The fireplace. The focal point of the room. Supposedly.

If your fireplace doesn’t spark your interest or isn’t the first thing you notice when you walk in the room, here are some tips for staging it.

But remember that redesign is different from home selling. Redesign is customizing the look to fit your personal style, and staging for home selling is neutralizing your style altogether. Either way, here are some tips they share:

• First, clear the clutter off the mantle and remove furniture, plants, toys, papers, and general clutter from in front of the fireplace. Start with a blank slate.
• Next, if you have a wood burning fireplace, clean it! Scoop out all ashes ,and if you have dirty brick, use soap & warm water to scrub it (and possibly a wire brush if it’s really dirty).
• Does the wall the fireplace is on draw your eye immediately? If not, think about painting the wall 2 shades darker than your existing wall color, or a contrasting tone on the color wheel. You can also pull a favorite color from accessories like pillows which will tie the whole room together when you’re done. Usually a quart of paint will be plenty for at least 2 coats with some left over for touch ups later. If you have exposed brick and it’s dating the room, paint it! Light, creamy, earthy tones are hot right now and will make the room feel larger.
• If you have a brass fireplace grate, your room will automatically look dated. Disconnect it, and for a $5 can of black heat-resistant spray paint used for grills, you’ll have a more modern look.
• Does your mantle fit the scale of the fireplace? If not bulk it up with some 2×4s or some decorative trim. Paint it to match the existing trim in your room.
• Next step is to choose one large item to place over the mantle, usually some cool artwork or a mirror. In general, I love mirrors, but when they’re hung over a fireplace, they’re really too high to reflect the room and end up showing off a white ceiling or boring ceiling fan, which is not good. If you do use a mirror, try something in a round or oval shape to offset the squareness of the fireplace. If using artwork, fit the scale of the wall. In most cases, a 24×36 will work nicely.
• Now accessorize. If you like symmetry, get 2 of the same decoration to place on the each end of the mantle, or use decorations with a similar size or color. If you like asymmetry, keep balance in mind. Your accessories don’t have to be matchy-matchy, but they should balance visually. So mix a large, light colored item with a small dark object on one side (or a collection of mid-toned items like similar colored pottery), and a single large dark item on the other.
• Family photos. Here’s where the redesign vs. home staging differs. If you’re selling the home, eliminate all family photos. People want to picture their own family in the space, not yours. If you’re just redesigning, feel free to use photos, but paint the frames to be the same color so it’s soothing to the eye and less distracting. All black or all metal look very modern.
• Use a plant or small lamp to give your mantle some life. Greenery & light energize a space. If using candles, be sure they’re lit for an open house.
• Now that your fireplace is gorgeous, it’s time to make sure people see it when they walk in. Treat the fireplace as if it’s another piece of furniture in your home and arrange existing seating around it. If you think of the fireplace as part of a wall, you’ll be more likely to cover it up. If you have a corner fireplace, try angling the sofa perpendicular to it and lining up a coffee table like a runway leading to it.
• For an open house, be sure the fireplace is lit! It draws the eye, and conveys a coziness that will make everyone want to snuggle up. The only time this is a bad idea is when it’s over 80 degrees outside, or no one will be in the home for several hours after it’s shown.

I’d love to see some pictures of your rooms and hear your design tips!