Fireplace Surround Depends on Decor

    By Rosemary Sadez Friedmann

    If a fireplace is on the drawing board, the question often comes up as to how to decorate its surroundings.

    Is this fireplace in a den? Surround it with wood paneling. Put a wood mantel over it and raised paneling above that.

    Is there a trophy head, a swordfish, a great piece of art brought back from Africa? Hang it over the mantel.

    Place bookshelves on either side of the fireplace to fill out the walls and, if money permits, panel the entire room. This will be a great room for a retreat.

    Will the fireplace go in a formal room, and is this room to be decorated in a classical, perhaps traditional style? Encircle the opening with well-carved wood in whatever style the room will be.

    Plaster the walls around and above the wood frame and place a gilded mirror over the mantel. The mirror should be large with an ornate frame. A large painted picture of a family member is another choice for that spot.

    If the room is more on the contemporary side, sheets of mirror above and around the fireplace frame will enhance the look. The frame around the fireplace opening should be flush with the mirror for a clean appearance. Nothing is necessary above the fireplace because the mirror provides all the decoration needed.

    Another contemporary but more casual look would be to surround the fireplace with stone. The stones should be placed in an uneven pattern, whereby some stones extrude from the wall more than others. This uneven look adds dimension and personality to the wall. The stones provide all the decoration necessary, but artwork can be added to the stones.

    A variation of the stone wall would be to make the surrounds of the fireplace look rustic with red bricks. Here again, some bricks might protrude while others are flush, and artwork or just the plain brick wall will look fine.

    Whichever idea works for your decor, when the job is done, cozying up to the fireplace will be a welcome retreat at the end of the day.

    ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN, AN INTERIOR DESIGNER IN NAPLES, FLA., IS THE AUTHOR OF MYSTERY OF COLOR, AVAILABLE AT BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS AND AMAZON.COM.

    (c) 2006 Augusta Chronicle, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.