The fireplace is a beautiful addition to any home adding warmth and comfort but if you never use it anymore, for whatever reason, the empty space can take away from the rest of your décor. It can look bare and even give the room a cold feeling but there is an alternative.

If your fireplace sits dormant and you haven’t used it in months or years, you can dress it up by decorating it. There are many wonderful ideas that you can use to create a place full of life and beauty instead of letting that space go to waste. Here are a few tips to help give you some ideas that you can use to make that old fireplace shine again.

Fill It with Candles

Burning candles creates a romantic environment where you can relax and enjoy the company of loved ones but if you’re not careful, burning candles can be dangerous. Many children, adults and pets have been injured and homes have been severely damaged or destroyed from using candles.

Placing candles of different heights and sizes inside your fireplace can be very decorative and it gives you a safe place to burn them. You won’t have to worry about the kids pulling them off the table or the family pet running around knocking them off. In addition, nothing inside the fireplace can catch fire, so it’s a great place for your candle collection.

Create a Storage Space

If you’re like many homeowners, you never seem to have enough storage or shelve space but you can easily turn your unused fireplace into a storage space. You can buy small shelves to place inside the fireplace and put small figurines and other collectibles on them. You can put plastic drawers inside the space and use them for storage or fill the area with those boxes that you packed up but don’t have any extra closet space where you can put them.

If you place items inside the fireplace for storage that you don’t want people to see, you can always place a mirror or painting over the opening to cover up what’s inside. This will look decorative and serve a purpose.

Create a Small Garden

A dormant fireplace is the best place in your home to grow a small garden. Start by determining how much sunshine hits your fireplace during the day and then look for plants that are well suited for the area. For example, if your fireplace is located in a part of your home that gets little sunlight, then you’ll need plants like ferns that don’t need much to survive. However, if it gets a lot of sun, there are many options for you to choose from.

Take a few minutes to stand back and look at your fireplace. Use your imagination and think of things that you believe would look good in that space, then try it to see if you like it or not. You may be surprised at what you can come up with when you experiment and you can always make changes if you’re not happy with the results on the first try.