What do I do with my fireplace in the summer?

One of the best things about living in North Central Washington, and in the Lake Chelan area in particular, is the that we have four distinctive seasons – Spring, Autumn, Winter and my favorite Summer, which is just around the corner, where the temperatures, already beginning to warm will begin to become downright summer like, and the nights will extend, until the summer equinox in mid-June.  

One of the challenges that many home owners have, is during the summer months, when the house warms up, and there is a bussle of activity outside, what do we do with our fireplace, and hearth, most often times found at the center of our home?  Do we just leave it to collect dust, seemingly forlorn and alone, or do we take full benefit of the center piece that it is and accentuate it's beauty?  If you are thinking about showing your property, then there is no doubt what the right answer is – you must dress it up and make it the accent piece that even in the summer can bring your room to life and offer a renewed vitality to your room.

One of my favorite recently published articles in Houzz, 14 Ways to Style Your Mantel for Spring and Summer has some great ideas and pictures that really demonstrate how effective dressing up your fireplace can be.  My favorite is shown below and shows just how easly it can be.  In this case the strategic placement of a large houseplant accented by floral arrangements, either fresh or silk on either side on the mantel.