There's nothing cosier than settling down on your sofa with a hot chocolate in front of a roaring open fire or wood burning stove. And this is specially the case when the air outside is crisp and you can see your breath when you exhale.
Aside from the TV, a beautiful fireplace is often the focal point of your sitting room or lounge. So it's important that it looks the part and is worthy of everyone's attention.
Whatever the period or style of your home, there's a fireplace that will suit your aesthetic. We've rounded up a selection of standout modern fireplace ideas that will take your living room to the next level.
Then, once you've picked your perfect fireplace, be sure to accessorise the mantlepiece. Think a carefully curated collection of things, such as photos, flowers and treasured objects.
Finish with a mirror, artwork or even a flatscreen TV that doubles up as art for all the fireplace feels!
Modern fireplace ideas you'll love
Fireplace tile ideas...
Perhaps you have an empty fireplace in your home? This is a common occurrence in Georgian and Victorian homes where open fires were deemed old-fashioned and removed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Rather than feeling you need to divert attention away from this redundant alcove, why not make a feature of it with groovy tiles? You could then use it to display books, toys, candles or flowers perhaps.
A Walls and Floors customer designed this lovely fireplace alcove using black and white Scintilla tiles. The double socket is a handy feature for plugging in fairy lights to create a super-cosy ambience.
This pastel-pretty fireplace idea from The Otto House blog makes a real statement. It would look fab in a living room, bedroom or children's playroom.
Hexagonal tiles like these ones from Ca' Pietra add a funky edge to a modern fireplace. The stripes mean they can either be positioned in an orderly, matching fashion, or randomised as here, which adds to the playful abstract effect.
Pair with a painted fireplace surround in a toning shade for added punch.
If you're a colour maven and love nothing more than filling your home with joyful paint shades, then how about this modern fireplace idea from thehousethatcolourbuilt?
Pairing a baby-blue wood burner with a painted brick recess, a blush-pink fire surround and a colourful tiled hearth gives all the happy vibes!
Using the tiles as a palette and picking out a couple of colours to then use around the fireplace or in the room is a clever way to ensure the look is cohesive.
If you prefer a minimalist look but still want your home to look on-trend, using an all-over tiny tile like these mini hexagons is a good way to up the cool credentials.
The slightly pearly finish will help to bounce light around the room, while the glass viewing window offers an up-to-date, clean look.
For a really 'look at me' effect, tile your fireplace and hearth with the same tiles, as @sazzaw has done here. This bold pattern really makes a big impact and draws the eye to this focal point.
Room divider living room fireplace idea
Open-plan living is still hugely popular, creating that sense of space and flow between rooms that many of us crave.
Sometimes though you may want to create a room divider to make your spaces feel a bit cosier. And this fireplace design from Stovax does this beautifully.
You can admire the flames in both sections of your space with the Studio Duplex Double-Sided gas fire. Create a focal point in both rooms at once and enjoy the warmth as the fire flickers and radiates.
In the fireplace ideas arena, this design is a real game changer!
Floating beam mantel ideas
A floating beam like this one from Cottage Beams adds rustic charm to an otherwise modern room in spades. It's ideal if you don't want the full fireplace surround but like the idea of a shelf to frame your wood burner and for displaying purposes.
Make sure it's a decent size so it looks generous. The beautiful texture and grain of this example add character and would look equally at home in a country cottage or more modern apartment.
This floating mantle example marries the texture of bricks with the sleek contemporary feel of a neat mantle shelf. It shows you can incorporate a floating mantel with an open fire and keep the look modern and fresh.
Scandi fireplace ideas
If you live in an ultra-modern apartment without fireplaces, you can still enjoy the cosy vibes of a real fire with a floating model like this one.
Suspended from the ceiling, the fire can be positioned almost anywhere in the room as long as you attach it to a strong joist. One of the added benefits of a floating fireplace is that you free up wall and floor space.
You might not have considered having a real fire in your bathroom, but why not?
What could be more relaxing than soaking in the bath and gazing at the flames flickering through this sleek glass-fronted beauty?
Don't blame us if you find this scene so restful that you can't muster up the energy to get out of the bath!
Brick fireplace ideas
For pure farmhouse feels, you can't beat the beauty of an exposed brick fireplace like this one. Simple and straightforward, the pale bricks and archway of this brick fireplace exude heaps of charm.
Finished with a plain black grate, this is understated chic at its best.
This ultra-modern apartment with its clean, monochrome palette makes a feature of the floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace as the paint picks out the texture of the bricks.
For a minimalist aesthetic you really can't beat keeping things simple with pure white paint.
Fireplace wall ideas with TV
Pairing thin brick slips in a fishbone pattern on the hearth with the traditional brick pattern on the fireplace adds a little bit of extra interest. It's a neat way of adding a modern vibe to a classic fireplace.
The flatscreen TV above the fireplace completes the look and is an on-trend alternative to a mirror or landscape painting.
All-white doesn't have to be clinical when you add character with a textured fireplace wall like these homeowners have done.
Choose a flatscreen TV to add an extra focal point in the room and if you go for one that doubles up as artwork, you'll add drama, even when your favourite show isn't on.
Panelled fireplace idea
This Tudor-style panelled fireplace surround has been brought bang up to date with a wash of Little Greene's Mid Azure Green paint.
Colour drenching the whole room in the same deep teal gives it a cocooning vibe that's made even more cosy once the wood burner is lit.
Marble fireplace ideas
Ornate marble fireplaces can look imposing in a period home. But if you pick a shade that ticks the heritage box and use colour drenching, you'll create a look that's thoroughly now.
The fireplace recess and room have been painted in Farrow and Ball's Red Earth, a rich and earthy tone.
Painting the walls a dramatic cobalt blue shows off the marble fireplace from Chesneys beautifully. It just goes to show that marble can be paired with any bold shade and look contemporary yet classic.
Concrete fireplace idea
Polished concrete continues to gain fans for its industrial luxe appeal. The cool grey tones and silky surface ooze sophistication.
Carrying the same surface over the walls and ceiling creates a cocooning effect to balance the minimal room dressing.
Dial up the drama and cosy factor with one of these modern fireplace ideas
Creating a clear focal point is key to the success of every room in your home. Often that focal point comes from the fireplace, and whether you have an open fire, wood burner or just a recess under a mantlepiece, you can make yours the shining star of the room!
Use bricks, panelling, tiles or colour drenching to make your fireplace a real statement piece. Or, if you live in a very modern apartment, add a floating electric fire in the centre of the room, or cosy up an open-plan space with a fire that's visible on both sides. Whatever you choose, just make sure you feel fired up every time you look at it.
