wedding wednesday: candles

One of my faaavorite things is when people put candles in and around their fireplaces.  It creates such a soft and romantic feeling, and it is just so chic and elegant.  I thought this would be perfect for a "wedding wednesday" post because let's be real: candles are used at pretty much every wedding under the sun.

Creating a candle display in your fireplace is suuuper simple - just set up the candles inside however you see fit.  However, there are a few different variations on this approach, and a few different ways to jazz up this style.

You can simply set them on the floor of your fireplace...

...or you could elevate them with a candelabra.

You can place candles both in and around the fireplace to give off more light...

...or place a mirror behind them to reflect the glow.

Lastly, you can keep your logs in the fireplace, but surround the mantle with candles...

...or you could use the logs as candle holders and put both items inside!

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So, these are just a few examples of ways to display candles around your fire.  What other ways can you think of?

stone surround

Stone is an incredibly popular finish for your fireplace surround.  While it may often evoke a "cabin feeling," there are many different types of stone which can complement the design of any home.  I've broken the types down into four different categories and highlighted some of my favorite fireplaces in each.

Stacked Whole-Stone:
This style is the traditional "rustic cabin" style, for it looks as if you collected stones from outside and simply stacked them around your fireplace.  The random nature of the stone pattern gives the fireplace a beautiful texture that helps to bring a little piece of the outdoors inside.

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Stacked Cut Stone:

This style is a combination of the previous style and the next style that will be mentioned.  Cutting the stones into larger rectangles maintains the overall feeling of the whole stone, but makes the stacking process look more structured and less organic.  

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Stacked Stone Strips:

Cutting the stone down into smaller linear strips gives the fireplace a much more contemporary feeling when compared to using whole stones.  These stones emphasize the horizontal, and many times are left unadorned without a mantle.   

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Polished Stone:

Instead of stacking rough cut stone around your fireplace, another approach commonly used is installing polished stone.  Whether installed in tiles or full sheets, the clean lines created by the glossy stone creates a luxurious and contemporary effect.  Popular stones to use for this type of application are marble or granite, but there are other stones that could be utilized. 

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I hope you have all found some inspiration for your own fireplace, and I will see you all back tomorrow!

the modern fireplace

Throughout history, fireplaces have always played an important role in our homes.  In the early days, the fireplace was located at the center of the home, and all activities revolved around it.  This was because the fireplace acted as the sole heat source for the household, so in order to stay warm, people congregated around the hearth.  With the modern conveniences of today, we no longer rely on fireplaces as a solitary source of heat.  However, just because their function has changed from necessity to (practically) purely aesthetic, that doesn't mean fireplaces aren't important.

In many instances, fireplaces still play a prominent role in our homes.  Despite not being a necessity, they are a luxury many people want.  Fireplaces anchor your living room.  They act as a focal point and draw people towards them.  Most of the time, a home with a fireplace is more desirable for a buyer than one without.  The extra heat they kick out is nice on a chilly winter night, and there is something magical about sitting on the couch and watching the flames flicker.  

This week, we'll be doing another weeklong series on fireplaces.  The style of your fireplace should always tie in to the style of your home, so each day this week we'll talk about a different style or type of fireplace.  To kick things off, we'll start today by looking at some out of the ordinary, modern fireplaces.

The first two fireplaces we have here are absolutely stunning pieces of art.  Although just surrounded by drywall in the bottom image, the intersecting geometries makes the fireplace stand out and give the room character.  The top image is much more simple and straightforward, but the rich colors make the fireplace pop.

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There is something fantastic about a floating fireplace.  Perhaps it's the whimsical quality it creates, or even the fact that the fireplace is completely open to all sides.  All I know is the effect is absolutely striking. 

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Just like with floating fireplaces, there is something I just adore about long, linear fireplaces that I can't quite put my finger on.  The long lines that are created are just so clean, sharp, and unique, I just can't help but fall in love with them.
 

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Aren't these fireplaces just stunning?  Check back tomorrow for more fabulous ideas!

wedding wednesday: flowers

Flowers are an essential part of any wedding, so I find it essential that I do a post on how they can be used in your home.  The possibilities are literally endless, for everything that is home related practically has some sort of flower pattern associated with it.  From sheets to lamps to tablecloths, you don't have to look far to find a home for this feminine pattern.

Because floral patterns are so common in home furnishings, I tried to find some inspiration for you all that wasn't so common.  Enter flower wall art.  Now I'm not talking about your typical pretty-flower-painted-on-a-canvas wall art..these ideas tend to break away from what you may normally expect to find in your standard suburban home, and many of these ideas are very simple DIY's.

3D Wall Art
First up are these fun plastic flower decals are super easy to install and can be rearranged in any way you like.

For those of you who are Gossip Girl fans, you've seen something of the sorts before in Serena's bedroom...except they used butterflies instead of flowers.  But don't you just love the configuration (and the room)?

The plastic decals can be bought through my store on Amazon, or you can make them out of paper and have it be a DIY as seen below.

Another option is a total DIY that you can make for no cost whatsoever.  This super cool wall art is made from old toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes that have been cut down and hot glued together.

This is as close to an actual painting as we will get...but at least it incorporates some 3D elements to make it stand out.

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Hanging Vases

Similar to the idea of the hanging picture frames that we talked about last week is the idea of hanging vases.  This is definitely a new approach to display flowers in a vase, and personally, I'm all for it.   

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Here is even a step-by-step guide to make your own hanging vase display.

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Hope you all have a lovely rest of the week!