Take your spaces from cool to cosy with 10 fireplace ideas that add warmth and style to your home
1. Scale Up
This farmhouse’s rustic charm (above) is largely due to the central fireplace — a feature that matches the scale of the room by elevating the hearth to eye level. Historically, the hearth was raised off the floor and served as both fireplace and stove.
Get the look Interior designer Gregory Mellor used bricks and mortar, plastered with tinted lime and mixed with Cretestone.
2. Balanced Blaze
Designed by world-renowned fireplace creator Dominique Imbert, the ceiling-suspended, wood-burning Ergofocus fireplace will add a striking sculptural element to your home. A glass plate can be fitted below as a precautionary measure for any wood embers that may fall out, but this is only necessary when the floor is made from wood or any other combustible material.
Get the look The Ergofocus is available exclusively from Beauty Fires.
3. Cool and Compact
Photograph: Greg Cox
The neat and inconspicuous look of this fireplace unit blends in perfectly in this modern and industrial urban apartment, which was designed by Malica Design, while also saving space.
Get the look The state-of-the-art Morsø 6 140 wood-burning stove has a user-friendly one-handle system for controlling the air supply.
4. Modern Marble
Photograph: Bjorn Wallander
The ultimate in old-world glamour, this carved veined-marble fireplace pops against a backdrop of dramatic teal. Pairing traditional designs with a bright colour is the perfect way to update a classic look.
Get the look If your home did not come complete with an original Victorian-style surround, but you really want one, visit Antiques & Heritage of Europe for a custom-carved solution. There’s a variety of white marble available, but ask for one with a dark vein to best achieve the look.
5. Cosy Up
Photograph: Interior Design by Veere Grenney
Take your bedroom space to the next level by introducing a built-in hearth for those cold winter weekends, when staying in bed is the wisest option.
Get the look To make sure it doesn’t feel out of place in summer, a sleek, discreet design is best. Choose from a number of built-in styles by Calore and ask for the unit to be encased in an insulation board, such as Promat, which will protect the longevity of your surrounding cabinetry. Consider framing yours with an understated neutral finish — such as a grey-marble or sandstone tiles from Natural Stone Warehouse— to add an extra layer to your scheme.
6. Eye Candy
Photograph: Derry Moore
Ensure your fireplace makes a visual statement by boxing it in a protruding wall. Paint the wall in a contrasting colour to the rest — a lighter hue will make it stand out against a darker backdrop.
Get the look From a structural perspective, if the boxed-out wall does not go all the way to the ceiling, as this one does, consider the location and direction of the fireplace flue — it may need to be set back into the original wall. Alternatively, use a vent-free gas option from Beauty Fires.
7. Divide and Conquer
Photograph: Dvid O. Marlo
If you have the luxury of space, consider compartmentalising a large room with a dividing fireplace feature in order to create two smaller areas that both benefit from the warmth of the flames.
Get the look Try Chad-O-Glo for a selection of options that can be built in to suit your home.
8. Delicate Display
Photograph: James Gardiner
A fireplace is often the spot to gather around and relax with family and friends. It’s also a good way to keep your home’s decor scheme new and fresh by seasonally changing the styling around it.
Get the look For carved wooden fireplace surrounds similar to this one, visit The Fireplace Shoppe.
9. Material Mix
Photograph: Eugeni Pons
Try something different by installing a striking angular flue like this one. It will catch and direct your fire’s smoke, but will also provide a focal point for the eye.
Get the look Locally, you can find similar versions of freestanding options in both traditional and modern designs from Heatwave.
