How to Choose Fireplaces Antiques for Your Home and Fireplace

If you are planning to practically use the fire place, you need to consider certain things before actually doing that. Here are some tips on how to restore your fireplace.

     1.         Is there a chimney in your house?

The fireplace antiques are of no use if you don't have a chimney or ventilation in your house, so before considering this option, make sure that there is an existing chimney and check if it is safe to use.

Non availability of chimney isn't the end of the world. There are a lot of alternatives available for traditional chimneys as well. Expert fireplace installers can easily re-establish the fireplace antiques for you.

   2.         What type of fuel are you looking for?

Wood burning fire place is the only thing we imagine when we think about an antique fire place. But during the period of the early 1800s, the Irish/British land-lords started switching from an Antique fire place to natural gas fires. If you are planning to install the fire place for daily use, then electrical or gas fire could work wonders for you. According to the experts, the electrical or gas fire place can easily fit into fireplace Antiques.

  3.         What suits your room?

Fireplace antiques are available in many designs, from rustic simple art to craft design and from ornate carving designs to the casting of the actual fireplace from the Victoria era. If you want a fire place with an antique look, then you do have to research on it a little. The best one to opt for can be from the local salvage yard, where you get to know about all architectural details and variations.

The fireplace antiques need not only be used for standard fireplaces. You can install them in an Art Deco model for an ultra modern effect or a Victorian fireplaces, which will give your room a warm and a genuine touch with a pastoral design. You can also mix and match the styles of fireplace antiques to give your house a unique look.

  4.         Considering the dimension of the room

It is important to consider the room size before considering the type or the style of the fireplace and the fireplace antiques. A big wall to wall surrounded fire place can over shadow the small room and give it a feeling that the room is overcrowded. While some fireplaces like Edwardian hearth can be less visible in the large rooms, it is important to take the dimension of the room into account, the dimension of the walls and so on.

Beautifying Your Home with a Victorian Cast Iron Fireplace

In English Empire, the Victorian period lasted from the middle 1830s to the beginning of the 1900s. It was during this time that society underwent a great deal of change and alteration. Mass production spread quickly and middle class people were able to buy a greater diversity of merchandise, than at any given time before. The English bourgeoisie was now ascending and using new materials like cast iron to make the Victorian cast iron fireplace quickly became very fashionable.

A lot of things were made of this cast iron at that time by the process of pouring molten iron in a premade sand mould. Thus, cast iron became a very trendy and popular material, which helped shape the design of the Victorian era- which is best exemplified in the Victorian cast iron fireplace. The majority of new homes at the time had cast iron fences placed outside and often got benches, railings and lawn furniture made out of the heavy, but extremely durable material.

It became an unofficial rule that most of the completely modern Victorian houses being constructed are fitted with a Victorian cast iron fireplace, which became the center piece of the home. The fireplace surrounds were frequently placed onto the fireplace, which was in the living room of a home and to the hearths of the main bedrooms, as well, to create a modern look and enduring warmth in the cold months of the calendar. A lot of the older, lasting homes during the era had stone fireplaces in the home, which were created to burn coal and wood. The Victorian cast iron fireplace was frequently framed with little decorative surrounds, which were created of wood, stone or slate. It was a fashion at that time to replace the outdated surrounds with a new and more contemporary cast iron variety, because it was viewed as a symbol of status amongst the middle class to have a hearth or a Victorian cast iron fireplace made out of the new material, which was gaining ground in the land.

Today, the popularity and charm of the Victorian cast iron fireplace is alive and even growing in small towns and large cities alike. The Victorian cast iron fireplace is frequently being recovered from really old homes by businesses, which make living refurbishing original fireplaces. Once refurbished to their original glory, they’re sold to enthusiastic home owners, who want to create an authentic Victorian charm to the insides of their homes. Individuals are also buying completely new cast iron fireplaces, which resemble the breathtaking beauties of the past. There are an infinite number of designs available now and they vary widely in prices.

Fireplace Antiques for Your Home

Over time, new owners of old houses have restructured their homes by taking down old fireplaces and fireplace antiques in order to have a more aerodynamic look in their house. Some however chose a more nostalgic approach and instead of trying to modernize their house, decided to restore what was falling apart. If you’re one of the few who hold pride in owning an old house, and are attempting to renovate it, then knowing your history and knowing the variety of Fireplace Antiques in fashion at the time your house was built, would be a good place to start.

The types of fireplaces in existence vary from every era of architecture. The stores are filled with fireplace antiques designs from the Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, Federal, Art Deco and Early American styles of homes and there are fireplace antique dealers who specialize in finding them. When you are shopping for fireplace antiques in synchronization with the furnish of your home when restoring it, the more information you give to the fireplace antique dealer of the type of home you have, the bigger the probability that he will find you the perfect fireplace antiques that compliments your rooms. However, that is just not enough, you need to accessorize your fireplace antiques, so that it is a little more than just a bricks and stoned hole in your wall. Set below are a few of the fireplace fittings and accessories that will increase the value and beauty of your fireplace.

Traditional hearth Surrounds: This is one of the most crucial pieces of design when characterizing your fireplace antiques, made from metal, wood, stone or for less expensive costs, from wood enameled, or painted to look like marble. It is not a mantelpiece as most often confused by many. It’s basically comprised of two sides joined together by the mantelpiece, thus the mantel is actually part of the environment. It’s quite easy to install and you could do that yourself, that is, if you’re good with your hands and measurements.

Antique Fireplace Fire backs

These are what cover the back wall of a fireplace. A fire back is usually flat and covers only the rear wall of the fireplace, but some may even fully cover the back and the sides as well. In older times, a fire back was made from cast iron and was intricately designed with intense, moldings or casting in beautiful whimsical designs, from floral patterns to cupids, to all that is in between.

Traditional Hearth Accessories

Fireplace antiques accessories include grates, whose design is such that their purpose is to be able to contain wood, coal or other fuel to be used. The bends of the grates are fitted with iron to prevent the wood or fuel from spilling over, although they may be used for solely decorative purposes as well.

Restoring Your Home with Reclaimed Fireplaces

Have you been looking to restore the aura of your home but cannot find an affordable fireplace to replace the old one that has become too old? Have you tried reclaimed fireplaces? Let us take a look at the wonderful opportunities that these can provide.

Reclaimed Fireplaces are salvaged from old houses by art collectors and antique experts. Most of the timber thus salvaged goes into the production of furniture and cabinets; however, depending on the state of preservation, old fireplaces can be reclaimed and reused in newer houses too. One of the best ways of finding these is online auctions by companies. You can find lots of options in these auctions that might fit your bill perfectly. The toughest challenge regarding reclaimed fireplaces is getting the measurements right. Sometimes they are larger or smaller and in the process leaving you no way out but to resize or let go. However there are certain companies that specialise in it. The best thing to do is get in touch with one of these.

Reclaimed fireplaces can be prepped up with a little imagination. You can get an interior designer to advise you on probable ways of spicing up the looks and lend a contemporary look to an old one. Raised or recessed panelling and carvings on mantel pieces can be a great way to change the overall look of the room. Traditional fireplaces burn wood which can be replaced with gas stoves placed conveniently within reclaimed fireplaces. Apart from carved wood or gypsum plaster, mantel pieces can be made of natural stone such as Marble or granite. They are sure head turners and cost effective considering the low maintenance cost you will have to incur in comparison to wood or plaster. Similar low maintenance material that you can use is ceramic tiles. These can be fitted in congruity with the floor or ceiling designs.

There is no dearth of great stores that specialize in reclaimed fireplaces, but finding one with similar experience as that of ours should be a hard find. We have experts in complete reclamation and renovation of fireplaces from all periods. We do offer part or complete replacements of old fireplaces with reclaimed fireplaces from our extensive reproduction range. Take a look at our collection or just drop in at our stores. We will be more than happy to assist you. Talk to our representatives at 0161 431 8075 or mail us at Info@FireplaceAntiques.co.uk

Edwardian fireplace

Edwardian fireplace is named after King Edward. There is nothing like a fire in the early evening through which the house is gently heated and provides the comfort of being at home. The fireplaces in the Edwardian era are similar to those of the late Victorian period but even more geometric. The designs from both Victorian and Edwardian period used cast iron grates with a marble or hardwood surround. Fireplace surrounds are necessary for a fireplace to blend into a room rather than stick out like a big hole in the wall.  A large mantel piece or shelves were added to display the newly acquired fashionable ornaments. The fireplaces reflected many styles from a Regency, often seen in early Victorian times to the floral Art Nouveau patterns on tiles and surrounds seen in later Victorian and Edwardian period.

Simpler fireplaces were completely cast iron. Earlier, a cheaper alternative was to use softwoods and then paint or varnish them to make them look grander. Nowadays, one can take professional help to get various design options depending on one’s liking and budget. The requirements can be customized to suit the space, requirements and budget. The reputation of Fireplace Antiques has been built with the comfort that they have brought across to their various clients. The right design keeping in account the area, requirements and budget are some of the common things that one can hear from their clients. Strict quality control at source together with an additional finishing and inspection at the fireplace antiques workshop assures a first class product.

Fireplace antiques specialize in supplying the finest fireplaces and with their unrivalled.

Slate Fireplace Surround

A fireplace surround is an architectural element made of various materials, which surrounds a fireplace, providing aesthetic and safety benefits. Fireplace surrounds are necessary for a fireplace to blend into a room rather than stick out like a big hole in the wall.  There are many different styles of fireplace surround which can fit in a range of design schemes, from modernist concrete designs to formal tiled ones but a slate fireplace surround has its own look. From an aesthetic point of view, Slate Fireplace Surround is subtle and visually pleasant. A fireplace surround can make the fireplace more visually interesting, and hence it becomes engaging to look at whether or not a fire is present.

Other than visually appealing, it provides safety as well. The surround can provide additional layers of fire protection, making the fireplace less dangerous. A brick or tile surround will retard escaping sparks, ensuring that they cannot penetrate the wall around the fireplace and cause a fire, and a built-in surround can provide additional fireproofing insulation around the fireplace, so that a fire will not start inside the wall. Due to safety concerns about fireplaces, many regional building codes specifically address Fireplace Surrounds and their design.

Besides, if a fireplace is being utilized for heating, the surround can increase efficiency. Using tiles, for example, will create more heat, as the tiles will absorb heat from the fire and radiate the heat later, after the fire has been allowed to go out. A roaring fire in the early evening can heat the tile or stone, and the house will be gently heated as the heat dissipates out after the fire is extinguished. The surround can also radiate heat while the fire is burning, and in combination with a small fan, it can help to spread heat around the room or house. 

Victorian Marble Fireplace

As the focal point of the room still to this day, the humble fireplace is much more than just a decorative feature. It is to be admired, to be used to keep warm and even when the rest of the house could be stripped bare, the original fireplace will remain because it is such a stunning attribute to any home that people want to keep. Victorian Marble Fireplace is made from beautiful Carrara Marble and these fireplaces are designed for that extra wow factor without a high price tag. They can be designed by professionals such that they suit one’s space and look elegant at the same time.

Victorian Marble fireplaces have always been in fashion; an elegant and classical architectural mould that never dates. As many look to buy period property which retains the original Victorian Marble features, it is no surprise that this style still causes a stir amongst antique lovers. Typically made from marble with sleek lines and intricate carving, Victorian Marble fireplaces epitomise all that was rich, stylish and classic of the Victorian era. Impressions last a lifetime and if one would want to make an indelible mark, Victorian marble fireplace is the answer .Nowadays, one can take professional help to get various design options depending on one’s liking and budget. This way, one doesn’t go overboard but customizes the design such that it can look as a part of the house. The reputation of Fireplace Antiques has been built with the comfort that they have brought across to their various clients. The combination of their skill, expertise and knowledge makes them an ideal choice for the design of the Victorian marble fireplace.