Summer Ideas for Your Fireplace

Although we can occasionally have a cool day or two, Hoosier summers rarely lend themselves to fireplace usage. This means that for upwards of half of each year, you have an unusable aspect in your home. Is there any way to make use of the space? Yes, there is. Here are four great summer ideas for your fireplace.

First, you need to prepare your fireplace

Cleaning out any ash remnants, giving your glass doors a good cleaning, and scrubbing down the walls of your firebox should all be done at the end of the season. And of course, you should contact Chimney Solutions Indiana for a professional sweep and inspection as soon as possible to proactively care for any repairs that may need to be made.

If you have a gas-powered fireplace, you won’t have much ash to worry about. However, you should also clean the burners with a soft brush in addition to cleaning the walls and doors.

Turn it into a temporary bookcase

Do you have a summer reading list that you’re slowly working your way through? If so, you need a place to store them. Your fireplace is currently an empty shell just waiting to be filled. Utilize this space by creating a temporary bookshelf to house and display your epic summer reads. The benefit of this is two-fold as it gives you a storage solution without taking up more space in your home.

Add some potted plants

It’s well known that many varieties of house plants help to clean the air in your home. They are also both relaxing and add a natural aesthetic to a space. While your fireplace is sitting dormant this summer, why not use it to display a collection of plants? Place potted plants of various shapes and sizes on risers or directly on the hearth for a simple yet eye-catching addition to your room, one that has some health benefits as well!

Use some fake logs

Another alternative option for your fireplace this summer is to make it look like it’s still in use. Fake logs can give a space that homey, cozy, lived-in quality that a warm fire provides in the winter without the actual heat that comes with burning real wood.

Decorate your mantle

Of course, you may choose to leave the firebox empty and there’s nothing wrong with that. Our last summer idea for your fireplace is to decorate the mantle. Its location in your room makes it the ideal focal point.

Highlight the various summer holidays or choose thematic summer decorations that will work for the entire season. The options are endless, from a large mirror flanked by a vase of pampas grass and some small candles to family photos, artwork, large wreaths, and beyond.

Just be sure to schedule a sweep and inspection first!

Each of these ideas is a great way to use your fireplace during the summertime. However, before you do anything, you should make certain that your chimney is ready for fall usage. That means you first need to schedule a sweep and inspection with our team. Give Chimney Solutions Indiana a call at (317) 757-6979 or message us here to request an appointment.