70 Fireplace Ideas to Bring the Coziest Vibes to Your Space
As the mercury drops, nothing holds as much appeal as curling up in front of a crackling fire, hot toddy in hand and the nip of winter at bay. And while your fireplace might be the prime spot to cozy up, hearth and home (to borrow an old aphorism) obviously go hand-in-hand as far as decor is concerned. A mantel, be it bold or traditional, is, naturally, a glowing focal point for your living room, bedroom, or patio. So how do you go about transforming your existing fireplace or designing one from scratch in a way that feels at once functional but has that wow factor?
We’ve been seeing mantels trend bolder (dare we say hotter?) than ever before. Even so, says ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer, it’s best to keep things classic when designing a timeless fireplace. “The key to any successful contemporary design is to limit the number of materials used and let them be the story,” he says. In a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, for example, the designer paired a bold Calacatta Viola surround with sky-blue trim that matched the room’s walls. “Many of our clients don't want traditional mantels anymore,” Boozer continues, noting he tends to steer clear of clichéd materials like stone and brick. “They opt for a flatter profile with nothing distracting from the hearth and surround; this allows the fire to be the focus.”
If you’re working on a budget, there are plenty of DIY solutions to give your mantel that special spark. “Any mantel can be gessoed to achieve a plaster finish. You can buy gesso at any art store, and it looks just like plaster,” says Toronto-based interior designer Colette van den Thillart. “Paint remains the cheapest way to refresh anything,” affirms Boozer. If you have an old mantel, try painting it the same color as the walls. This will make it look fresh and new.”
And if all else fails, says van den Thillart, “Place a basket of logs beside any gas or electric (or even empty!) hearth, as it renders the effect more cozy and inviting.”
For more ideas sure to ignite the imagination, we’ve turned to the ELLE DECOR archive for our 70 most stylish fireplace ideas. Now, fire it up!
Copper-Hued Fireplace
The brief for this perfectly-rustic Montana winter home was a "kind of French boho ski chalet" and the Los Angeles-based designer firm Commune totally delivered. The living room got a unique folded chimney breast designed by artist Brian Robles and clad in copper plaster—proof you don't need to rely on brick alone for a homey hearth.
Art Deco-Inspired Marble Fireplace
When creating this sumptuous Milan apartment, ELLE DECOR A-List architect Hannes Peer looked to the Italian city's design heritage. That inspo was carried through in the gorgeous Giallo Siena marble fireplace, whose geometric lines of concentric rectangles were inspired by the Art Deco movement.
Sculptural Plaster Fireplace
This is the New York furniture showroom of ELLE DECOR A-List designer Pierre Yovanovitch, but it's pretty much our dream home. Anchoring the room is an original fireplace, which Yavanovitch covered in plaster and gave a gorgeously curvaceous silhouette, a look that feels retro and fresh at the same time.
Blue-Bordered Fireplace
It's safe to say that ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer is the king of using paint color creatively and this living room, in a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, proves it. Here, Boozer covered the walls in Benjamin Moore's Harbor Haze and painted the trim surrounding the fireplace in a slightly darker hue. The simple move makes it feel unified with the framed artwork that surrounds it.
Spanish Revival Fireplace
This 1928 Los Feliz home, recently revitalied by Joe Lucas, featured beautiful Spanish Revival bones. Lucas left the fireplace intact, painted it white, and incorporated layers of texture and artwork. Above the mantel, he hung a sculpture acquired through the Los Angeles antiques dealer JF Chen. Instead of a painting, why not do something similar with the real estate above your mantel?
Muted Blue Fireplace
Design power couple Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus certainly knew how to set the mood in this Montecito, California estate. They painted the entire living area—fireplace included!— in a dusty shade of blue. Try the monochrome strategy for yourself by using Portolo Paints’ Sirene shade.
Mirrored Tile Fireplace
One of the boldest moves designer Pierre Gonalons made in this 1970s-inspired Paris apartment was cladding the chimney breast in gradated glass panels that are backed in copper, brass, and silver leaf. “My idea was to give the impression that a fire had burned the mirror at the bottom,” he told us.
Beaded Fireplace
Beads aren’t just for your favorite bracelet. Here, in an Atlanta home, designer Jessica Davis brought the millegrain look to the plaster fireplace surround. We have a feeling this is a trend that’s bound to bubble up...
Midcentury Cone Fireplace
For a look as groovy as it is graceful, consider a cone fireplace, à la this corner in designer Carol Egan’s midcentury-modern dream house. Because it’s freestanding, this fireplace (which is original to the house) allowed Egan to create a bold gallery wall directly behind it.
Muted Fireplace
Muted can be mighty chic, as designer David Lucido proves in this soft-spoken Los Angeles home. By matching the fireplace to the cream-colored walls and choosing warming, tan hues for the floor and ceiling, you feel like you’re sandwiched inside the world’s most glamorous s’more.
Raspberry Marble Fireplace
Bold Breccia Arrabida marble? Check. Bold raspberry paint job? Check. This idea, courtesy Alton Bechara, leans into a maximalist mantel—and then some. “I told them that I really like pink,” the homeowner says. Dreams do come true!
Historic Hearth Fireplace
Alyse Archer-Coité amped up the country charm in her 1770 upstate–New York house by painting her kitchen hearth in a happy shade of blue. The shelf is the perfect venue to showing off her ceramics collection.
Room-Spanning Fireplace
Fireplaces are typically reserved as a sitting room’s focal point, but we love how this one, in a West Vancouver, British Columbia, mother-daughter pad designed by PlaidFox, quite literally spreads the love with its room-spanning marble surround.
Beaux-Arts Fireplace
We can’t all live in a home as grand as this (it used to belong to newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer) but we can certainly admire its wedding cake levels of decoration. Designer Jean Liu, the owner of this unbelievable pied-à-terre, leaned into the aesthetic of the original marble mantel a vintage bust and a pair of antique candlesticks.
Lime Fireplace
This Belgian manor may have once been a medieval hunting lodge, but Jean-Philippe Demeyer injected it with plenty of color and whimsy. If you’re feeling brave, why not paint your fireplace in a similar lime green?
Midcentury Brick Fireplace
If your home features amazing period features—like this midcentury exposed-brick, asymmetrical fireplace in a home ELLE DECOR A-Lister Garrett Hunter designed for his parents—leave them be and let the decor do the work. Here, accessories like Francis Jourdain chairs, a rug by J. James Akston, and an artwork by Irmgard Arvin make the space feel refined, not retro.
Steel-Clad Fireplace
Leave it to Andre Herrero, cofounder of the architecture and design studio Charlap Hyman & Herrero, to give us a fireplace that’s as cool as it is cerebral. In his girlfriend’s West Hollywood apartment, he clad the fireplace in stainless steel panels, a move that hides the TV and also nods to the Paris home of Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux.
Wainscot-Backed Fireplace
What could be cozier than a fireplace? A fireplace with wainscoting behind it! The designers at Istanbul-based firm Sanayi313 brought extra warmth to this stately sitting room via earthy plaster finishes and travertine floors.
Blue Marble Fireplace
If you want your fireplace to be the glowing center of the room, try painting your surrounding walls in a dark hue, à la Nicole Hollis in this San Francisco stunner. She selected a dazzling blue-veined marble slab and topped the look off with a tondo by artist Doug Aitken.
Pooch-Perfect Fireplace
Adding a few strategic accessories is a simple way to take your mantel to the next level. Here, designer Tom Scheerer used a matching set of plants, a trio of framed artworks, and a lean mirror to give the fireplace roof-raising impact. As if the adorable dog hadn’t already won us over.
Banquette-Surrounded Fireplace
Talk about a hot seat! In this redwood-tree-surrounded residence, designer Noz Nozawa flanked the fireplace with two cozy seating nooks. They add symmetry while providing the perfect place to curl up with a book.
Bas-Relief Fireplace
Transform your chimney breast into a work of art via artful tiles or panels. In her New York showroom, designer Laura Gonzalez specified one that has the quality of an organic bas-relief artwork.
Crisp White Fireplace
Even if you’re the type to color way outside the lines as far as interiors are concerned, it’s smart to leave some blank space. In the case of this polychromatic New York home, designer Katie Ridder painted both the ceiling and fireplace in a crisp white, a move that keeps the maximalist look light.
Mirrored Fireplace
We love the space-doubling qualities of mirrors for small rooms. Why not bring the strategy to your fireplace? Studio Dorion covered this chimney breast in a Brooklyn home with mirrored panels, a look that transforms the antique fireplace into something edgy and fresh.
Asymmetrical Fireplace
This Ibiza home has a delightfully asymmetrical fireplace to fit the room’s idiosyncratic shape. Casa Munoz embraced these eccentricities by incorporating equally akimbo accessories. Nobody’s perfect, but this room comes pretty close, imho.
Extra-Large Mirror Fireplace
You can hang a mirror over your fireplace or—if you’re as dramatic as Paris-based designer Sarah Dray—you can use a reflective surface to completely swallow your fireplace. This look’s taking “fireplace surround” quite literally.
Black Tile Fireplace
Now here’s a look that brings the drama! In the remodel of a generic farmhouse, architect Frederick Tang gravitated towards striking contrast. So, working with his firm’s director of interiors, Barbara Reyes, he clad the entire fireplace in oblong black tiles. “At first the clients weren’t sure about redesigning the fireplace,” says Reyes, “but when they saw the possibility of what it could be they were super excited.”
Low-Slung Bedroom Fireplace
It’s always snuggle time in this cozy Long Island bedroom. Here, the peaked ceiling gives the feeling of being tucked into a rustic lodge while the low-slung inset fireplace brings the heat. Top it off with a painting by Lucy Dodd and you’ve got the sleeping space of your dreams.
Elegant Stenciled Fireplace
Sure you can paint your entire mantel, but why not view it as a creative canvas? Here, in an exuberant Aspen home with interiors by Patrick Mele, the fireplace features a whimsical classical design.
Focal Point Fireplace
When in doubt (or when your security deposit is at stake), a bold mirror is a foolproof way to add some drama to your fireplace. And what could be more dramatic than this gleaming, golden mirror by Dutch design powerhouse Sabine Marcelis? San Francisco design firm Homework shows us how it’s done in this Pacific Heights manse.
Rustic Stone Fireplace
White is a color for all seasons, but it can be especially cozy in the wintertime. Photographer William Waldron leaned into winter whites in his Hudson Valley farmhouse by painting his stone fireplace in the bright hue. With the rustic timber ceiling overhead and the roaring flames, we couldn’t picture anything more inviting.
Green Painted Fireplace
Want to enhance your fireplace without breaking the bank? Try painting the surround in an intriguing color. Here, designer Schuyler Samperton shows us how it’s done in a bohemian beach house. In this case, the fireplace got a rich coat of Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green.
Rustic Wood Mantel Fireplace
This Provincetown, Massachusetts, house began its life as a fishing shack, and its current owners wanted to maintain that seafaring history. In fact, the living room was modeled after a ship’s saloon, with its English Art Deco chairs and vintage wood mantel—a scheme that practically shouts “Ahoy, there!”
Reclaimed Fireplace
This dining area, in the Brooklyn home of ELLE DECOR’s very own executive editor, Ingrid Abramovitch, proves the power of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” The period-perfect marble mantel was actually a salvage score.
Black Marble Fireplace
Contemporary and cozy needn’t be mutually exclusive, as designer Augusta Hoffman expertly proves. In the primary bedroom of her own New York apartment, the sculptural black marble fireplace stands out against a caramel-colored wallcovering—textures and hues that match the adjacent 1940s Loro Piana–upholstered chairs.
Room-Heightening Fireplace
“I was like, ‘Oh god, I’m stuck in the ’80s,’” ELLE DECOR A-List designer Alfredo Paredes recalled when he first set eyes on this Vermont ski house. The living room fireplace, however, sparked an opportunity to conduct a chic rescue. Paredes coated the mantel and chimney breast in black Venetian plaster to add “something dramatic” amid the snowy slopes and all-white walls.
Parisian Fireplace
When we showcased this Parisian pad in our March 2023 issue, we described it as Haussmannian architecture on an acid trip. But to keep the room from getting too out of this world, its designers, Uchronia, left the stately marble fireplace as is—proof you shouldn’t mess with a good thing.
Rustic Kitchen Fireplace
We’re burning with envy over this rustic fireplace in architect Celeste Robbins’s kitchen. In fact, the home boasts several fireplaces that are original to this midcentury gem, and Robbins left them exactly as they were. A stockpile of logs keeps the vibe cozy, regardless of the season.
Jungle Tile Fireplace
No boring bricks here! In this incredibly chic Paris pad, designer Eric Allart tapped Portuguese, Brussels-based ceramist Bela Silva to create the beautiful tile fireplace surround, inspired by waving leaves in a tropical rainforest. And with a complementary rug, this look is parfait.
Matching Moody Fireplace
We love how designer Colette van den Thillart matched the marble on the fireplace surround to the inky lacquered walls in this cozy den in Toronto. The rich palette and roaring fire make for a chic, and cozy, combo.
Sunburst Fireplace
In the same Toronto residence, van den Thillart approached the living room fireplace like a work of art. She specifically looked to two historical hearths in creating this design, Renzo Mongiardino’s mantel for Elsa Peretti and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s fireplace. “The original mantel let the room down, while this is more of a sculpture,” the designer tells us.
Angular Fireplace
Design studio PlaidFox worked with this Vancouver home’s existing architecture in designing the ’70s-chic fireplace. This one’s clad in red and pink Italian terra-cotta tile by Mutina. Add curved furnishings and a walnut piano, et voilà—instant coziness.
Classical Fireplace
You can’t mess with a classic. Designers Jaime Drake and Caleb Anderson certainly didn’t in this century-old home outside New York City. Here, they allowed the antique fireplace to shine, but painted the walls in a salmon-y plaster and rolled out a matching carpet.
Minimalist Fireplace
Architect Raëd Abillama cites Tadao Ando as one of his biggest influences, so it’s no surprise that his minimalist Lebanon home has a fireplace to match. This one, with its see-through surround and monolithic flue, feels like a work of art.
Traditional Mantel, Untraditional Room
When interior designer Elizabeth Mollen first moved into this Chicagoland Tudor, it was dark and oppressive. To lighten the move, she preserved traditional details—like this fireplace–but amped them up with contrasting colors, as with the black mantel and the cheery blue paint coating the rest of the room.
Mirrored Fireplace
Designers Miles Redd and David Kahoi filled this New York mansion with Gilded Age elegance, a vibe that literally applies to the fireplace wall and its opulent gold mirror. An artwork by Jack Massey brings the look into the present day.
All-White Mantel
This century-old home used to belong to Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn. Today it has been transformed into the Los Angeles outpost of the Future Perfect, and period details, like the grand fireplace, are the backdrop for contemporary art and design. To give your space an elevated “white cube” feel, paint your walls and mantel the same tint of white.
Glossy Black Fireplace
When Martin Cooper and Karen Suen-Cooper purchased this 1790s Federal-style farmhouse, they wanted to give it a sense of a “storied past.” No better example than with the glossy black fireplace, whose inviting flames match the persimmon-colored Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper.
Jet Black Marble Fireplace
This Houston home may be virtually brand new, but designer Elizabeth Young worked to imbue it with historic grandeur. In the salonlike living room, that meant installing a jet-black fireplace that matched the dark flooring, a look that feels Old World but oh-so-contemporary.
Bookshelf Fireplace
Let’s face it: Some of us might be lucky enough to have a fireplace in our apartment, but it was blocked up a long time ago due to code restrictions. Do as designer Robert Couturier did in this effortless Manhattan home and transform yours into an alternative bookshelf. Bonus: The surrounding artworks help mediate the mantel’s scale.
Coral Gables Chic Fireplace
It was love at first sight when designer Natalia Miyar found this 1925 Italian-country-style house in Coral Gables, Florida. She maintained and restored all the original details, including the conical fireplace, but brought in her own punchy design sensibility with the rattan furnishings and pops of hothouse hues.
English Country Fireplace
If your house has original period details, as with Toast CEO Suzie de Rohan Willner’s Oxfordshire, England, country home, embrace them! Here, she painted the original Georgian surround in Tarlatan by Paint & Paper Library to match the walls. Artful accessories on the mantel keep the look from becoming cottage-cutesie.
Grand Harlem Fireplace
The overall vibe in this Manhattan home, featured in the ELLE DECOR archive, is “Miss Havisham Meets Harlem,” according to homeowner Warner Johnson. If you have a similarly historic home, emphasize your original mantel by painting the walls an eye-catching hue and the surround a crisp white.
Low-Slung Contemporary Fireplace
If traditional isn’t your vibe, go for an ultracontemporary fireplace, like this long-and-lean one in a Long Island home designed by architect Blaze Makoid with interiors by Joe Nahem. Bonus: Logs can be tucked in the cubby beneath, a nice aesthetic echo to the curved custom sofa.
Antique Italian Limestone Fireplace
Designer Ken Fulk refuses to stop at anything short of perfection, which is why he went as far as importing this gorgeous antique limestone mantel from Italy to complete the look of this cinematic Sonoma, California, estate. “As we begin with every project, I create these movies in my head,” explains Fulk. Cue the Oscar nomination!
Basketweave Tile Fireplace
Eschew standard glazed tiles and choose something more textured, like this subtle basketweave in a Hamptons home designed by Tim Godbold. The original bedroom fireplace especially comes to life against the pair of Claude Conover glazed earthenware vessels from the homeowner’s collection that sit prominently in front.
Architecture-Inspired Fireplace
In the same East Hampton, New York, house, Godbold designed this custom Roma travertine surround to evoke the buildings of British architect David Chipperfield. ”It’s really quite brilliant,” Godbold says.
Dual-Tone Victorian Fireplace
To give your fireplace additional depth, try painting your mantel’s facing in a complementary shade to the surround. Here, in his West Virginia Victorian, landscape architect Thomas Woltz went with a cool and a warm gray.
Smoke Gray Fireplace
This monochrome look, in the Melbourne, Australia, home of stylist Simone Haag, is the perfect vanishing act: By painting the walls and fireplace in the same smoke gray shade, the home’s original ornate textures provide a sultry backdrop to Haag’s collection of vintage furnishings and objects.
Classic Brooklyn Fireplace
This trendy Brooklyn townhouse features a classic Brooklyn fireplace. Ishka Designs took the arched shape of the mantel and echoed it in the rugs, fixtures, and furnishings. “We love the principle of a circle,” says firm cofounder Niya Bascom. “There’s no beginning, no middle, no end—only constant growth.”
Mixed Materials Fireplace
Leave it to Michael K. Chen to create a fireplace that’s equal parts art and comfort. Here, in a Manhattan apartment, the architect combined gray marble, bleached walnut, and brass to design one of the most elegant and inventive fireplaces we’ve ever seen.
TV-Diminishing Fireplace
Not only is this framelike marble fireplace in a Brooklyn home designed by Delia Kenza effortlessly stylish, its scale also helps distract the eye from the TV above.
Collector’s Fireplace
Perhaps you live in a home where the fireplaces have long been sealed up. No fire? No problem. Use the mantel and former firebox as a place to stash your treasures, like art historian Carolina Vincenti did in her Rome apartment. Bonus points for a bold hue.
Corner Fireplace
Nobody puts baby in a corner, but it could be the perfect space for your fireplace. In his Los Angeles residence, Cliff Fong matched his mantel to the polished concrete floors for the perfect blend of tough and cozy.
Art Lover’s Fireplace
If you want your living room to exude a gallerylike feel, keep your fireplace minimal and go with all-white walls, like in Lisson Gallery CEO Alex Logsdail’s Hamptons home. This way, your art can shine.
Roaring Outdoor Fireplace
Fireplaces aren’t just for interiors. We especially love this welcoming Texas set-up, designed by architect Paul Lamb in a contemporary Austin ranch home.
Texas Chic Fireplace
The same rustic fireplace look extends to the home’s interiors, where warm adobelike finishes lend the room some serious Texas kick.
Vintage Cool Fireplace
If you have a wild vintage furniture collection, like Academy Award–winner Marisa Tomei, embrace a minimal mantel and neutral paint colors.
Stone Fireplace
Everything about this cozy California den, designed by Workshop/APD is easy on the eyes thanks to split-faced stacked stone walls, neutral furnishings, and the stone mantel.
Cozy Cabin Fireplace
Even if your decor skews minimal, your fireplace will bring plenty of hygge atmosphere. Take this kitchen located in a gorgeously converted lighthouse by Sally Mackereth. The all-white palette, dark accents, and humble furnishings make this the perfect respite from a chilly winter’s day.
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