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A fire extinguisher is no good without extinguisher brackets, obviously. And a home isn’t really safe from the worst without a good fire extinguisher. But there’s a world of difference between a safe home and a home that most people enjoy spending their long days. Extinguisher brackets, smoke detectors, and other fire protection gear usually get the job done, but it’s a question of form versus function: the best-working equipment isn’t necessarily the best in terms of personal creativity and aesthetics. Is there a way to reconcile safety and style?

It takes some creativity to figure out how to turn your fire-safe home into an artistic statement. The key, as with any artistic project, is to turn technical limitations into opportunities. You have to have good fire extinguishers in your home–so why not decorate them, just as you would the rest of your home?

A fire extinguisher’s distinctive shape makes it ideal for certain creative projects. You might paint a farm scene on the wall and use the extinguisher, painted in chrome, as the grain silo. Or, if you’re in to military decor (camo nets, rifle displays, et cetera), a good stainless steel extinguisher makes an excellent missile display. If these don’t sound appealing, a simple coat of paint and a few good abstract or floral ideas can make even the most staid fire extinguisher into something fun for your guests to talk about. After all, who says fire extinguishers have to be red (outside of public places, of course?)

Extinguisher brackets are another necessary evil that you can turn into something fun. Christmas lights can be hung from the brackets to create a mysterious glow, or you might string garlands of flowers. The more adventurous creative types might even paint a gigantic lion face on the wall, the extinguisher brackets being the metal “teeth” protruding from the plaster–not necessarily recommended for people with household pets or easily-frightened children.

With all of these ideas, keep in mind one fundamental thing: reconciling function and form is great, but don’t ever let form overshadow function. Your elaborate extinguisher diorama may be a wonderful and weird conversation piece, but it won’t do you a bit of good when you actually need the extinguisher to put out a small kitchen blaze and you have to spend minutes dismantling your elaborate assembly. Keep your designs simple, stylish, and above all, usable. That way, you’ll have the best of both worlds: you’ll be safe from fires, and you’ll be safe from a dull home environment as well. That’s turning a limitation into an opportunity, and that’s all we can hope for in this world.