In many old houses, the fireplace was the central focus on the house where family and friends gathered to enjoy the warmth from the fore as well as the warmth of company.  Aside from its use for old-fashioned central heating, the fireplace also served as the cooking area for the family as well as the decorative center of the room.  Indeed, it served so many purposes that families of old will be excused for their use of such an often inefficient source of energy.

Nowadays, fireplaces in modern homes merely serve as decorative touches to the décor.  Central heating is, after all, present in almost all house, thus, making the fireplace lose its practical purpose of the olden days.  Then again, it does have a practical purpose although not in the traditional sense - fireplaces add value to the house in case it is to be sold.

If your house still has a fireplace, we strongly suggest repurposing it as soon as possible.  There are many reasons for doing so.  First, the air drafts from the chimney will spread the soot over the room, which makes it more difficult to clean the area.  Second, the wood or the synthetic starter logs used in the fireplace exert a negative toll on the environment.  Third, the chemicals from the logs and the resulting soot are bad for your health.

A fireplace may look beautiful but when you consider all the costs, both on the environment and on the budget, you will want to repurpose it.  The trick is in knowing how to do so with successful results.

Fortunately, there are many ways to do so.  Let the interior decorator in you take flights of imagination and then put vision into action.  Of course, you have to clean the area first before you can actually repurpose it for other uses, which can include the following:

* Plant nursery - You can purchase different sizes, styles and shapes of pots, place flowering plants in said containers and then artfully place them in the space once occupied by the fireplace.  If live plants are not your thing, then we suggest satin and silk flowers recycled from your own clothes.

* Small Library - This is applicable especially when you have limited floor space.  Since the fireplace is a recessed area, your mini-library will not be in the way.  Just install shelves or boxes inside the cleaned fireplace and then place your books, magazines and other decorative items.

* Entertainment Area - If your fireplace is sufficiently large, you may turn it into a place to showcase your collection of stereo system or gaming system, maybe even a television.

* Aquarium Space - Instead of looking at the crackling fire, you can substitute it with an aquarium filled with pretty fishes and plants.  You will then have an area that serves well for relaxation or meditation purposes.

You have many more ideas on how to repurpose fireplaces.  Again, let your imagination flow and the ideas will come flowing too.