When you think of a fireplace, one of the things that comes to mind is how cheery a beautifully decorated mantel can make a room appear. Whether it’s decorated with pictures of loved ones, candles, or vases with flowers, it can add so much to the room. Now that the holiday seasons are drawing near, it’s easy to add festive decor to get in the holiday spirit. But safety should be kept in mine when putting out these decorations.

Decorating Dos and Don’ts

fireplace decorated for the holidays

Log fire with Christmas garland and fairy lights.

Some things to keep in mind as you start to decorate your mantel include style, color and safety. First, keep the style of your mantel and your room in mind when you start to decorate. Use different item shapes and sizes to draw your eyes to the display. Putting taller items in the back and smaller items towards the front creates a layered look. With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, add some fall color to the room by putting out some colorful silk leaves in oranges, tans, and reds. Add colorful mini pumpkins and gourds for a special touch. Pretty orange candle holders and a ceramic cornucopias really bring the theme of Thanksgiving to the mantel. Take a stroll through your local craft store to find inspirational and homey signs or wall hangings to remind guest of thankfulness.

Another thing to remember as you’re decorating your mantel, though, is safety. First and foremost, don’t decorate the firebox. Keep decorations clear of the area around where you will actually be burning a fire. A spark or snapping ember could easily catch on low hanging decorations and start a house fire in an instant. Use fire retardant decorations, and wide candle holders so that the flame don’t catch the decorations. Another great safety tip: keep your fire extinguisher close to the fireplace, so that any unexpected fire scare can easily be extinguished quickly and easily.

Call Black Velvet Chimney

Making sure that your mantel is attractive and safe is an important part of having a fireplace, but there’s still more you can do. Give Black Velvet Chimney a call to set up your annual inspection and cleaning to make sure that it isn’t only your mantel that’s safe. We’ll check out the anatomy of your chimney to look for any damage, then will recommend repairs. After the inspection, we’ll make sure that your chimney is clean and ready to go!