Does your mantle need a little bit of a facelift? Does it look a bit sad when you hang up your stockings? Might we suggest doing a mini makeover before the holiday season hits? Once the stockings go up, your fireplace will be front and center – so why not make sure it’s in tip-top shape? Redoing the fireplace is a big job, but we’ve got a few simple suggestions that will help you to spruce it up without taking up too much time or money.

Paint it. Painting is the easiest option there is. If you’ve got a brick fireplace, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. Go for a deep gray, or even a black – or consider a brighter, more fun color, like red. White fireplaces, while beautiful, aren’t practical – unless, that is, your fireplace isn’t actually functional. If you’re not lighting any fires in it, by all means, paint itwhite! Then stack some wood and candles inside to snag the look without the flames.

Decorate it. Fireplaces need love too! When it comes to decorating your living room, the fireplace often gets neglected. Invest in a beautiful new fireplace screen, and deck out the mantle with holiday-appropriate décor. Pick up a few mercury glass votive candles in varying heights and sizes, and display them with holiday tinsel. Add some real pine in there for that woodsy scent, and voila – a gorgeous place to hang your stockings!

Add a wood mantle. The rustic look is very in right now, and it’s easy to achieve, even with an older, all-brick fireplace. Head on over to your local home improvement store and snag a natural wood mantle. Don’t paint it, and don’t look for anything too perfect. It should look like you cut it down yourself (maybe you did!). Simply install it over your flat brick fireplace façade, and you’ll have a brand new look for hardly any money at all!

Whether you do one of these ideas, or incorporate all three, one thing is for sure: your fireplace is going to look absolutely gorgeous for the holidays! Those stockings aren’t going to know what hit ‘em.

Never miss another blog post. Subscribe to our RSS Feed.