Living room fireplaces and ideas for inspiration

Improve your home with cosy living room fireplaces that look stylish not only in winter but at any other time of year too. Perhaps nothing else creates a cosier atmosphere at home than the sight and sound of a crackling fire.

Living room fireplaces were once the traditional focal point of the room, where the whole household would sit after a long day to chat, warm up and enjoy pleasant family time together. Today, the television has taken over this role. 

Living room fireplaces are coming back into fashion, though, and they can create the perfect hygge vibe in any home. If you would like a fireplace at home and are looking for ideas and inspiration on how to do it, read on for a handful of creative options.

Living room fireplace ideas

Nowadays you can fit a fireplace in a house or even in a flat in a prefab block. Even if there is no real fire, a surround (mantelpiece and frame) styled with stacked logs, candles, plants and other accessories to imitate a real fireplace can be a great decorative feature in your living room.

Creative living room fireplace ideas can completely transform the whole room for a better, cosier feel. Whether you are restoring an old fireplace, installing a new one or simply creating the illusion of one, there are many ways to turn it into a striking centrepiece of the living room.

These ideas for different types of living room fireplaces are guaranteed to bring year-round warmth to your home.

Where to put a fireplace in the living room 

Fireplaces are rarely found anywhere other than the living room. After all, this is the room where people spend most of their time together during the day. A nice fireplace adds the cosy, family atmosphere you long for. But are you puzzling over which part of the room to put it in? 

The obvious choice is to place the fireplace in the middle of a living room wall, where you will find it in most traditional homes as a splendid focal point. A fireplace in the centre of the wall also gives you the most flexibility to highlight its surroundings with cladding or other decorative features.

Another popular modern location for a fireplace is in the middle of the room. A double-sided fireplace, where you can see the flames from both sides, works perfectly here. It lets you separate, for example, the living room from the kitchen or another room in an effective and elegant way.

There is perhaps nothing more contemporary than suspended fireplaces in the living room. So if you are a fan of modern design, consider installing a suspended fireplace. It suits a position in the middle of the room, or the fireplace can be set slightly away from the wall. Some models can also rotate, which gives you flexibility in directing heat to specific areas of the room.

Do you have an unloved corner at home? Try putting a tasteful corner fireplace there and you will soon love the space. What is more, you will have a great view from the sofa of both the fireplace and a large television next to it.

1. Fireplace with a stone backdrop

If you like combining a traditional look with modern design, try a stylish fireplace with rustic stone cladding. Clean straight lines bring a contemporary feel and natural stone adds a touch of history.

Traditional living room fireplace designs are meant to encourage pleasant family time, and this design does exactly that. Natural stone sets the perfect stage for the warm glow of a modern wood-burning fireplace or its artificial version. The crackle of burning logs is the icing on the cake. 

2. Traditional brick fireplace

You can also go back in time with colonial-style fireplaces from the past, surrounded by brick cladding. This creates a beautiful contrast between history and modern taste, as bricks combine old-world charm with a current trend. 

Fireplaces finished like this work well with a real fire as well as with an imitation alternative. They also create a perfectly cosy yet stylish atmosphere in any living room.

3. Marble fireplace with gold accents

If the Art Deco style is more to your taste, you will love this marble and gold fireplace design. It is a more luxurious type of fireplace design that suits modern living rooms. 

Living room fireplaces in this style are ideal for artificial versions. They work their magic with a perfect picture and sound. Place a modern television on the marble backdrop above the fireplace and you get modern elegance combined with the pleasant comfort of a fireplace.

4. Elegant black fireplace

Do you want to include a fireplace in a light, modern living room? Choose a dark fireplace and an elegant black surround. Dark shades create the perfect balance and contrast in the overall design of the room. 

A dark fireplace area in an otherwise light room stands out beautifully and catches everyone’s eye. It creates a dramatic feature in the living room, which is exactly what you want from a fireplace, as it is meant to be a proud focal point.

5. Cheerful colourful fireplace

Do you like boldness, cheerfulness and perhaps a bit of retro style? Do not be afraid to bring colour to your fireplace too. If you have fallen for the charm of colour, do not neglect your fireplace, which is a great opportunity to bring colourful fun into the living room.

Brighten up your home and show everyone your colourful pride in the living room. There is no need to be afraid of bold colours such as yellow, orange, red, pink, green or any other that comes to mind and is among your favourites.

6. Fireplace surrounded by plants

The best time to sit by the fire is in the winter months, when the days get shorter and the weather turns colder. So why not bring a little extra life into your home with houseplants that also complement your fireplace beautifully? 

Look for attractive plants that can cope with higher temperatures coming from a lit fireplace nearby. If you have a fake fireplace, you do not need to worry about this and can decorate the area around it with any plant.

🎓 Did you know? Real fireplaces and wood-burning stoves should not use the indoor air for combustion, especially in insulated, passive and low-energy houses. That is why there should always be an external air supply.

7. Fireplace enhanced with fairy lights

Even though the fireplace itself gives you enough light, how about enhancing it with a nice string of twinkling fairy lights? Does that sound crazy? Try it yourself and you will see that a tasteful string of lights gives the overall design a modern flair and a relaxed atmosphere.

You can easily play with this idea according to the current time of year. At Christmas, for example, reach for coloured lights that also suit Christmas trees, and in autumn you can choose a string of lights with glowing pumpkins or colourful leaves.

Try a second-hand fireplace

Sometimes you do not even need to buy a brand-new fireplace, even if you have never had one at home. Search high-street and online second-hand shops and you may find the perfect piece to restore exactly the way you want.

So if you are handy, skilful and enjoy doing things yourself, this option looks ideal for you. You will also save some extra money this way. It will only cost you time, a negligible price for the fireplace and a few crowns for materials.

Living room fireplaces can create the true atmosphere of a cosy home that every family looks for. Whether you are building your dream house or renovating, installing a fireplace is never a bad idea. You will see for yourself that you will not want to spend your free time anywhere else.

Simple, ornate, modern or traditional, fireplaces can look any way you like. The wide range of materials, design features and shapes available offers unlimited options for choosing the right fireplace to suit your style and preferences.