With the summer renovation season quickly approaching, many homeowners are searching for a way to add beauty and value to their homes. Ironically, the warming of outside temperatures every summer ensures that prospective renovators often overlook remodeling one of the most valuable heating elements of their home, their fireplace. A fireplace mantel upgrade can add thousands of dollars in value to a home and are highly valued by almost every consumer looking to purchase a new house. One of the best ways to add to this value is by installing a cast stone fireplace as part of your summer renovation plans. With this in mind, this post list 3 advantages stone fireplaces can offer consumers who are looking to complete a fireplace remodel.

A Beautiful Stone Fireplace Installation

1. The first advantage of remodeling with a cast stone fireplace is the ease of installation. Cast stone fireplaces are much lighter than traditional stone or marble mantels, allowing for an easy installation that can be completed in a single afternoon. These stone fireplaces are made by utilizing old-world techniques, ensuring top of the line quality is produced with every single unit.

2. The second advantage of these stone fireplaces is the variety of colors and finishes that are available with cast stone. Cast stone fireplaces come in a variety of colors including olive, chocolate and taupe. Depending on your color selection, each mantel is available in a variety of finishes including Natural Stone and Honed. With this many options to choose from, it is clear that cast stone mantels can be customized to fit almost anyone’s interior design taste.

Color Variety Available With Cast Stone Mantels

3. A final advantage of Cast Stone Mantels is the variety of styles that are available to consumers. For home owners looking for a more contemporary or ornate style of mantel, the Majestic Series includes some excellent options. Mantels like the Innsbruck Style fit seamlessly into formal spaces, while units such as the Palermo Style are a great choice for a more modern room. For consumers looking for a more traditional, simplistic style of mantel, the Classic Series of cast stone fireplaces is sure to offer plenty of options that can suit your design needs.

With the variety of colors and styles available and the ease with which they can be installed, cast stone fireplaces can make a perfect summer renovation project for home owners looking to add some value to their home.

As the months of summer steadily approach, many consumers across the U.S. are looking for a way to add ambiance and style to their favorite outdoor space. For many consumes this desire equals the addition of an outdoor fire pit. Despite the appealing nature of providing a warm and cozy gathering spot for friends and family, many consumers are often unnerved by the prospect of placing a large, dark pit in the middle of their favorite outdoor area. Fortunately for these skeptical consumers, outdoor fire pits are available in a variety of styles and designs that can fit seamlessly into almost any outdoor living space

Scallop Fire Pit from Fire Pit Art

For individuals looking to add a simplistic yet elegant ambiance to their outdoor space, the Oakland Outdoor Fire Pit is a perfect option. This portable outdoor fire pit comes complete with a copper, powder coat finish that is sure to fit well with any formal outdoor setting. In addition, it features a chip and crack resistant design that will ensure years of durability. With a quick and easy installation and cast iron features, this outdoor fireplace epitomizes stylish yet simplistic design.

For many consumers, the simplistic nature of units like the Oakland Outdoor Fire Pit may be unappealing. Many consumers considering the purchase of an outdoor fire pit are looking for an item which could be the centerpiece of a dinner party or an eye catching discussion piece. Many of these consumers may be looking for an outdoor fire pit that fits well with a beach or lake setting. For these celebratory minded individuals, units like the Bonfire Celebration Fire Pit Dome may be the perfect solution. This outdoor fire pit features a brilliant raw steel dome with a design inspired by the celebration that many cultures enjoy at the appearance of a full moon.

This is a Bonfire Celebration Dome Outdoor Fire Pit

Regardless of the type of style and mentality you are looking to promote in your outdoor space, there is certain to be an outdoor fire pit that can suit your needs. Ranging from the simplistic to the extravagant, outdoor fire pits provide the perfect centerpiece for both wild, outdoor parties or relaxing evenings by the pool. In the end, the only really important factor to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase a fire pit is whether or not you want a stylish and enjoyable centerpiece for your favorite outdoor space.

Today’s post is about adding style to one of the most important elements of any home, the fireplace. A fireplace is one of the most important focal points that homeowners neglect. However, this does not have to be the case. With a little creativity and the right tools and accessories, a fireplace can be completely transformed into the formal centerpiece of any home.

1. The first fireplace mantel idea that is guaranteed to spruce up your fireplace is the addition of the right fireplace accessories. Although many consumers rarely use their wood burning fireplace, a set of fireplace tools and a fireplace screen can be the perfect accessories to give the appearance of formal luxury to a living space.  Fireplace accessories imply the use of a fireplace even if a homeowner rarely chooses to burn an open fire. The right combination of antiqued copper or wrought iron fireplace accessories can often portray a formal, old world decor that will draw your guest into your living space.

This is a 3 Fold Arched Antique Copper Fireplace Screen

2. The second fireplace mantel idea that is guaranteed to give your living room some style, is remodeling your mantel with cast stone. Unlike traditional stone mantels that can require reinforced floor boards and the installation of reinforced steel supports, cast stone mantels are a relatively manageable weight and can be completed as a DIY project in a single afternoon. In addition to their light weight and ease of installation, cast stone mantels can be ordered in a variety of finishes to fit nearly any space.  With styles ranging from very clean and simplistic to very ornate, a cast stone mantel renovation can help to rejuvenate almost any living space.

This is a very ornate style of cast stone mantel called the Seville.

This is a very simplistic style of cast stone mantle called the Franklin.

3.  The final fireplace mantel idea that can help to rejuvenate a space is the addition of gas, or electric fireplace logs. The fact of the matter is, a large portion of traditional, wood burning fireplaces in America do not get used. Whether they do not like the smell of smoke or the hassle of chopping wood, most Americans avoid using their fireplace because they view it as a hassle. In recent years however, gas and electric log sets have given homeowners a new way to enjoy their fireplace without any of the hassles that traditional wood fires produced. Once a gas or electric log set is installed, a homeowner simply must flip a switch and they can be enjoying the warmth and ambiance of a fire within their very own home. The simple truth is, the best way to spruce up your fireplace, is to use it.

This is an example of an Electric Log Set.

This is an example of a Vented Gas Log Set.

As summer approaches, many consumers are searching for a way to add the ambiance of a fireplace to their outdoor space. Unfortunately for many consumers, the prospect of completing the installation of a outdoor fireplace can be very intimidating. Many consumers worry that installing an outdoor fireplace will have to involve hours of lifting bricks and spreading pounds of mortar. Fortunately for these individuals who are interested in the look and feel of a permanent fireplace structure without the arduous labor, outdoor fireplace kits provide the perfect solution. Units like the ones included in the Perfect Outdoor Fireplace Series provide the look and feel of a permanent structure without the laborious task of constructing a unit out of brick and mortar.

This is an example of an outdoor fireplace kit

A Perfect Outdoor Fireplace can easily be constructed in a single afternoon. These units can handle the burning of a variety of fuel sources including gas, wood and charcoal. The construction of these units is completed by simply sliding the multiple components together. When constructing your fireplace, it is important to remember to be careful with the individual blocks. Although the unit as a whole is very steady and strong once it is constructed, the individual blocks that make up the unit can easily be broken if they are dropped or slammed together. Make sure when handling the individual blocks you move slowly and treat them almost like glass. This will ensure that none of the blocks break and that the completion of your beautiful, new fireplace is not delayed due to the ordering of individuals pieces.

This is an example of an Outdoor Fireplace and Grill

In addition to the ambiance they provide, many outdoor fireplace kits can also be used as Barbecues. Units like this Cape Cod Outdoor Fireplace are perfect for grilling with family and friends. With multiple height settings for your grill rack, this unit can be used to grill a large variety of meals. It’s durable design complete with components that are reinforced with steel, ensure that this fireplace grill will last a lifetime. Regardless of the plans you have for your outdoor space one fact is for certain, an outdoor fireplace kit is the perfect way to give your patio a level of versatility and ambiance that you and family are sure to enjoy.