Fireplace Safety Checklist

 As the temperature quickly drops, many of us are gearing up to keep warm throughout the cold months. Make sure to follow safety guidelines when preparing to use your fireplace, in order to avoid costly and dangerous mistakes.

3. Cap the chimney. A cap fitted with wire-mesh sides covers the top of the chimney and keeps rain, birds, squirrels, and debris from entering. Replace or repair a cap that's missing or damaged. 

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Make Your Holiday Guests Comfortable This Year

 The Holidays are a magical time of year, made even better by out of town guests and family. Make the most out of the Holiday season this year with the following tips on making your guests comfortable.

"If you go into a house and there's tension in the air, you can practically taste it. Don't get edgy with family members if the food, table, or flowers aren't perfect. It's the spirit of your home that will linger with people long after they forget what you fed them. I'm not suggesting it's okay to serve a tasteless turkey in a sloppy home, but give yourself permission to have fun from the start — no matter what happens — and it will be a lot more fun for your guests." —DANNY MEYER

House Beautiful 

Holiday Brunch By The Fireplace

 What could be nicer than a Holiday brunch with your loved ones? A brunch held around a cozy fireplace can create the type of memories that last a lifetime. Here are some great recipes for you to use during a Holiday brunch by the fire.

Try this recipe for sweet cinnamon roast peaches from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, written by Sophie Dahl. Plus, don't miss our exclusive interview with her.

House Beautiful

Cozy And Stylish Fireplaces

 We have touched on fireplaces as focal points several times, but it helps to have a visual guide. The following from House Beautiful is a gorgeous guide of cozy fireplaces that will work with any design.

Cool evenings make fires a must, even in summer. "There's a camping-out feel that's very attractive," designer Markham Roberts says of this living room in a Pacific Northwest home. At rafter height, galvanized-steel light fixtures with botanical cutouts, designed by the original architect James Cutler, cast a gentle glow on Douglas fir timbers. The custom corner table holds an antique vintner's bottle lamp from James Sansum Fine and Decorative Art — also the source for the African drum between the chairs — while a Cedric Hartman swing-arm lamp hits a classic modern note. Chaise, B&B Italia.

House Beautiful 

Make The Most Out Of Those Ashes

If you own a wood-burning stove or fireplace, then you are all-too-familiar with the process of cleaning up ashes and soot. What if you could put those ashes to practical use?

6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassium to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth, 
7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting, 

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Why You Need A Gas Fireplace

Are you searching for ways to heat your home efficiently? Take a look around your home for ways to upgrade your appliances, and explore the possibility of a gas fireplace or insert.

Gas fireplaces come in three types: inserts, for folks who want to retrofit a wood-burning firebox with something more convenient and efficient; built-ins, for those who want a fireplace where there isn't one now; and log sets, basic burners that sit in existing, open fireplaces. Both inserts and built-in fireplaces are reliable heat producers, filling your room with a mix of warm air and radiant heat. Log sets are usually more for looks than warmth. With each type, you have a choice between models that vent the flames' fumes outside or vent-free versions that discharge all their heat, and exhaust, into the house. 

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Design A Man Cave Fit For A King

 Do you have a man in your life who deserves his own room? A man cave to escape from daily stress, that is the dream. Make that dream into a reality with the following design guide; and come into our showroom so that we can help you pick a heating source that will go with anything.

The Getaway: Your basement home theater has to be big enough to accommodate a crowd, but you don't want to sacrifice anything in the way of sound or video quality. That means a high-definition digital projector, 75-inch (or larger) screen, and at least 5.1-channel surround-sound speakers. For comfort, you need ample plush seating, and for convenience, a built-in bar complete with taps for your favorite suds. 

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Design Inspiration For Your Living Room

 You have picked out the perfect fireplace, a classic focal point for your living room. How are you going to design around your new fireplace? Check out the following gallery for living room design inspiration.

A few smart design choices will give your traditional living room a fresher feel without sacrificing the overall warmth or veering into "modern" territory. In this room, a bold couch and spicy cinnamon accent pieces are tempered with cool sage green and neutral cream tones. A collection of framed artwork above the mantel is a new take on the usual single, bold piece.

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DIY Scary Halloween Props

 Get your fireplace ready for Halloween, so that you can keep your house toasty for the scary fun. Why not take it up a notch this year with the following haunted house ideas.

With Halloween quickly approaching it’s time to get all your scary props ready to go. A giant Grim Reaper in your doorway is just what you need to spook the neighbors, or perhaps a ghost popping up will give them a good fright. For those of you that really want to get creative, learn how to make an animatronic gravedigger. Get these tutorials and more in these 10 Terrifying DIY Props for Your Haunted House…

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The Latest In Fireplace Design

 If you are building the design of a room around your fireplace, it will help to have a heating source that is stylish. The following design ideas will inspire your choice of fireplace

A soaring stone fireplace is an impressive and rustic focal point in this living room. To reduce the scale of the stone and add interest, a long mirror is placed above the mantel. Candice also uses the fireplace as a jumping off point for the room's palette, by selecting the hues of sage, stone, taupe and caramel from the fireplace stones.

HGTV 

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A Fireplace For Every Room

 A fireplace for every room? Why not? Fireplaces provide a cozy focal point for the design of any room. Check out the most popular fireplaces in this gallery for inspiration.

Snuggling just became incredibly chic. A fireplace in the bedroom always takes "cozy" to a whole new level, but with clean lines, ample space and panoramic views, RMS user TK does it in the most sleek and modern way.

HGTV 

Fireplace Makeovers

 Do you know what possibilities your fireplace area has for a new face? There are so many ways to makeover your fireplace, it helps to see what worked for others before making a decision.

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• Is it getting hot in here? This year's Reader Remodel Contest brought in a bunch of amazing fireplace renovations, ranging from rustic stone hearths in kitchens to more-traditional living room fireplaces surrounded by elegant woodwork and space for entertainment gear. Here are a few outstanding examples.

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