Rental Revamp: 3 Easy Fireplace Makeovers

Thinking about a rental fireplace makeover? Here are three easy and affordable ideas!

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One of the best features of my apartment is the fireplace.

It sits on a huge brick wall and adds so much character to our apartment. The beautiful brick is not the tacky 80s kind; it's really old, and the bricks are handmade and slightly crumbly.

Although I love having a fireplace, I'm unhappy with it's current state. We're renters, so I don't want to invest a ton of money, but I definitely want to perk it up a bit.

The fireplace actually works, but we have no plans to use it (fear of burning down the building). So that huge, ugly screen has got to go. It also has a crooked hood that is a major eyesore. Finally, that worn, dusty hearth needs to be repainted.

Rental Fireplace Makeover: 3 Easy Ideas

I came up with three ways to add a little personality to the fireplace ... perfect for renters, or anyone who wants to makeover their fireplace!

Birch Logs

I love the idea of filling up the fireplace with gorgeous birch logs. The white of the logs would brighten up the fire box, and a neat tie would keep the logs organized.

To the left of the fireplace, I'd add a gorgeous gold elephant garden stool. The stool is the perfect place to hold a stack of design books (Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design, Scalamandre:Haute Decor, and Aerin Lauder Beauty at Home), that I'd top with a pretty handmade lacquerware mango wood box.

On the right side of the fireplace, I'd lean our wood mask (see it in the first photo).

The venerable elder African wood mask from Novica a great option for a similar look. Have your shopped at Novica before? It's a really cool company whose mission is to connect artisans from around the world with consumers (you and me).

Candles and Mirror

The second option involves filling the fireplace with candles. I did this the last time I had a fireplace, and I loved how it looked. Unfortunately, the burning candles covered the bottom of the fireplace with wax. Let me tell you: that was not a lot of fun to clean up when I moved out!

This time around, I would use a candelabra to catch the wax drips. I like this one because of the varied candle holder heights. I'd also place a frameless mirror in the back of the fire box to catch the beautiful reflections.

To the left of the fireplace, I'd place a faux leather storage tote. It would hold magazines and a cozy faux fur throw. Wouldn't you love to snuggle up under that throw this winter?

I'd use a boxwood topiary to balance things out to the right of the fireplace. If you like boxwood, this is a really affordable piece (it's crazy how expensive that stuff is!). The green brightens up the space a bit and adds a natural element.

Large Plant

The opening of my fireplace is the perfect size to hold a large plant.

A Boston fern would fill out the space perfectly, and they are pretty hard to kill (especially if they are faux, like this one!). I'd place the fern in a gorgeous copper planter.

On the left, I'd use a woven basket to hold a beautiful, rusty colored throw and a collection of fun books: Jonathon Adler's 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life, Kate Spade New York: Things We Love: Twenty Years of Inspiration, Intriguing Bits and Other Curiosities, and the Young House Love book.

Are you curious how the makeover turned out? You can check out my updated fireplace here ... I love it! And while you're at it, make sure to check out my entire NYC Apartment Tour!