Have a Memphis Apartment Fireplace?
Nov 9th, 2007 by Memphis Apartments
Oh, the memories fireplaces hold! A crackling fire as the backdrop of the Christmas mornings of our youth. Roasting marshmallows with friends and family members, wondering why s’mores never turn out right. Warming your hands after a day of building snowmen and sledding.
But then it’s all over and someone has to clean up those pesky, dirty ashes. If you’ve ever faced a fireplace full of sooty, black debris you know just what I mean. Cleaning out a fireplace can be a very messy job. And for this very reason, my own Memphis apartment fireplace went unused for an entire winter. I wanted to use it; I just couldn’t bear that thought of cleaning it out.
But fireplaces aren’t just for fires anymore. If you want to avoid the mess, for instance, during a holiday party, but still want to create the ambience that fireplaces offer, you have another option. Simply arrange wood in your fireplace; then purchase about ten small, scented pillar candles. Place the candles on and around the wood and light it up for a gentle fire effect. (Tip: Line the base of your fireplace with something to catch the dripping candle wax.) If you’d like to light candles in your fireplace often, you can purchase candle holders especially made to fit into fireplaces. They’re available in a variety of styles and sizes at decorating stores and even some discount stores.
In warm weather, you can arrange dried, silk, plastic, or real flowers in a basket or pot and set it inside your fireplace. A potted plant or a group of potted plants, is also a great way to brighten up a room.
You can also use your fireplace area to display collections or interesting items. Think of how fabulous a grouping of pottery, African masks, or glass bottles would look in a fireplace! Remember that just because it’s made to contain a fire doesn’t mean you can’t use it for something entirely different.