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[crazered]

Suggestions on how to decorate the inside of a fireplace

do you put knickknacks on your end tables

[Mominohio]

@crazered

I don't have a fireplace in my current home (and having spent the first 35 years of my life with one, I can tell you I'm sorely missing it).

I never, back in the day, decorated the inside of my fireplace. I always thought a very pretty screen appropriate when not in use. Fast forward to recently and I do see nice candlescapes of flameless candles inside fireplaces that I like. 

My caution in doing so would be to not over crowd the space, and give varying heights to the candles. I've seen too many done that they just jam in candles, and holders, and garland and the whole thing gets to be too much. Always remember the rest of your room and what is on the mantel in relation to not making things seemed cluttered. 

As for end tables, I don't really have traditional end tables. In the living room I have one Victorian oak very large side table, and I do put a lamp and some antique pieces from my family on it, including a very old copy of a children's book of poetry that belonged to my great uncle, with my dad's glasses from when he was a little boy, and and old gold stop watch, with some antique vintage picture cards. I'll try to post a picture of it later for you.

I'm trying to get things a bit less cluttered and more coordinated/streamlined in my home, while maintaining the warmth and interest. A challenge at best! LOL

[faeriemoon]

You can buy a fireplace candelabra (NOT like Liberace's) for the inside of your fireplace, or you can just place candles of different sizes in there too.  Lanterns look great in there also!

In the summer, you can opt to house a plant in your fireplace.

As for your other question, I do have things on my end tables, but I hate to refer to them a knick-knacks, which to me generally means junk.

[AuntG]

Ours is a gas fireplace so it just has fake logs in it. I put coasters and a candy dish on our end tables, along with lamps.

[Citrine1]

@Mominohio, I can tell from your many posts that your home is just lovely!  I, too, have an old childrens poetry book displayed with my dads reading glasses (not from when he was a kid, though).  The book I have is Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Childs Garden of Verses".  It was a gift to me from my grandparents when I was 5.  I'm now 61.  I've loved and cherished that book all my life.  I think it's what started my love of reading, poetry, and writing.  

[Mominohio]

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@Citrine1 wrote:

@Mominohio, I can tell from your many posts that your home is just lovely!  I, too, have an old childrens poetry book displayed with my dads reading glasses (not from when he was a kid, though).  The book I have is Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Childs Garden of Verses".  It was a gift to me from my grandparents when I was 5.  I'm now 61.  I've loved and cherished that book all my life.  I think it's what started my love of reading, poetry, and writing.  

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@Citrine1

OH MY GOSH! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT!

My book on display is the same! And I have several different copies of that book, from different eras. The one on display is from I think the 1920's and belonged to my great uncle. I have one my grandma gave me as a young child in the early 1960's that I read over and over and over, and then read it over and over and over to my son. We had very few books as children (relative to today's kids) and each one was read again and again. We mostly relied on the library for books back then. 

I'm not very well versed in poetry, but those poems in that book go through my mind often. I love that book and the feeling I get when reading those beloved poems even at this age. 

[Citrine1]

@Mominohio Well that's just freaky weird -- and a little scary (LOL), but I'll try not to dwell on that too much so I can compose this post!  That is so cool that you have several copies of the same book from different times; gee I would absolutely LOVE that.  I, too, read that book to my daughter when she was a child and, now, to my grandson (although he shows little interest).  

I'm glad you enjoy the book and have fond memories of it as I do.  Reading these poems brings back vivid thoughts of my grandmother, her house, spending time there, etc.  My favorite poem in the book is "Bed in Summer".  Like you, these verses go through my head quite often.  

Still shaking my head at the coincidence of it all!!

edited to add:  My book is somewhat tattered and worn, which only adds to its appeal and charm for me.

[Mominohio]

Underneath the very small pocket watch on the left, in front of the lamp, is the birth announcement for my father in 1934, with the spaces filled in, in my grandmother's perfect handwriting. 

The book belonged to my great uncle, the glasses, my father's as a small boy. There is a small framed picture next to the teddy bear (actually wrapped in his arms), of my father as a little boy on his tricycle. 

I love to use the elements of my family history in my decor. I find things that I put together like this, be be so much more satisfying and I'm satisfied with the "look" so much longer than when I go and buy pieces to complete a vignette.

[CANDLEQUEEN]

I haven't decorated the inside of our fireplace since I bought Valerie's Beautiful Fireplace Screen, it is so decorative that you wouldn't notice what was inside...

However prior to purchasing that, I did have a Candle Candalabra in there with various size flameless candles.....

On my End Tables, are usually a Lamp and Coasters.... 

[stevieb]

Painted fireplace 'boards' are also very pretty. They were popular in times gone by and trend occasionally. Unlike screens, which are usually metal and designed to keep sparks inside, these are usually purely decorative... They come in many shapes, sizes and configurations and are sometimes just a single decoratively painted board...