Okay so I’m not going to lie, considering that it’s currently 11 degrees outside here on this wintery day in Kentucky, the idea of putting anything other that firewood inside of a fireplace is pretty much unfathomable to me.
Fireplaces in parts of the country where people wear Sorel and Ugg boots for warmth, not fashion are made for burning wood to keep your homes warm. That being said I realize that a.) not everyone is currently living in a polar vortex b.) winter doesn’t last all year long and c.) some people don’t actually have a working fireplace, so I thought now would be as good a time as any to round up some fun ideas for decorating your fireplace…….when/if you’re not burning wood.
Candles in a fireplace are my personal favorite idea, especially when entertaining. The ambience that candlelight adds to a party can’t be beat.
(*Chic tip – All three images shown above are from Pottery Barn. They have the best stylists in the industry, so it’s worthwhile to study and earmark your catalogs.)
Stacked wood is a great way to store the unused wood when winter has finally come and gone. It’s also a great way to add texture to a non-working fireplace. And if you like the look but don’t have enough wood, you’ll definitely want to check out this tutorial for how to make a faux log stack at Pineapple Hill Interiors.
You can create a similar look using birch logs; Pepper Design Blog shows you how.
Books make for a lovely look as featured at Blue Eyed Yonder. This is such a great idea for a non-working fireplace!
Plants are a great idea and definitely have me dreaming of warmer temps. Whether just one large fern (as featured at Southern Living) or a group of greenery (as shown at Real Simple), both make for a beautiful fresh display! 
Last but not least is a wonderful idea for anyone living in an older home. So often older homes have oddly placed non-working fireplaces in the bedrooms. Turning it into a headboard is a genius idea, and Nibs blog executes this so well.
So far be it from me to keep you from putting something other than a fire in your fireplace, as you can see there are lots of ways to decorate a firebox. What’s your favorite idea?
