Do You Have A Wonderful Fireplace?

If you have a beautiful fireplace and would like to send photos, please do so. I would love to see how you enjoy being around a fire. I would love to see how you embellish you fireplace mantels and surrounds.

Did you build your fireplace or was it already there? What drove your decision to use the materials that you used on your fireplace, i.e. brick, stone, precast concrete, wood, metal, tile.....list goes on and on?

A fireplace adds soul and great spirit to your home so share yours with us. You can send photos and text to embellishedfireplace@gmail.com.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Melanie

Iron Firebowls

Sitting around a fire at night with friends and good conversation is a way that I like to spend time.

If you don't have an outdoor fireplace, fire bowls are a great way to add beauty to your space. The iron fire bowl pictured here was created by Acacia Metals. You can see their work at www.acaciacustommetals.com. You will see work on my site often. They create beautiful custom firescreens, fireplace doors....anything and everything.

Another site you will want to look is John T. Unger's.......http://www,johntunger,com. I was fascinated by his fire bowls as they look more like pieces of sculpture with fire coming out of the middle. Please visit his website and take a peek. I would love to hear what you think....share your thoughts.

Embellished by Nature

How could you ever imagine a simple stuccoed fireplace looking as inviting and spectacular as the one pictured here. Honestly, no additional embellishments needed. Love the lantern!

This beautiful setting is featured in this month's Cottage Style magazine. Photographer Reed Davis.

Eddie Ross, Designer

I just finished perusing Eddie Ross's website. If you aren't familiar with Eddie's work, please do yourself a favor and visit him at www.eddieross.com. You will be inspired and may find some ideas for embellishing your fireplaces at home.

If you watched the HGTV's Christmas special where designers decorated celebrity homes, I'm sure you saw Kathy Lee Gifford's home and I think you will agree that Eddie did a fabulous job.

I also noticed that he had lunch with Mary Emmerling.......lucky guy! Listing her accomplishments in the design world would take a while but trust me, if you have not followed her career, please visit a bookstore and take a look at her books or google her.

I would love to hear your comments!!!

Callie's Charleston Biscuits

If you are in the market for a delicious treat to have with friends in front of your fireplace, check out Callie's Charleston Biscuits......................

http://www.calliesbiscuits.com/. You will find more than biscuits on this website and after you check out all the goodies, stories and recipes, be sure to visit their blog for more great food recipes. I just printed a recipe for "Ruffled Potatoes" that I hope to try this week.......it's supposed to be cool at my house this weekend so I think I will enjoy them in front of my fireplace pictured here!

Some folks say that the kitchen is the heart of the home but I believe that friends and family love to gather around a roaring fire with good things to eat and many good memories to keep in their hearts forever.

Look of Limestone in Concrete

I know......I blog often about precast concrete. I can't help it, after all, I do work with it. This fireplace surround looks like limestone but it is, in fact, precast concrete. The actual product is GFRC or Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete. The concrete is mixed with glass fiber and sprayed into the mold verses poured. The finished product is very smooth and so gorgeous...don't you agree?

Old Stone Fireplace........or is it Precast Concrete?

There is something so charming and endearing about being in a beautifully decorated room with a fireplace that looks like it has been around for centuries. An old stone fireplace maybe? Nope...it's precast concrete. Stone is certainly wonderful but sometimes not in budget, especially these days, but you can have the look you want, for much less.

Spectacular Outdoor Fireplace Space

All I can say is Wow. Sitting in a valley surrounded by statuesque saguaro cactus , this outdoor living area is certainly something to see.

Precast concrete not only embellishes the fireplace surround but also the outdoor kitchen area.

Color can be added to concrete to achieve the desired color but this concrete was all faux painted with a mix of paint and sealer.

So gorgeous........how about dinner in front of that fireplace.....on this patio!!

Carved Limestone

Carved Limestone is a beautiful thing. This limestone fireplace surround was carved in Mexico and installed in a home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Phil Shelton has been providing Phoenix and the surrounding valley with carved limestone and canterra for many, many years. He also has the most fabulous variety of mexican tile I have ever seen. You want it handpainted with your custom design.....no problem.

To see more of Phil's wonderful products, please visit http://www.handcraftedtile.net/.

Worldly Embellishments

If you are looking for something beautiful to embellish your fireplace mantle, please take a look at Tierra Del Largato in Scottsdale, Arizona http://www.tierradellagarto.com/. They have treasures from all around the world.

If you happen to be in Scottsdale, you must pay them a visit.