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6 Fireplace Ideas to Warm Up Your Home

by Tina Gleisner, in Fireplaces

our new homeowner tips suggest completing most of the paperwork & repairs before you start decorating your new house

Everyone loves a fireplace so here are some fireplace ideas to fire you up! After all there's a saying that home is where the heart is and when it's cold outside, it's also true that home is where the hearth is?

Maybe that's not exactly right, but there is some truth to it. A beautiful fireplace can serve as a gathering place for your family. These fireplaces also provide the ideal entertainment spot for guests, especially on a cold winter night. So if you're not satisfied with how your current fireplace looks, here are a half dozen fireplace ideas to inspire you to update your fireplace.

fireplace ideas should fit your home's style from Victorian fireplaces shown here to more contemporary ones if that's your home's style

Fireplace Ideas from the Old World

These fireplaces add to the classic elegance of my Victorian house (100 year old house built in the 1890s). The brick fireplace (left) greets those entering the house with hallways that once allowed the fire's heat to move into the adjoining rooms (living room, dining room and kitchen) and up the stairs to the bedrooms.

The more elegant fireplace is located in the dining room. The rich wood trim matches the doors in the room, including dual pocket doors that open up into the living room.

Use your imagination to rethink what goes next to the fireplace as I always head to the fireplace at Panera's to get toasty warm on a cold, winter night.

sometimes you have to work with a fireplace you already have but don't like; old red brick fireplaces can be painted with white shown here, the most popular color for a painted fireplace

Red Brick or Painted White

Let's say you've got an old brick fireplace painted in a color you don't like, maybe a dull red, gray or brown brick. Why not paint the brick white? You can also dress it up with wood trim or a railroad tie to complete the look?

Finding and reusing old building materials is becoming more popular. You might find the perfect fireplace mantel for your home at a Habitat ReStore (for recycling gently used house fixtures) or an architectural salvage company.

These are simple updates you can make to a room that is casually furnished in neutral tones. The right fireplace mantel will give your room some sizzle while leaving you to pick any accent colors you want.

When looking for fireplace ideas, keep in mind the room where you're planning to put the fireplace ... like this dining room where the fireplace is the focal point

Fireplace Ideas For the Dining Room

Some people love the idea of eating by the fire. For them, a simple modern gas fireplace can be placed almost anywhere (and what I love about mine, is being able to turn the timer on and not worry about shutting it off). For the perfect romantic setting, a fireplace provides a visual focal point for the room along with the ambiance to enhance the time you spend there.

What's fun here is that people are starting to recognize that fireplaces can go in any room. It doesn't matter what type of home you have because there are so many fireplace choices today. You can stick to a traditional raised heath like the white and blue dining room above or a stone facade below.

when you start looking at fireplace ideas, keep in mind the style & materials used in the house ... like the stone here

Rustic Fireplace Ideas

Now this is a centerpiece fireplace! You've got to have the right room for this type of fireplace but it certainly works here, and adds so much character to this room.

The wrought iron chimney and trim with round, whimsical designs provides a nice contrast to the adobe fireplace. The functional-yet-fashionable wood box in front is another nice touch, making it easy to keep the fire burning.

Metal is the New Fireplace Trend

Where there once was a bare wall with a boring fireplace, fireplaces now include an attractive floor-to-ceiling space with accents and mirrors. You no longer have to stick to the traditional brick, stucco or wood trimmed fireplace. There are new sheet metal fireplace surrounds in an amazing array of colors. Combined with a horizontal fireplace, these will fit nicely in a home with an elaborate entertainment area.

There are many other ways to renovate your existing fireplaces, or add a fireplace to  other rooms to make them cozier and more inviting. For more fireplace ideas to inspire you, check out our fireplace collection on Pinterest.

Not sure where you ought to put a new fireplace? Read our article, Fireplaces That Fire Up Your Imagination, and you'll see that fireplaces work well anywhere in your home.

Which of these fireplace ideas do you like best?

More from my site

  • Fireplace Design Trends: Something Old or Something New?Fireplace Design Trends: Something Old or Something New?
  • Fireplaces to Fire Your ImaginationFireplaces to Fire Your Imagination
  • Fireplace Mantle: New or Old?Fireplace Mantle: New or Old?
  • Fireplace Mantels For Christmas Stockings?Fireplace Mantels For Christmas Stockings?
  • Tips to Make Your Fireplace More EfficientTips to Make Your Fireplace More Efficient
  • Is Fireplace Maintenance on Your Fall Schedule?Is Fireplace Maintenance on Your Fall Schedule?

Tags: brick fireplace ideas, fireplace ideas, fireplace ideas for dining rooms, fireplace renovation ideas, new fireplace mantels

About Tina Gleisner

Tina helps women homeowners create homes they love, homes that support how we live today. Leveraging her experience owning 14 houses and running a handyman business, Tina offers a free Savvy Homeowner Report.

Comments

  1. Ivy Baker says

    March 6, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    This is some really good information about fireplaces. It is good to know that it would be smart to have a fireplace in a dark dining room. I have been thinking about renovating my dining room soon. So, it seems like it would be smart to put a gas fireplace in there.

    Reply
    • Tina Gleisner says

      March 8, 2018 at 4:53 pm

      Ivy, I’d put a fireplace in the dining room if you spend a lot of time there but sadly, that’s the least used room for many families so … make sure you’ll get enough hours of enjoyment to justify the expense.

      Reply
  2. Marc Soffer says

    January 31, 2018 at 4:05 am

    Architects and designers can give you great ideas on where to place a fireplace & what style fits you/your house. We believe a fireplace should not be viewed simply as a “fireplace” but as a year round piece of beautiful, designer, sculpted furniture providing maximum impact and a cozy, relaxing ambiance.

    Reply
    • Tina Gleisner says

      February 8, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks Marc, I’m amazed at all the new places people are adding fireplaces … like bathrooms.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Interior Trim Series: Fireplace Ideas to Pop Visually says:
    November 3, 2017 at 7:51 am

    […] Here are a few fireplace ideas to help you enjoy your living room more. (Read: 6 Fireplace Ideas to Warm up Your Home) […]

    Reply

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