Five Ways to Reinvent Your Fireplace
Fireplaces are possibly my favorite thing to design (like the one from this project which has gone absolutely viral on Pinterest) because they provide a blank canvas that can become a focal point for the home that expresses its point of view and personality. This is a design element to consider in terms of mood or emotion—do you want your home to be fun and playful? Or romantic and elegant? Cerebral or passionate . . . read on to learn how to encourage a fireplace's main character energy.
It’s finally fireside season! While you spend time in front of yours, or just dreaming of your future fireplace, I’m here to encourage you to dream big.
Fireplaces are possibly my favorite thing to design (like the one from this project which has gone absolutely viral on Pinterest) because they provide a blank canvas that can become a focal point for the home that expresses its point of view and personality. This is a design element to consider in terms of mood or emotion—do you want your home to be fun and playful? Or romantic and elegant? Cerebral or passionate?
Once you’ve identified the feeling you want to convey, you can select materials and forms that speak in that register. I recommend getting creative and going bold when it comes to fireplaces because they are a great place for a design element that stands alone and can do a lot of the talking for the rest of the house. Here are a few ideas to encourage that big main character energy.
1.
Play with Plaster
Plaster has made a comeback recently in many new finishes and colors because it’s a material that allows for so much creativity. Here’s a few ideas to consider:
Select colored plaster in moody hues
Form arcs, curves and reliefs: sculptural forms cohere beneath a plaster finish
Opt for movement and texture in your finish application
Swath an entire facade in one serene color or mix colorful plaster elements with equally interesting tile or stone.
Design: The Brain and the Brawn
2.
Rethink Brick
A brick fireplace is a common classic, but don’t count brick out if you want to make a bold statement. Here’s a few ways to rethink it:
Apply different patterns to one facade for a custom yet classic look.
Consider some asymmetry to modernize the material.
Carry the brick onto adjacent walls, hearths, and other architectural elements for a feature wall finish.
Install brick vertically for a modern take on a traditional material.
Design: Webber + Studio
3.
Let Stone Speak
Stone is a venerable fireplace material, possibly the oldest one, but a new perspective can still yield exciting results.
Colored stone offers fun and bravado
Don’t discount the drama of a slab, whether at the hearth or framing the firebox—the more rustic the better.
Modern shapes and asymmetrical forms can be a great balance against this old-world material.
Design: Rudolph W. Schindler
4.
Tap the Creativity of Tile
Tile provides the easiest way to pack a punch. Here’s just a few ways to use it to make your fireplace a statement piece:
Go bold with color, even or especially in contrast with the rest of the room. Why should your fireplace blend in when it’s perfectly positioned to stand out?
Embrace iridescence (as in the case of zellige) or even metallics. There are so many cool tile finishes in gunmetal, gold, and mercury right now.
Use patterned tile as an accent—adorn a hearth, or the inside of a firebox with something surprising and special.
Design: Jessica Helgerson
5.
Take a Twist on Traditional
There’s nothing like a traditional mantel to gather around. But a non-traditional treatment can elevate it into an artful experience.
Strip an old mantel whose character has become coated in too many layers of paint to reveal its elemental warmth.
Conversely, a bold paint choice can give an old mantel new life.
Interpret traditional forms into new materials for a look that is fresh and playful yet honors the past
Design: Matt McKay
Thanks for reading! I hope these ideas give you something exciting to dream about on cozy nights spent staring into the flames of a lit hearth.
Five Ways to Style your Bed for A Refresh
Updating your bed’s styling can be an easy way to make your home feel newly fresh for the season. To that end, here’s a bit of inspiration, with easy ways to get the look . . .
Moore House Design
If you’re the kind of person who likes to switch out your flannel sheets for cotton ones around this time of year, this might be your moment to take things a step further. Updating your bed’s styling can be an easy way to make your home feel newly fresh for the season. To that end, here’s a bit of inspiration, with easy ways to get the look.
1.
Add Textiles to Your Headboard
While working with a designer to source fabric for a custom headboard is the most luxurious way to apply this idea, it’s not the only one!
You can easily drape a vintage textile, special fabric, or even a blanket or tapestry over a wooden headboard for an exiting new accent. And if your headboard is already upholstered, you may be able to use a staple gun to easily apply a new fabric over the old, either over the entirety of it, or in an artful swath, leaving the edges of the existing fabric to peek out in contrast.
Design: Kelly Wearstler
2.
Suggest Architectural Detail with a Folding Screen
Screens add dimension and texture, and can be placed behind an existing headboard or replace it completely!
Look for vintage folding screens or purchase a simple one and wallpaper it. This is such an easy way to transform your bedroom.
Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel
3.
Consider a Well-Placed Ruffle
All things Grandma-chic and girlhood-adjacent are trending right now, and if this appeals to your nostalgia, there are some lovely updated options to try.
A ruffled accent pillow or bedskirt is completely low risk and a darling warm-weather accent. Or you can go all in with a drapey bedcover and ruffled shams. I love this look for adding softness to a minimal space, or charm to a rustic one.
4.
Mix it Up with Contrasting Accents
This one takes a little creativity—look at what you currently love in your bedding and add an unexpected element.
If your bedding is minimal, add a patterned throw or beribboned pillowcase. If it’s linen, add velvet. If it’s neutral, add some colored sheets for a surprising detail. Rich interiors are rarely one-note, and its the unexpected that often enlivens a space.
Design: Studio Gutgow
5.
Draw a Clean Slate with Monastery Minimalism
If you’re tired of everything and craving a fresh start, invest in a simple, high-quality bedcover. Pull it over your two pillows and tuck it in around them so that your entire bed is one simple, beautiful surface. This also feels refreshing and casual for the upcoming warmer months, providing a sophisticated sense of serenity and ease.
Design: Sandra Weingort
I hope these ideas are inspiring! Here’s to throwing open those bedroom windows, letting in the fresh air, and enjoying a rejuvenated retreat!
SHOUT OUT LA Speaks to CALAFIA Home Design Founder Elizabeth Sims
In this exclusive interview, Elizabeth opens up about her remarkable journey, from the initial spark of passion to the thriving studio that exists today. She dives into her extensive background in art and how it drives her design work, and describes her father and grandfather’s small family business, and how it taught her the work ethic and respect for relationships that guides her business ethos. She also describes the origins of CALAFIA Home Design’s name, how it is connected to California, and why the golden state’s diversity echoes the beauty of her own family.
about art, design, family, and what inspires her most
When Shout Out LA recently reached out for a sit-down with our Founder and Principal Designer, she shared a story that is a testament to the power of determination and creativity.
In this exclusive interview, Elizabeth opens up about her remarkable journey, from the initial spark of passion to the thriving studio that exists today. She dives into her extensive background in art and how it drives her design work, and describes her father and grandfather’s small family business, and how it taught her the work ethic and respect for relationships that guides her business ethos. She also describes the origins of CALAFIA Home Design’s name, how it is connected to California, and why the golden state’s diversity echoes the beauty of her own family.
Elizabeth even outlines her ideal Bay Area weekend itinerary, providing a roadmap to all the local inspiration that keeps her creative practice rooted in this wonderful place. So, whether you’re looking for weekend ideas or insight into crafting an enterprise out of your own passions, read on here.
WORK WITH US
Principal Designer | Elizabeth Sims
e: Elizabeth@calafiahomedesign.com
Serving the Bay Area and beyond.