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DESIGN 101
Fireplace Ideas: Comprehensive Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Styles
A fireplace is not only functional — it can become the focal point of your home. Here are some fireplace ideas to consider to create the right atmosphere, as well as some practical tips for choosing the right unit.
Different Types of Fireplaces
There’s a style of fireplace for every kind of home. It’s also possible to upgrade or renovate an older fireplace to meet newer standards of safety and convenience. Here’s what’s out there for you to consider.
Fireplace insert
A fireplace insert is like a self-contained stove. It’s a fireproof box that you place inside your existing fireplace. It vents from the bottom. This simple option is usually a fairly quick installation. It’s a way to update your existing wood-burning fireplace with an insert that might be fueled by gas, wood, or electricity.
Built-in fireplace with mantel
A built-in fireplace integrates the fireplace with the wall of the home. The fireplace is attached to a chimney that releases smoke into the air, but the chimney might be completely hidden from the inside perspective. The wall might appear flat, with the fireplace flush up against it. Alternatively, the chimney area might extend from the wall by about a foot. Most built-in fireplaces come with a mantel, which is a shelf above the combustible part of the unit.
Gas stove
A gas stove is a modern take on the fireplace. It’s powered by propane or natural gas. There’s no need for a chimney, making this option ideal for smaller spaces or newer homes. The until will require ventilation, but if that’s done properly, a gas stove won’t produce harmful smoke or fumes.
Electric fireplace
The electric fireplace does not require a fuel source — electricity uses a heating coil, ceramic plate, or infrared technology to create warmth and flames. It can be the primary heat source in a room without the ash and sparks of a wood-burning fire. There’s no smoke or fumes and it's an excellent way to create ambiance.
Which fireplace is right for you?
Traditional wood-burning fireplaces aren’t efficient for heating your home, but they might create the ambiance you are looking for. A gas-fueled insert is about 70 to 80 percent efficient for heating. A gas stove offers similar efficiency if you don’t have an existing fireplace. There’s less heat from an electric fireplace compared to the other options, but it can create the cozy living room feel you may be after.
What’s an Outdoor Fireplace?
An outdoor fireplace is one way to elevate your home decor in the backyard or on the patio. The unit is a custom-built or purpose-built pit or heater that gives you the temperature increase you need during chilly evenings, along with the calming and social atmosphere that comes from a campfire.
Types of outdoor fireplaces
Outdoor fireplaces come in two general types: fire pits and heaters.
Fire pits
Fire pits are pieces of furniture purpose-built to contain a burning element. They take the form of metallic bowls, stands, or tables that you can use to create a flame.
Heaters
These are not fire-producing items, but are an invaluable outdoor heat source. They are typically electric-powered.
Fireplace Ideas: Room Aesthetic
If you’ve got a fireplace in your home, you can use it to help create the mood you want according to your style preference.
Glamorous and metallic
A glamorous and metallic aesthetic could combine a built-in fireplace with a black metal frame with a stone wall or mantel.
Warm cottagecore
The warm cottagecore look could combine the trappings of a wood-burning fireplace with a supply of wood nearby, along with comfortable, cotton-padded seating.
Sleek modern
A sleek and modern look can combine simple lines, such as a built-in fireplace with a silver metallic frame, within a modern standalone pillar of natural stone.
Regal and traditional
A regal and traditional look can combine other room elements that signal old-world class, like a traditional chandelier and high-backed upholstered seating.
Fireplace Ideas: Living Room Layout
Once you have an idea of your aesthetic, decide how to feature your fireplace within the living room layout.
Fireplace focal point
To make the fireplace the focal point, you typically place it in the center of the room. The sofa and chairs might run at a 90-degree angle to the fireplace.
Cozy nook
To create a cozy nook, you’ll strategically place your chairs and couch in front of the fireplace, so the warmth and sound of the fire are behind you.
Off-centered
In an off-centered layout, the fireplace might be flush up against one wall at a 90-degree angle. This gives particular prominence to what’s featured on the wall on the other side of the fireplace, such as shelves of books, sculptures, and other decor items.
Symmetrical conversation lounge
To use the fireplace as a welcoming spot for conversation, consider symmetry on either side of the fireplace. Identical chairs can sit on either side of the fireplace, facing each other, so people who use the chairs can have a quiet talk with the fire to their sides.
Practical and rustic
The rustic fire is a traditional and wood-burning source of heat. In addition to having seating around the fire, make space for fire pokers, wood, and other tools to clean the space and the chimney.
Fireplace Mantel Ideas
One benefit of having a fireplace is the additional space it gives you above the mantel. Here are just a few ideas.
Statement art piece
If you’ve lately been to an auction and secured a stunning, one-of-a-kind original, there might be no better place to put it than above the mantel. It serves as an attention-grabbing focal point and a conversation starter in the room.
Entertainment center
There's no better way to enjoy a fireplace than with friends and family, or even as a solo night in, curled up and streaming your favorite program. You can place a television above the mantel, creating an ideal viewing spot no matter the season.
Seasonal showcase
During holidays, particularly those in the winter months, people frequently display mementos of years past, or letters and correspondence from friends and loved ones. A fireplace mantel is one place to put your holiday cards, stockings, figurines, and decor.
Eclectic collection
The fireplace mantel can also be the spot where you show a little bit of yourself and your own personality. Consider using this space for your own artwork, say a piece of sculpture you made in an evening pottery class, alongside your favorite pillar candles and flower vases. The choice is yours and you can find the right balance of items to fit your personal aesthetic.
Mirror wall
A mirror wall is a dramatic addition to any prominent wall in your home. It features mirrors of different shapes and sizes, with unique and distinct frames on display. It has the effect of making a living room look bigger, even when the mirrors are perched above the mantel. Consider how you can mix and match mirrors, scouring thrift stores and antique sales to find some interesting pieces.
Plant display
Greenery has a place inside many homes and a mantel is a convenient shelf to put small plants. You might mix and match larger and smaller plants or opt for a symmetrical look, with plants of the same size on either end. Of course, there’s no harm in including decor plants that aren’t alive in this display; it can cut back on your watering duties!
Gallery wall
A different take on the mirror wall, the gallery wall follows a similar concept. Except this time, instead of mirrors, it’s pictures. The traditional gallery wall features framed photos of different sizes, but it can also include artwork or even hung sculpture pieces. For the area above a mantel, in a room where friends and family might gather, a gallery wall can provide a sense of comfort and home.
Making the Fireplace Your Own
A fireplace can be the anchor for your own personal home style. Make effective use of the fireplace mantel and arrange your room to make it a focal point.