How Do I Modernize an Existing Fireplace?

Fireplaces often are a point of significance in our lives. Whether it’s cozying up after a day playing in the snow or roasting delicious s'mores, fireplaces are a place of comfort and fun memories. Unfortunately, the time in which fireplaces became commonplace in the American home was in the late 18th century, and this was a trend that continued until about the 1990s. Even then, you do occasionally see them in higher-end houses on the east coast. However, the dated look of the fireplace doesn’t have to determine how you decorate the rest of your house. You can bring your fireplace up to speed by investing in a number of renovation projects, giving you complete creative control. There are even experts on chimneys and fireplaces that can help you achieve your vision. Here are three things that you can do to modernize your fireplace:

Try Out a Fireplace Insert

Fireplace inserts are a safe, cost-effective way to change up the way that your fireplace looks without changing the way that it operates. Often, changing an entire fireplace out can have negative effects on the quality of the fire. This can create smoke chambers, poor circulation, and create safety hazards in your home. Fireplace inserts actually work to increase a fireplaces efficacy, updating the older technology that creates poor circulation in homes. There are many different types of fireplace inserts, including gas, electric, and wood. These fireplace inserts bring a contemporary and fresh look to your date's fireplace, and the dark accessory is considered very trendy in a high-contrast trend cycle. This can create elegance by drawing the eye up the wall, making the room look much bigger due to the differing textures and contrast. It is the same color psychology as the recent trends of brightly colored wallpaper and textures, and curvy furniture. A fireplace insert can achieve this due to its pure customizability. Putting a new fireplace insert in is a perfect way to modernize your fireplace in both efficacy and looks, while also giving you the choice of how you would like to start your fire. 

Play Around With Textures

Sometimes, the fireplace looks dated because there isn’t anything to contrast it in its general vicinity. Many fireplaces are made of brick and stone that can be brought up to date by contrasting the textures using furniture, plants, and other decorations such as paintings. Bringing your fireplace to a contemporary trend may be a matter of surrounding it with other contemporary items. A great example of this is the gray stone fireplace that was a massive trend in the early 2010s. That gray stone fireplace is dated when it is placed with other decorations from the early 2010s, but if it is surrounded by bold, trendy pieces, then it doesn’t look dated. This rule of proximity is extremely cost-effective and works perfectly for families that want to consistently change out the decor that they put in their house. Some of the suggestions about texture contrast that you can implement are textured scrape paintings, woven cloth decorations, and bright, smooth centerpieces. This is also a place where you can proudly display DIY fiber art collections, as the softness of the woven material will be contrasted against the harsh stone.

Change the Exterior of the Fireplace

Two of the things that could be severely dating your fireplace are the two visible exterior pieces of the fireplace: the doors and the mantel. Exteriors in fireplaces have changed a lot over the years, and having dated versions of those can change the focal point of the room regardless of the exterior decorations. This means making cosmetic changes to the outside of the fireplace may be needed before updating the rest of the decor. The most cost-effective way to change the exterior is to paint it. By following the trends of bright, bold colors and different textures, you can make your fireplace up to modern-day aesthetics. If you want to bring even more attention to it, adding art above the mantle of your fireplace will drive the eye up the wall, creating a higher ceiling. Changing the doors of the fireplace can also provide a great way to modernize your space. Specifically, grated metal doors have been out of style for years, but making them a DIY project and adding your own flare is a great way to bring them up to style without spending money on new doors. However, if you do want new doors, there are many sleek, unconventional, eye-catching styles that work in favor of your fireplace. The most popular styles of doors as of now are steel and glass, and function as sliding doors.