Have you just moved into a home with an open fireplace? Congratulations, you will now be able to enjoy the comfort of a warm fire on a cold night. If you have never had a fireplace before, you may notice a pair of decorative metal pieces that sit out in front with a bar extending to the back of the fireplace. These are called andirons. Andirons were a functional and decorative invention of the 16th century. These antique andirons were used to lift logs off of the fireplace floor for additional air circulation. The air circulation under the logs creates a more robust fire. They also provided the function of preventing logs from rolling out of the fireplace. Unfortunately for andirons, grates were created in the 18th century and became the better tool for the job.
While some people ditched their andirons after the introduction of grates, others kept their andirons as pure decoration choosing to move them out of the fireplace to rest in front. These pieces were created in many different styles and materials and are truly an impressive sign of much simpler times. Now many people with antique and vintage fireplaces are looking for andirons to complement the rest of their room and complete their antique fireplace set.
If you are looking for a pair of antique andirons for your fireplace, Adams Fireplace Shop has a great selection of over 500 andirons to choose from. Visit AdamsFireplaceShop.com to browse our selection and order your own andirons today.