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Go Vintage When Decorating Your Hearth
With the weather cooling, it's time to put on the fireplace. Curling up near a cozy fire is a wonderful winter pastime but you'll need the right tools to tend your fire. Vintage fireplace accessories can add just the right atmosphere to your décor. Here's what you'll need to keep your fire aglow. Fireplace Tool Sets. In the 18th and early 19th centuries when a fire was the only source of heating a home, a large fireplace was essential. You may notice that vintage fireplace tool sets can be larger in scale than modern sets. The reason is simple - larger fires required large tools to maintain it. Tool sets for the fire - a shovel, poker, brush and pair of tongs were usually made of brass, bronze or wrought iron. Bronze tools are more valuable than brass or wrought iron. Look for fireplace tool sets to match the décor of your home. Ornate Victorian tools suit more traditional homes. More modern decor lends itself to the simple linear tools reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts period. Andirons or Fire-dogs. Andirons are iron supports used to rest burning logs in the fireplace. They were utilitarian and not particularly decorative. However, in the 18th century the French fancied up their andirons with ornate figures such as dogs, lions, fish, mythological creatures or people. These were dubbed fire-dogs. Today, the terms andirons and firedogs are used interchangeably. Now, we hold the burning logs in cast-iron grates. You'll still see andirons in antique shops. Use them to add a striking panache to your hearth. Fenders. A fender is three-sided rectangular shaped metal piece that keeps sparks from jumping onto carpets and flooring. They could be very ornamental at times. Decorative Screens. There were several styles and purposes for screens - to combat draughts or shield from heat. Some were used to hide the fireplace in summer months. These were called cheval screens. They could be decorative and were made from mahogany, rosewood or satinwood with needlepoint, tapestry or embroidery details. Some were made with unwanted fabric or leather. A pole screen was used when the fire was lit. It was small, light and portable with an adjustable panel that could be square, oval or shield-shaped. It was used to protect the face when you were near the fire - either sitting to be warmed or stoking the fire. Pole and cheval screens are hard to find these days because as central heating became available, screens were often discarded. If you do a cheval screen, you can still use it to hide the fireplace during the warmer months. Mesh screens came along later and served the same purpose as fenders. They held the popping embers in. Look for older mesh screens. They'll have two small rectangular notches at the base that were to allow for the andirons. Value. A matching set consisting of a fireplace tool set, fender and andirons is more valuable than a mismatched set. It's hard to find a complete fireplace set because over the years the sets were often broken up. If you have one, hang on to it. Good News. There are lots of vintage fireplace tools out there. Since they were made of brass, bronze or wrought iron, many have survived over the years. You'll often find vintage fireplace tool sets more affordable than new sets. Plus, vintage sets will have that great patina that newer sets cannot duplicate. Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium located in Toronto, Canada. He has appeared on a variety of television programs; does furniture restoration; caning and rushing repairs; appraisals and has taught courses on antiques at the Learning Annex. Martin can be reached at http://www.takeaboo.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Guests on Sunday TV news shows (AP via Yahoo! News) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: Report: News not good for White Sox' Quentin (Sports Illustrated) NEW YORK (SI.com) -- White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin received some bad news from an MRI on his right forearm and wrist, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The injuries have kept Quentin, one of the AL's leading MVP candidates, out of the lineup since Monday. Green news harvest: stolen solar panels, love for small wind (CNET via Yahoo! News) A sampling of green-tech news with quick commentary. In TV news matchup, cable wins convention coverage (Los Angeles Times) Cable news networks logged record viewership during the two weeks of back-to-back convention coverage NFPs Fail to Cool Dollar Rally, Looks to Next Friday's US Retail Sales, Fannie/Freddie News (Forex Video) (Daily FX via Yahoo! Finance) US dollar holds strong despite disappointing NFPs, jump in unemployment rate to 6.1%. Forex traders look ahead to RBNZ rate decision, US retail sales, and news this weekend from the Treasury regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. News vet: Coverage ob-scene (Boston Herald) WBZ-TV is reeling from massive cuts and was the only Boston station that didn't send a reporter to the political conventions, but it has devoted over-the-top news coverage... Good News Club for children (North Lake Tahoe Bonanza) The non-denominational Bible Club ?Good News Club? for children from kindergarten through fifth grade meets every Friday for Bible stories, games, songs, snacks,and prizes! Sunday news shows (The Monterey County Herald) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: 6 a.m.: NBC's "Meet the Press" ? Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. 7 a.m.: "Fox News Sunday" ? Obama chief strategist David Axelrod and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. 8 a.m. Guests on Sunday TV news shows (Boston Globe) Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows: ABC's "This Week" -- Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram enter joint distribution deal (Dallas Morning News) The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have reached a joint distribution agreement in an effort to reduce costs, the two newspapers said Friday. Warning: MagpieRSS: Failed to parse RSS file. (> required at line 14, column 29) in /home/.hellodolly/jsteiner64/scholarlyarticles.org/interior-decorating/magpierss/rss_fetch.inc on line 238 Site: Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/.hellodolly/jsteiner64/scholarlyarticles.org/interior-decorating/inc/ads-body.inc on line 52 MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for interior decorating Interior Decorators Challenge State Law On Job Title (Hartford Courant) Lynne Herrmann will help you pick a color for your living room walls, choose upholstery or recommend fabric for your draperies. You can find her in the phone book listed as an "interior decorator" or "designer of interiors" ? but never under the label "interior designer." Warm Weather Decorating in Cool Hues (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - When the weather turns warm, we open our windows to let in the light and fresh air. But there are other ways to update living spaces to reflect the best of the summer season. How to Integrate Personal Style into Your Kitchen and Bath (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - Most of us have developed a unique personal style and we know what fashions work for us. But when it comes to decorating or remodeling our homes, particularly our kitchens and bathrooms, style preferences can be harder to pin down. A student's dedication to interior design (University of Connecticut Daily Campus) Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to soak in the nuances and differences of other cultures - their food, their style, their arts and their way of life. And one of the frequently-unmentioned benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to experience the fact that outside of the United States, the residential college system is fairly uncommon, or at least of a far smaller scale. Interior Decorating Seals the Deal (New York Times) Just finding the perfect new home may no longer be enough; some buyers seem to want the house predecorated in the bargain. This odd house (Sewickley Herald) Interior designer Tom Weigel mixes imagination and personal style to create one-of-a-kind rooms. read more » Restoration after flooding (The Springfield News-Leader) Interior decorator Debra Moore spent two months preparing for her dream life. The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. (PRWeb Sep 10, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/totallyhome/080908/prweb1302084.htm The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. Browse News & Feature Stories (Metro Times Detroit) 134 stories found. Showing page 1 of 5. Warning: MagpieRSS: Failed to parse RSS file. 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