What to do with an empty fireplace?

[Angbunnyboo]

We've just moved in to an old victorian house and I love it but I need ideas of how to fill my fireplace. Getting a fire is not an option as the chimney has been blocked and OH not keen to unblock.

I thought of filling iy with flowers or candles but I think that will look at bit meh..

Any ideas what I can do with it?

Set it up to look like a real fire but don't light it? E.g set up a fire basket with logs, you could even fill the logs with some wee electric wire fairy lights to give a warm glow.

Like this kind of thing...

Do you want it to be a decorative focal point for the room or to use it more practically? A friend who lived in a large Victorian style house had fireplaces in every room and whilst it can be nice to make a feature of it in a sitting room that is impractical in other rooms. The fireplace was filled with IKEA-style boxes of craft equipment and materials in the kitchen, with shelves for boardgames in the dining room and with bookshelves in the study.

If you do want it to be a decorative feature then take a look at this article which includes lots of ideas that would look stunning - some clearly best in combination with an actual fire but many which would look great with no fire there.

Ours has been sealed and the brick has been covered in tongue & groove.
The previous owners put wooden shelving in so we use it as a bookcase.

We have logs and lights in our when we don’t use it.

Which room is it OP? A tall, contemporary storm lantern perhaps? Or if its in a kitchen I've seen wine storage cubes used in a fire place which can be quite fun:)

www.everhot.co.uk/Gallery/Gallery-(1)/Everhot-Electric-Stove-Gallery.aspx
One of these little fellas

Fill it with pine cones

Look on Amazon, where you can see faux fire portable lamps in all sizes. I've seen one in a friend's house and thought it looked great

bioethanol fires often don't ned a flue with you want a 'real fire' option.

aquarium

Amazon sell some beautiful fairy lights called Sunset 2, they are red and orange, lovely warm colour and some of the reviewers have bought them to use in fireplace and highly recommend them.