Decorative and Functional Accessories

The fireplace tool sets, screens and hearth rugs will be your larger hearth accessories. You can add on with smaller accessories that can be practical as well as attractive.

 

·        Cast Iron Firebacks: Firebacks have been decorating fireplaces for many, many years. It was customary for well-appointed fireplaces to include a cast iron fireback with a telling design, and they continue to add charm to hearths today. Firebacks are made of cast iron and sit in the fireplace on the hearth’s back wall. They are typically sculpted with artwork that adds to the warmth and appeal of your hearth.

 

Firebacks also serve practical purposes and can be used in both wood burning and gas fireplaces. When set against the back of the fireplace, they help to protect the masonry of the wall from decay. Burning fires can damage even today’s most modern masonry and will eventually require repairs. Firebacks also help to radiate the heat and light of the fire forward, projecting the warm air into your room.

 

·        Fireplace Bellows: Bellows are charming and nostalgic hearth accessories that a wood burning fireplace should not be without. Bellows help blow air onto the fire to help get it ignited and prevent you from turning blue from blowing on your fire. Bellows have a decorative appeal as well, and have even turned into a special art form. Some bellows are hand painted and signed by the artist – giving your hearth a one-of-a-kind addition. You can choose a bellows that has a complicated design or one that is very simple and would match a contemporary décor.

 

·        Firewood Carriers: Once you use a firewood carrier, you will probably never go back! Firewood carriers help you load up more logs to bring inside than depending on just your two hands. They help to keep your clothes safe from the messes that carrying wood entails, and save your hands from splinters, scratches and blisters. Firewood carriers come in a variety of designs so sitting them on your hearth will be a welcome addition.

 

·        Firewood Racks: After you bring your firewood in with your carrier, you will want a rack to sit on your hearth to hold the logs. Stacked firewood allows the air to circulate better and dries out your logs, which helps them ignite easier and quicker. Racks can be made of several different materials from brass to iron and can also be decorative or subtle. What hearth is complete without the look of stacked logs ready to go!

 

·        Candelabrum: So you have a fireplace but don’t plan on using it and don’t want all of the tools? Then a fireplace candelabrum is the perfect solution for you. Candelabrum are attractive candle holders that can sit right inside your fireplace instead of a grate or logs, or sit in front of the fireplace right on the hearth. The lit candles in a candelabra can give you the same warm glow of a fire, but without the heat. Candelabrum can be removed during the winter months if you decide to use your fireplace and great decorative fillers for the warm months when your fireplace will be dormant.

 

Sources:

1.    “Fireplace Screens Provide Safety and Beauty”: www.firepalceguide.com/fireplacesreens/

2.    “Choosing the Right Fireplace Tools”: www.fireplaceguide.com/fireplacetools/

3.    “Fireplace Hearth Rugs”: www.northlineexpress.com/hearth-rugs.asp

4.    “Art That Warms”: www.northlineexpress.com/rsearch_firebacks.asp

5.    “Fireplace Bellows”: www.northlineexpress.com/rsearch_bellows.asp

6.    “Firewood Racks”: www.northlineexpress.com/firewood-racks.asp

7.    “Fireplace Candleabras”: www.fireplacescreensetc.com/fireplace-candelabrum.html