Great Fireplace Accessories

It may seem unusual to write about fireplace accessories but I absolutely love decorating my home and I believe that the center of any home is the fireplace, it is the heart of our home a place where we can gather in the evening and spend a little time together as a family.  This has to be my favorite place in our house and because of that I believe it should be the most welcoming, a place where we can all relax after a hard day at work in the warmth even to just watch tv or curl up and read a book beside the fire.

Have you ever found yourself gazing into the fire? I know I do, especially on a cold evening and I love the fireplace we  have in our house, its a carved wooden framed mantle with a decorative fire screen and detailed tiles but it is the fireplace accessories that I love the most.  We have a really great set of fire tools that I found at a garage sale, they arnt actually used as I switched to an electric fire a few years back but they really set the look off perfectly and go really well with the timber box beside the mantel.

It doesn't matter how large or small a fireplace you have, you can get fireplace accessories for almost all types of fires.  It doesn't even matter if its an open fire or a gas or electrical fire, you can still use any accessory you like to brighten up the area.  Common accessories for fireplaces include fire guards and fenders and frets as well as many other decorative pieces such as mirrors and tiles. 

An accessory kit with brushes and a decorative fireplace poker are also very popular but the best thing is that you can mix and match and get your fire place as you would like it to look.  You might have an antique coal bucket from your childhood that you want to place beside your fireplace to remind you of those special times as a child when your family gathered together.

The fireplace is traditionally an area of the home where people gathered and told stories and although in these modern days it is not so often practiced we still find a warm fire on a cold evening a comforting place to be and many people choose to place family photographs in frames on the mantle to decorate the area.

This is a list of some of the most popular fireplace accessories you can use to brighten up your home, it doesn't matter whether you decide to buy something new for your fireplace from the store or search in a car boot sale for the perfect piece to finish your set or simply use a family heirloom that brings back fond memories.  After all home is where the heart is!

• Fireplace tool sets - I love these, there are so many different kinds available in different designs and styles, everything from antique tool sets to modern looking sets.
• Fireplace Candelabra - A nice looking candelabra for your fireplace can really set the tone for a relaxing evening at home and they look fantastic.
• Fireplace Kettles and Steamers - a very traditional decorative piece that isnt seen as often as it should be, they look lovely beside the fire.
• Decorative fireplace log holders - these are another of my favorites and are much cleaner than the traditional coal bucket.
• Decorative fire backs - a huge range of these available to brighten up your fireplace and give it a unique look.
• Fireplace andirons - another less common feature for fireplaces that works really well.
• Fireplace bellows - a great addition and comes in loads of different styles.