Fireplace Ideas
After fireplace ideas? As seasons change and cold nights creep slowly in its time to think about heating your home. And, what is more cosy and inviting than a fireplace and the flickering flames of an open fire? Whether it is real or artificial, an ambient glow will give your room a warming and appealing atmosphere.
Our fireplace ideas can be incorporated into both contemporary and more traditional room scheme. And though most apply to the living room, there’s no reason they can’t inspire other spaces like a bedroom hallway or open-plan dining area.
Keep things elegant with marble
Marble is the perfect choice for a fireplace. It is resistant to heat and fire, meaning you can light the fire all winter long without worrying about any damage. Marble is perfect for creating a sleek modern look. It can be expensive, but the versatility and longevity of marble makes it is a great investment.
Add character with exposed brick
If you have inherited a fireplace already fitted with a heating element, rather than tearing it out immediately check to see if it is still safe to use and work with it. This old heating element and exposed brick fireplace add character to this otherwise modern living room. It is a lovely focal point that offers a nod to the history of the house.
Create a modern, industrial look
Has your original fireplace been ripped out? It’s relatively affordable to commission your own in cast concrete, for a surround that has all the character or marble or stone without the expense. Pops of orange fire up the neutral background when the stove itself isn’t flickering.
Match your fireplace to your walls
Fireplaces can sometimes stand out for all the wrong reasons. So if you want yours to blend in, paint it to match the walls around it. This is particularly effective if you go for a deep colour rather than a pale neutral. Pick out the tone in soft furnishings but make sure there’s enough ‘light’ to contrast with the shad to avoid overkill. Here, a grey stove and sofa with metallic furniture do the job brilliantly.
Work in a woodburning stove
Fireplace alcove not in use? Iinstall a log burning stove. It will create wonderfully cosy centrepiece and will heat the whole area. Be sure to enlist the help of a trained contractor who will make sure the structure is safe and built to the latest regulations. The results as seen here in this quaint country living room are stunning and can be enjoyed from all angles of the room.
Dress an inglenook
Large open fireplaces or Inglenooks as they are often known are the ultimate indulgence for cottage living. They were originally used in houses to cook, and for people to gather in for extra warmth but these days they are purely decorative and atmospheric.
Their grand appearance is the epitome of rustic cosiness and looks the part amongst beamed ceilings and comfortable sofas. You need to have sufficient permanent ventilation into the room to ensure that the fire can work safely with a good draught up the flue.
Decorate the mantel
Ever wondered where the living room furniture pointed before the days of the TV? Although many have been neglected or ripped out completely, the fireplace is gaining gravitas once more thanks to our current love of all things heritage.
Whether offering a place for your wine glass at a party to perching a family portrait, the mantel itself has long reflected each era of design. Use a bare mantel to display your favourite objects – a sure fire (get it?!) way to cheer you up on a dull, dreary day.
Select specific items to make more of a statement – oversized letters to spell out kid’s names looks great, or use the wall above to position a large scale print and leave the mantle free.
Fill your fireplace with shelving
If you have a small fireplace that no longer houses a fire or has been blocked up and plastered over, why not use it as an alcove for shelving to fill an unwelcome gap? This works particularly well in bedrooms for storing books, and also in kitchens by creating extra space for pretty displays.
Pop storage into the niche
If you’re lucky enough to have a big fireplace that is no longer in use, take advantage of the tailor-made niche in which to house a freestanding cupboard. Rather than have a built-in design, which can be an expensive project, ready- made furniture is a great alternative. Especially effective if you paint it the same colour as the alcove and the surrounding walls, blending the whole look together.
Fill in the gaps with logs
Fill an unused fireplace with logs for an eye-catching display. Fire wood is making a rustic style statement this season. Stacked and styled with an interior designer’s eye, the storage of this humble heat source is also the ‘hot’ new way to bring a textural element into the winter home.
Light up your fire
An exposed brick chimney breast is a popular decorative fireplace style right now. It demands attention, adds texture and lends itself well to not only rustic but modern schemes as it gives a nod to the industrial trend. It particularly looks the part in this relaxed living room as creates a focal point and balances the eclectic scheme. If your fireplace is not in use, light up the hearth with a quirky novelty LED letter light as an extra highlight.
Adorn your fireplace with foraged foliage
Give those Sunday afternoon walks extra purpose by taking the opportunity to forage in the hedgerows for pretty foliage to adorn your fireplace. Slip your secateurs in your pocket and be on the look-out for ivy, rose hips, eucalyptus, yew and box cuttings. As well as looking pretty, they’ll double as kindling.
ideal home: Fireplace ideas for warm and cosy nights in this winter. 18. Oktober 2020. https://www.idealhome.co.uk/living-room/living-room-ideas/fireplace-ideas-52334
