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70 Easy Fireplace Decor Ideas That Look Stylish Year-Round

From minimalist designs to decked-out mantels.

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lucinda chambers home in shepherds bushpinterest
Rachael Smith

Fireplaces not only provide architectural and visual intrigue, but they give your home a cozy central hub. Whether you have a beautiful modern fireplace or a pretty but nonfunctioning decorative antique fireplace, it's a definite asset, but it can also be a decorating challenge. A fireplace is a natural centerpiece, so you don't want it to look sparse, but you also don't want to overdo it. And what if it's the best place for the television to go? Don't worry, we found a solution for that. The best fireplace decor ideas go far beyond holiday garlands; they work as part of your room's decor scheme to create balance and add polish.

If you have a working fireplace, it's important not to sacrifice safety for style. Electric fireplaces should be installed with a glass covering, so you can proceed with decorating without worry. If you have gas logs or a wood-burning fireplace, you'll need to invest in a proper fireplace screen and safety tools. If you use your fireplace often, you'll also want to avoid hanging decorations too close to the firebox to ensure they don't burn, melt, or warp.

The most common way to decorate a fireplace is by hanging a mirror or art above it and adorning the mantle with sentimental family photos and candles. However, fireplace decor can and we'd argue should also incorporate the surrounding area, walls, and hearth. Ahead, we're highlighting 70 fireplace decor ideas from designers that you can easily incorporate into your home.

1

Display Art

seattle, washington home designed by hoedemaker pfeiffer
Haris Kenjar

One large painting the same dimensions as the fireplace always works when your living room has the ceilings to carry it off, like in this one designed by Hoedemaker Pfeiffer.

2

Showcase Vintage Treasures

carson kressleys pennsylvania farmhouse
Reid Rolls

Embrace your fireplace's old-world charm and adorn your mantel with your favorite collectibles and flea market finds. Take a note from celeb Carson Kressley's Pennsylvania farmhouse, where vintage weather vanes and signage mingle with antique photographs on the mantel.

3

Keep It Simple

lucinda chambers home in shepherds bush
Rachael Smith

If you prefer bold paint colors and even bolder artwork, let British tastemaker Lucinda Chambers's fireplace decor inspire you. Treat the area above the mantel as a place of rest. A single piece of artwork encourages the eye to linger on the room's focal point.

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4

Surround It With Color

living room
Aimée Mazzenga

An ornate mirror and simple topiaries are all the fireplace decor needed in designer Paloma Contreras's historic Houston townhouse. Walls painted in Benjamin Moore Dove White let the colors of her family's books and the plush sofas stand out.

5

Raise the Ceilings

kansas city home designed by mark d sikes
Amy Neunsinger

We can't all have double-height ceilings like the ones in this Mark D. Sikes–designed living room, but we can always create the illusion of taller ones. Extending the molding or an accent color up to the ceiling gives the appearance of more space.

6

Blend It In

1850s historic home in cohasset\, massachusetts interior designer corey damen jenkins associates
Andrew Frasz

Designer Corey Damen Jenkins treated the wall above this fireplace like the rest of the room, covering it in the same wallpaper and painting the fireplace the same color as the woodwork and ceiling. It doesn't need much more decoration than that.

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7

Play Up the Charm

northern florida home of designer whitney leigh morris and her husband, adam winkleman interior designer whitney leigh morris architect jennifer langford
Jenna Peffley

Embrace your home's awkward features (like a freestanding wood-burning stove) by making them part of your decor as designer Whitney Leigh Morris did in this cozy living room. A woven basket of firewood adds natural texture, and the hanging broom to sweep the hearth doubles as artwork.

8

Paint It a Strong Color

the best fireplace decor ideas
Sean Litchfield

A rich coat of eggplant paint is really all this fireplace and the bookshelves that flank it need to make a statement. Graphic art and statement flowers take this living room designed by Cecilia Casagrande in an even more vibrant direction.

9

Show Off Antiques

the best fireplace decor ideas
William Waldron

To complement a fireplace constructed of fieldstones gathered on this home's property, design firm Mise en Scène Design opted for simple fireplace decor. An antique clock and sconces quietly catch attention over the mantle, and a simple screen blocks sparks below.

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10

Make the Woodpile Pretty

the best fireplace decor ideas
Jamie Padgett

You may not have quite as big a supply as the owners of this kitchen designed by Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, but you can borrow their cool firewood storage idea. It looks like art stacked in this niche.

11

Leave It Unadorned

the best fireplace decor ideas
Nicole England

To make this living room feel (and look) larger, London-based architecture and interiors firm McLaren.Excell opted to showcase the chimney rather than cover it with drywall.

12

Surround It With Candles

the best fireplace decor ideas
Robert Peterson / Rustic White Interiors

When you're entertaining outside, there's no such thing as too much candlelight. Lanterns with pillar candles up the ambiance around this outdoor fireplace.

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13

Paint It Black

modern fireplace
Nanette Brown

If you want to make a brick fireplace feel new again, dark paint can take it in an unexpected direction. The inky black fireplace in this Nannette Brown–designed living room looks elevated, sophisticated, and clean (because black paint conceals soot!). The same approach is used throughout the room, which is enveloped in Amherst Gray paint from Benjamin Moore. An antiqued mirror plays up the moodiness while still bouncing light.

14

Don't Block the View

modern living room with fireplace
Haris Kenjar

Designer Andy Beers of Ore Studios describes this cantilevered living room as a "large transparent jewel box that hangs over the forest floor." So "seating is transfigured around a fireplace for a kind of campfire sense."

15

Cluster Some Candles

alison victoria's loft in atlanta, georgia
Robert Peterson / Rustic White I

Here's more proof that a nonworking fireplace can still be a valuable feature. Alison Victoria grouped a collection of candles in this mantel to re-create the cozy warmth you get from a roaring fire. Try clustering some pine-scented candles to get the flickering flame effect and forest fragrance.

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16

Make It Monochromatic

dining room by lydia pursell spectra blue paint turquoise blue green walls, antiques
John Bessler

Lydia Pursell covered all the surfaces (excluding the floors) in a blue-green paint color, from the trims to the fireplace surround and mantel. It's a bold and unexpectedly mod approach in a classic dining room that exudes confidence.

17

Mix Old Style and New Tech

brownstone fireplace
Delia Kenza Interiors

In her Brooklyn brownstone, designer Delia Kenza honored the original style of the home's architecture, ornate granite and all. She inserted a new (but antique-looking) wood-burning stove that produces real fire but eliminates the risk of the indoor smoke you'd get from a masonry fireplace. On top, sculptures in different mediums create a cool contrast.

18

Lean Artwork

interiors, exteriors, gardens
Emily J Followill

A display of black and white prints leans casually above the mantel in this clean, quiet vignette designed by Jeffrey Dungan. The restraint and modesty of the color story mixed with the simplicity and casualness of the artwork create a distinct beauty that's both mysterious and approachable.

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19

Go With Circles

semicircle sofa in living room
Jacob Snavely

The large round mirror over the fireplace echoes the shapes of the coffee table and sofa in this living room designed by Aamir Khandwala. They soften the strong, straight lines of the room—and the mirror makes it look even brighter.

20

Paint Exposed Brick White

designer kristin fine’s 12 year old modern farmhouse in westport, connecticut
Nicole Franzen

Kristin Fine painted the exposed brick fireplace surround white to complement the crisp and modern interior without stripping this home of its farmhouse personality.

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