Spring is nearly here, and it is time to put away those lingering holiday decorations and refresh your fireplace with something bright and fun. The fireplace is often the centerpiece in the living room, so you want to make sure it looks great, both the fireplace itself and the decorations that you hang on it. If you are looking for some fresh ideas to dress up your fireplace for spring this year, we have put together some of our favorites to help you get started.
Add a New Mantel
The mantel is where most of your fireplace decorations will be placed, so you want it to stand out. If you already have a mantel on your fireplace, you can replace it with a new one that captures the eye. For example, if your fireplace surround is a darker color, you can get a mantel in a light color to stand out. If your fireplace surround is white, for example, you can add a wooden mantel to bring some warm tones to the space.
Lean Artwork
If the space above your fireplace is spoken for already, but you have some spring artwork that you want to hang up instead, you can lean it against the fireplace hearth over where the fire would be. If you plan to light some fires in your fireplace, leave space to move the art to the side when you light the fire, where it will not have a chance at catching fire itself.
Less is More
It can be easy to go overboard with decorations sometimes, but when you dress up your fireplace for spring, sometimes a less is more approach is a good idea. You can hang a little spring garland from the front of the mantel, group a few brightly colored candles on it, and tie little ribbons around them. This is a quick and easy decoration so that if you end up hosting an event unexpectedly, you can put this up at the last minute and greet your guests with something bright and cheery.
Add a Flower Arrangement
If you enjoy flowers, you can split up some flowers into separate stems and put each one in a little vase, then line them on the mantel and intersperse some votive candles for a little sparkle. Try to get some vases with a small height difference to them for some depth, but try not to make it too obvious. This flower arrangement can help draw the eye to the fireplace, and it will stand out against any shade of fireplace.
Try Bright Pastels
Spring is all about bright, fun colors, so why not play with those around your fireplace? No matter the color of your fireplace, using some bright pastels can draw the eye and give you something unique that will wow your guests.
Mount Decorative Plates
Do you have some beautiful decorative plates with a spring vibe that you want to display? You can use your open wall space above the mantel to hang up your plates. Even if they are part of other sets that do not match, you can easily add them to a creative layout. You can easily find more to add to your collection at antique stores.
Stack Gold Mirrors
If you want to add a little vintage touch to the fireplace, you can take multiple mirrors with similar colored frames and overlay them on your fireplace mantel to add some depth to the space. Mixing some different shapes and sizes can create a beautiful focal point. This is also a decoration idea that you can keep up all year round.
Add Greenery
Plants can breathe new life into a room’s decor, so adding some greenery is a great way to dress up the fireplace before spring. You can hang a beautiful spring wreath above the fireplace to add some green to the space and draw the eye. You can also add a small potted plant or two on either side of the hearth, though be careful with those if you are going to be lighting a fire.
Try Battery Operated Lights
Small fairy lights are a great subtle addition to your fireplace mantel, and you do not need to have an extension cord to use them! If you have a spring garland draped over the mantel, you can wrap up some battery-operated lights around the garland to create a beautiful little twinkle that will draw the eye. The battery box is easy to hide among your lights, too.
Paint the Fireplace Surround
A fun and simple idea to dress up your fireplace is to paint it a complementary color that contrasts the rest of the room just enough to make it a good focal point that draws the eye.
Add a Chic Screen
Does your fireplace currently have a screen? How old is that screen? A great and easy idea for dressing up the fireplace for spring is to get a new, chic, and classy-looking screen for the fireplace. It is amazing how a small addition like this can transform the entire look.
A Basket of Accessories
To decorate the hearthstone, you can add some fun accessories in a basket. It can be any style of basket, then wrap a big, bright ribbon around it in a color that goes with the rest of your decor. You can put some fake or dried flowers in the basket, a folded-up spring blanket, or anything else that will fit and look good. If you have extra decoration items that you do not know where to put, they can go in this basket. This is a great and subtle decoration to dress up the fireplace without being too overpowering, and it is easy to do.
Install Faux Stone
If your current fireplace surround has seen better days, and you want to dress it up for spring, using faux stone as a fireplace surround is the perfect DIY solution. It is significantly more affordable than replacing your current stone or brick surround with natural stone or brick, is expensive, and is something you often need aid from a professional mason to complete the construction. This is the perfect way to give the fireplace a facelift.
Add Foil and Candles
To create a warm glow in the fireplace without lighting a fire, you can line the interior with foil or stand up some mirrors and place some candles in the fireplace. The foil or mirrors will reflect the glow of the candles and cast a warm light in the room that you can enjoy without lighting a full fire.
Add Dried Flowers
If you want a vintage look, you can combine some mismatched items in your fireplace decor with some dried flowers. You can add dried flower arrangements on the mantel itself, in a vase on the mantel, or even put some around the hearth — if you will not be burning a fire in the fireplace. If you do not plan on lighting a fire in your fireplace, you can even create a stunning dried flower display in the fireplace itself.
Stack Books in the Hearth
If you do not use the fireplace itself, there are many fun things you can do with it to draw the eye. If you are a book lover, you can take some old books and stack them in the fireplace itself. Another option is to stand up a few books in the hearth to showcase the books a little more.
About the Author
Auz Burger is a freelance writer and an expert in faux stone and brick veneer and home DIY projects. She has a BA from Washington State University and has been writing and editing professionally for over a decade.