Create A Victorian
Bric-A-Brac Table

A Simple Solution to Decorating a Fireplace

A Bric-a-brac table to the rescue! Like many of us today that have fireplaces in our homes, Victorian ladies found it to be a challenge to hide the dark and dirty looking gaping hole staring out into the room when a fire was not lit. Today we often use metal “fireplace screens” we can purchase in almost any store or place a large fan in front of it to beautify this area. Victorian ladies used the same items for the very same reason. BUT… if you know anything about Victorian women, they just had to try and do something different or better.

Below is one Victorian answer to hiding the gaping black hole of a fireplace. This idea was published in The Home Manual c. 1889. The article has been edited for use on this site.

Bric-A-Brac Table

The figure above shows a novel design for a bric-a-brac table, which will help many a housekeeper to solve the problem of how to conceal a fire-place in summer, or at any time when not in use.

The pattern can be easily followed by any cabinet-maker, and the table should then be painted either white and gold, or any tint that harmonizes with the room in which it is to be placed. By means of a removable brass rod, screwed on at the back of the table, curtains of silk or plush are arranged to fall before the fire-place.

As can be seen by the illustration, the table, thus decorated, is placed in front of the fireplace. It not only adds beauty to the room but also gives more space for displaying items that you love.

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