Fireplace Accessories: Function with Design
Throughout the history of human beings, people have gather around the hearth. They have sat with family members and friends, sharing stories or cooking the catch of the day. I saw the pre-historic evidence of this when I took a pollen analysis class in the Anthropology department at Arizona State University. We gathered dirt from a location that was being developed in downtown Phoenix. We brought the samples back to the lab, soaked them in acid, spun them in a centrifuge and then made slides. What we were looking for, was a glimpse into what the people had been cooking, through the pollen that was contained in the samples. We found corn, of course, squash, and watermelon pollen, all found in the fire-pit that was in the middle of the archaeological dig.
Now, fireplaces have changed. There are ones designed in a very modern style, or those that are old fashioned and traditional, with fireplace accessories and fancy equipment, but the fact remains, people still gather around the hearth with family and friends, telling stories…making memories, popping popcorn and roasting marshmallows. The fireplace can be the focal point of any room, creating the warmth not only from the flame, but in the ambiance it will provide. The right accessories will ensure that your creative masterpiece will be not only well enjoyed, but well loved.
Function combined with beauty, as in the grates, can be expressed in a very artistic manner. The grates provide protection from sparks and snaps of the wood, all the while providing elegant design elements to your home. Something so simple as a ceramic vase to hole your fireplace matches will too, add one more element of charm, charm that is mixed with functionality. So create this feeling, the feeling of humans throughout history, in your own home. The fireplace and the accessories will be evidence, that you do enjoy life to the fullest, and also enjoy relaxing to the fullest. You will become part of a very long line, of those who have warmed their hands in front of the fire throughout the ages.