What to do with your fireplace during summer months

A fireplace can be a staple part of a room, often being the most interesting piece of furniture that your eyes are drawn to. During winter they are a source of heat and light to bring comfort, but what do you do with your fireplace during summer months? Here are some ideas on how to decorate and maintain your fireplace throughout its often-neglected months.

Cleaning

After all the times you have used your fireplace during the winter months, the chimney can become filled with soot. Of course, the best way to go about cleaning a chimney is hiring a professional cleaner to make sure everything is done correctly. However, if you are feeling like you would love a good DIY you can easily clean the actual fireplace instead.

By using a vacuum and a non-flammable cleaning solution, you can remove lots of the soot and dirt that will have built up.

Some tips to remember whilst cleaning:

• Never clean a fireplace whilst it is hot or in use! This only causes accidents and makes it a dangerous task. Instead, make sure it has had time to cool down before attempting to clean.

• Always remove ashes and rubble from the box before cleaning. This would only make it harder to clean around

• Make sure the cleaning solution you use is not flammable. Again, this will create a hazard for when you use it next time.

• Finally, make sure you hire a chimney sweep. Make sure your chimney is thoroughly cleaned as this is the best way to keep your fireplace also clean

Decorating

Using a fireplace during winter entirely changes the vibes of a room, so there’s no doubt you will want to change it up during spring and summer, the best way to do this is simply by decorating.

Adding bright colours around the fireplace is the best way to go. You can add vases around the bottom and some big ones to mask the darkness of the fireplace.

Adding bright flowers will change the composition making it cheerful and lively. You can use fake flowers to make them last the whole summer and even keep them for the next.

If you still love to see a nice flame, you should consider putting candles on the mantel piece. Not only will this keep the fireplace looking fresh, but you’ll get to enjoy the room you have on top of it. Adding that pop of colour from flowers or even a simple piece of artwork will completely change your room and style depending on the season.

All these decorations are interchangeable and can be stored for next year making it very cost friendly.

The best way to figure out what kind of decorations to try is by checking out a fireplace shop in London!

Fireplaces can be flexible for your style and the season you are in. You may think they are only for those cold winter months but with these tips and a small budget, your fireplace will be in use all year round, sometimes without the actual fire of course!