Inspiration for making a faux fireplace

Living in a high-rise flat doesn’t really bother you, but you’d still love a faux fireplace? The advantage of this kind of fireplace is that there will be no mess around it. If you get a traditional fireplace, you have to keep a supply of firewood. With a faux fireplace, you are spared that.  

How to create a faux fireplace

If you decide on a faux fireplace, you first need to make room for it. Think of it as an interesting piece of furniture that needs a little space around it. Otherwise it wouldn’t stand out as much. Some people may find it pointless, as it doesn’t actually serve its original purpose. But believe us, it can really lift a flat. Not to mention romantic candlelit evenings. It suits both modern and rustic interiors.

You can buy a faux fireplace mantel for a few thousand. You can also have one built in brick or assembled. Unless there’s a bricklayer in your family who will do it for you “for a kind word”, building work is more expensive. The second option is therefore much simpler. Plasterboard and wood work well for the mantel structure. You can create decorative details with mouldings and then paint the whole mantel in a colour of your choice. You can manage this yourself. Joiners can also make fireplace mantels. You can also choose granite or stone, for example.

If you like improvising, try making a mantel yourself from an old cabinet and plywood. You can cover the inside of the cabinet with brick-effect or stone-effect wallpaper, cut the front of the fireplace from plywood and nail it on in place of the doors. Paint it any colour you like, glue on artificial stucco and your striking decoration is finished.

Logs and candles replace the fire

The depth of the mantel determines how much space you will have for placing things on top and how deep any faux hearth will be. Perhaps you want your faux fireplace to look as authentic as possible. In that case, allow for a depth of at least the length of the logs you will stack inside. You can also place fireplace tools next to a faux fireplace like this. You can then put anything on a wide mantel. If the mantel is very ornate, choose simpler decorations, and vice versa. A simple design can be lifted by a large-format painting or mirror, for example.

The narrow space under the mantel can also be used nicely. A crackling fire can be fully replaced by lots of identical candles of different heights. A faux fireplace has a place not only in a high-rise flat but also in family houses. Quite simply, it’s the easier choice.

Bioethanol faux fireplace

A bioethanol fireplace, sometimes also called an ethanol fireplace or bio fireplace, will bring cosiness to your home. And how does this kind of fireplace work? Its main fuel is bioethanol, which produces no soot, ash or smoke when burned. When it burns, carbon dioxide and water vapour are released into the air, which are not harmful, but you should still pay attention to the quality of the fuel.

Remember that bioethanol should not smell. Ventilating the room briefly and often is also recommended. These fireplaces are made in a wide range of sizes, from the smallest up to models for large living rooms. They can be hung on a wall or suspended in the room, placed on the floor, a table or a shelf, or built into a niche. To complete the atmosphere perfectly, you can buy accessories for the fireplace, such as ceramic logs that imitate wood.

Electric faux fireplace

An electric imitation fireplace has the same basic features as a bioethanol fireplace. It creates a perfect illusion of flames, whose intensity and size you can easily adjust, it needs no flue to a chimney, and you can choose from a wide range of classic and modern designs. Choose from freestanding, wall-mounted.

Compared with a bioethanol fireplace, it has two extra advantages. The first is easier use and the second is easy maintenance. You simply plug an electric faux fireplace into a socket and dust it every now and then, or polish the glass.

Faux fireplace made from boxes or polystyrene

If you are creative enough and want an original solution, make a faux fireplace yourself. The fireplace frame can serve as decoration, or you can build a bioethanol or electric fireplace into it. You have a wide range of options. You can make a faux fireplace from boxes, polystyrene, plasterboard, bricks or laminated chipboard. It can be clad with wood, tiles or stones. To make it fit perfectly into your interior, decorate it with dried flowers or colourful autumn leaves, LED fairy lights, vases, candles and candlesticks, old paintings, vintage accessories, decorative grilles or wicker baskets.

After reading our article, take a look at our other wooden fence inspiration, how to make your own fire pit, or the pros and cons of a dog-friendly office.