But you can easily bring an end to your focal point woes by having Edwardian fireplaces installed in whichever room you’re having trouble with. One of the particular benefits of having a fireplace is that it immediately becomes the centre of attention if done well, particularly during the winter months when the fire is crackling away inside, providing you all with much-needed warmth.

It’s possible that you already have a good focal point in place if there’s a big window that draws the eye to the outside world and all that natural light, for example or something like an exposed brick wall that makes for a brilliant point of architectural interest.

If there isn’t a focal point, a fireplace is one of the easiest ways to create one for yourself. Make it work particularly hard for you by having a big mantelpiece over the top of it, complete with pictures of the family, or a stunning piece of marble that speaks for itself.

Dressing your focal point and playing to your assets is certainly wise. Draw even more attention to your fireplace with a big piece of contemporary art or a really big and bold mirror, for example.

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Firstly, make sure that you wear gloves, goggles or a face mask to help protect yourself against dust and irritants. Fireplaces are not clean so do all you can to protect yourself while cleaning. And, of course, you should always make sure that your fire is unlit and completely cold before you start to clean it.

Cover the area around the fireplace with sheets of plastic to protect your floor, carpet and furniture, then take out the grate or any andirons you have and give them a good scrub down with a brush outside to get rid of any soot.

Using a dustpan and brush, remove the ashes from the hearth. If you’re worried about dust and soot flying everywhere around the room, you can always sprinkle some damp used coffee grounds over the area to help keep them in place.

Wipe down your mantelpiece and the surround of the fireplace using a soft cloth. If you have a metal fireplace, don’t use water as this can make it rust. If you do have any rusty patches, just go over the affected area with some wire wool, then use a grate polish to blacken up what you’ve just scrubbed over.

Don’t be tempted to clean your flue and your chimney yourself unless you know what you’re doing. A professional is the best person for this particular job.

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