Unused fireplace

[Misty9]

We have a large brick backed fireplace with welsh slate hearth in our house - and a toddler. Plan is to install wood burner in a few years but what can we do with it in the interim?

Any creative ideas? Obviously anything glass/destroyable is out! The chimney breast around it is red and there's no surround/mantelpiece.

bung some shelves in it and put books, cds in or wicker baskets for toys

fishtank
huge pot of flowers, or plant
marble bust of Beethoven/Karl Marx/Groucho Marx

etc etc

BTW if the hold on the wood burner is because of your toddler, it can be done - you just need a good sturdy fireguard bolted to the wall, and you will need a mantelpiece.

Otherwise I go for the shelves, and also block the chimney for now to keep the heat in and anything falling out. Bin liner full of crumpled newspaper stuffed up it for now. Do remember to remove it before lighting a fire. :-)