A living room fireplace is place that people gather around to spend time with one another. Yet, if you don't particularly love your current fireplace then you don't want it to be the focal point of the room and are more than likely doing your best to act like it doesn't exist. 

Ignoring your fireplace and mantel may work for awhile, but in the long run it's a better idea to make it over into something you love.  To help you create a focal point that you're proud of, we've gathered some fun and helpful ideas and projects you can use to finally upgrade your fireplace to match what you've always dreamed of. 

Paint Your Mantel

You may like the overall structure of your fireplace but it needs an upgraded look to the modern style that you have around your home. By adding a new color to the existing fireplace mantel, you can create a whole new look for the space. Painting brick white or black can make a space feel more modern and cleaner with an older fireplace. Make sure you experiment with paints and the application process. The different surfaces on fireplaces, like stone and brick can determine the type of paint that you choose. To see a good example of painting a stone fireplace white, check out the blog, Coffee With Summer. 

Tile Your Mantel

Another way to add your style and color into your home is tiles. By adding tiles under the mantel and along the fireplace you can create a sleek modern touch. You can grout and add tiles on top of the existing surface, or you can buy peel and stick tiles from your local hardware store. Have existing tile on your fireplace? Paint a stencil design on the area! 

Add a Faux Mantels

Some homes have big luxurious mantel pieces that surround their fireplace. However, there are some fireplaces that are rather simple. Add a statement to your home by creating a faux mantel. You can create this by doing a wooden shell that goes onto the top of the fireplace. This can add a more rustic feel to the space. To extend your faux wooden piece even more you can use molding to frame the upper wall and paint it the same color as your fireplace. This gives the illusion that the fireplace is a floor to ceiling piece. If you want to add a more extravagant wooden piece you can create a wooden mantel frame or buy an existing one from a thrift store. For some inspiration here is a DIY wooden mantel piece from blog, Sand & Sisal.

Fireplace Decorating Tips and Tricks

The items you choose to decorate your fireplace and the mantel are based on the style that you prefer. However, here are some fun and simple ways to give your friends decorating envy.

• If you are someone who lives in a warmer climate and does not need a fireplace going but loves that ambiance, try adding electric candles inside the fireplace. If you really like to have logs inside the space you can cut holes in the logs and put in electric tealights.
• Add an eye-catching piece above your mantel. Do this by adding a mirror or a painting. A mirror in that area is great because it can make the room look bigger and reflect the light that is coming into the room.
• Decorate your mantel based on the season. Add fall colors and decorations during October and November and place a few of your traditional Christmas decorations around the mantel. A warm fireplace at Christmas time is hard to beat!

Just because the fireplace and mantel you have isn't part of your "dream" home doesn't mean you can't turn it into something that does the trick! Make sure that the decorating style you choose matches with the rest of the room and that you'll be happy with it year round. 

Wanting to redo your current fireplace and mantel can spark other remodeling ideas for the rest of the house. Contact an Expert to talk about your remodeling dreams (big or small!) and begin the process of building your dream home within the place you're in!