Fireplaces bring the heat

Quick and easy ways to update the focal points of your home.

With the influx of cold weather, many homeowners turn to a fireplace to warm their homes. A fireplace can add warmth, in more ways than one, to any home and serves as a great focal point for living spaces. You want your fireplace to reflect the overall style of your home, but many older homes have brick-front fireplaces that may be outdated.

Every week, the AJC’S Private Quarters takes you inside beautifully designed Atlanta homes and this week we’re focusing on fireplaces. If you are looking to spruce up your fireplace in time for the holidays, then the below tips will work for most budgets.

For a quick and easy way to update your fireplace, try adding an eye-catching mantle. Mant les are inexpensive and can provide a space for you to add design accessories that compliment it like your favorite pieces of china or a vintage mirror. Another tip, according to HGTV, is to add a chic screen. “Something as small as a new fireplace screen can really dress- up the look of this important living room feature.”

Painting a brick fireplace a contra sting color is another quick way to update this focal point. You can take this concept even further by surrounding an existing brick fireplace with tile or wood, according to Houzz. A bold patterned tile or re claimed wood are great options that won’t break the bank. You could also try hanging an intriguing piece of artwork above your fireplace to draw even more attention.

Another option for fireplace updates, is to add a concrete or slate surround. If your home has a contemporary or modern style, this could be just what your fireplace needs. Revamping your fireplace with ledger or stacked stone is a quick way to add warmth. This will work best in homes with a rustic or farmhouse style. It’s also a great way to add visual interest by adding texture.

Marble or mirrored tile are great classic options for a home. “Tiles of beveled mirror stack up to create a dramatic display above the fireplace, adding texture, interest, and height to this seating area. A mirrored coffee table and metal details on the chairs coordinate beautifully,” writes HGTV.

Displaying collectibles, distressing the wood around a fireplace and adding shrubbery are other great options for easily updating the look and feel of the hearth of the home. Overall, your fireplace should reflect your style and compliment the flow of your living space.

CONTRIBUTED BY CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/ AJC FILE RIGHT: The study is awash in gray, from the grasscloth wallpaper to the painted trim and millwork and the upholstery. The bookshelves by Kyle Priest with Rosewood Millwork were designed around windows to bring in natural light. Above the fireplace, wooden shaft golf clubs join with artwork from St. Andrews Links in Scotland. The chandelier is from Circa Lighting.

JOHNSTON KATIE TILLER/ TEXT AND BY FAST LORI COPY NEWS SERVICE. CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO PHOTOGRAPHY/ AJC FILE LEFT: The tall ceilings in the 100- year- old Grant Park Victorian allowed space for a metal canopy bed from RH in the master bedroom, which also has one of four original fireplaces. Floral sheets, from Williams Sonoma Home, balance the room’s traditional features with a touch of vibrant color and contemporary style.

COURTESY OF GREGORY MILLER PICTURES The living room fireplace in its original hand- made ceramic tiles from the 1920s are made new again when the mantel is painted in the home’s signature color -- Cajun Red.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO PHOTOGRAPHY/ AJC FILE The fireplace focal wall — installed by builder Ashton Woods using Lockport Glacier 12- by- 24- inch tiles — creates movement vertically in the living room, while a colorful couch from Article and rug from Overstock grounds the space. Text by Lori Johnston and Shannon Adams/ Fast Copy News Service.

TEXT BY SHANNON DOMINY. PHOTO BY REYNOLDS ROGERS. A sectional, chair and coffee table from Value City create a cozy setup in the keeping room of Martha and Jean- Francois Morizur’s Cumming home. The wooden fireplace screen carved with goats and mountains is from Bonneval- sur- Arc, France, which is one of Jean- Francois’ favorite places in France, where he and his parents would vacation when he was young.