Jessica