A fireplace just isn't complete without a surround. Whether you intend to use a hearth simply for heating a room or for beautification purposes, you might want to consider getting a fireplace surround. With various fireplace mantel shelf designs to choose from, it's better if you know what a surround is for and how it can help a hearth add elegance to your home before you go out and buy one.

The first thing you need to do is brainstorm, either by yourself or with a few people whose opinions you value, to determine your purpose for setting up a fireplace. If it's for keeping the warmth in the house, then you might want to consider increasing the ventilation in the room where you plan to install a hearth. Keep in mind also the various safety regulation governing the use and maintenance of fireplaces.

Putting in a fireplace for purely aesthetic reasons is easier, not to mention lighter on the budget, as it doesn't involve taking down entire sections of the house just to install a chimney and other hearth operation essentials. Making it look the way you want to is also a piece of cake considering the wide array of fireplace surrounds available on the market today.

But what if you want both form and function in your choice of fireplace? First, take note of the requirements for the installation of a fireplace, such as location and space, ventilation and clearance, and what type of fuel the fireplace burns, whether wood or gas. Next, double check your budget and look around for a good dealer with a wide selection of fireplaces so you'd get your money's worth.

When you're done with these, you may move on to the more exciting task of embellishing the fireplace, which is simply a box in which you start a fire to keep a part of your house warm. Obviously, there's nothing pretty about that, which is why there are fireplace surrounds. It's what makes hearths look good, including the one you pick. Determining what surround to buy and put on your fireplace, however, may take up a lot of your time.

Before you settle on a fireplace surround, you should first figure out which materials will go well with the interior design of your house. Fireplaces surrounds come in different finishes, including wood, resin, stone and marble. Some manufacturers of surrounds take their products a step further by adding other features such as shelves, cabinets and drawers.