What To Do With An Empty Firebox During the Summer – Three Ideas To Make It Beautiful

Photo by LiveLovelyDIY.com

If your firebox is the focal point of your fireplace and your fireplace is the focal point of your living room, what do you do with that  big, empty space during the summer months when you’re not burning a fire?

First, make sure your firebox is clean.  Use a shop vac to clean up all old soot and ashes.  Once all the dust, dirt, and ashes are gone, get a brick and mortar cleaner and some soap and water.  Use a brush to scrub the floor and walls of the firebox.  If there is a metal grate, scrub it as well.  Then use a high temperature paint to paint the firebox either black or off-white.

Once you have a clean space, then you have to decide whether you’re going to use your firebox for burning a fire or not.  If so, paint your grate with some the high temperature black fireplace paint.  Then, decide on whether you want to burn gas logs or real wood. There are so many options for beautiful, realistic-looking gas logs.

ADD FEW PIECES OF REAL WOOD – If you love real wood, stack some wood in the firebox through the summer months to create a lovely look.  You might want to bleach the wood to get rid of any insects that might be living in it.  Decorative white birch logs are available to purchase online.  These logs have been cut and dried and add natural beauty and charm.

CREATE THE ILLUSION OF STACKED WOOD  – If you don’t use your firebox, here’s a great idea:  Fill it with wood. (Or at least make it look like you did!)  It’s not as hard as you think.  Virginia, from livelovediy.com shared her idea on her do- it -yourself  blog.  Then she shows how to cut wood pieces and attach them to a board that fits inside the firebox.  The result is an illusion of stacked wood that looks amazing!

DISPLAY A BEAUTIFUL FERN – Another idea is to put a large fern in the firebox to add a fresh touch.  The size of the fern you choose is important.  It should fill the firebox but not be too big or too small.  Place the fern in a decorative pot and you’ve got a beautiful focal point in an instant.