Elegant fireplace ideas for homes old and new
As the bleak nights of winter approach, few things are more cheering than a proper fire. “A real fire breathes soulfulness into a room,” writes Nicola Harding. But it’s not always as simple as arranging logs and locating kindling. You may live in a ‘smokeless zone’, your fireplace could have been boarded up and your flue blocked off, or if you’re renovating a newly acquired property, you might have found yourself with something that isn’t in keeping either with the house or your decorating style.
But it’s all remediable, and if your building is old, whether the flames are real, gas or bio ethanol (that last being carbon neutral), they will benefit from being framed by a period-appropriate fireplace. “And with all the components, you can create a feeling of a fire, even if you never actually light it,” says Tom Jackson, a director at Jamb, the interior industry’s go-to for exceptional antique and reproduction fireplaces.
But first things first. “If it’s an old house, and you have a chimney that hasn’t been used for a while and you want a real fire or a log-burner, you need to get a professional to survey the flue, and then the chimney sweep needs to come annually,” instructs Tom, pointing out that nobody wants a room filled with smoke or, worse, their roof to collapse. There will be flue specialists local to your area, else Turner & Baker work nationwide (and count the Duchy of Cornwall Estates among their clients) and can make any necessary repairs. “If you don’t have a chimney, or you live in a mansion block where the flues have been disabled, the answer is a vent-free fireplace,” says Tom – adding that if you’re going for gas, you need a Gas Safe Registered Engineer (and a carbon-monoxide detector). Either way, once the mechanics are sorted out, “that is when the exciting journey begins.”
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The chimneypiece
Starting with the chimneypiece, also known as a mantlepiece or fire surround, “it comes down to the age of the house and the period or manner that you want, whether that is something pure and simple from the early 18th century, something grander and more elaborate from the high Georgian period, or something really bold such as early 20th century art deco.” Proportions can be tricky; you might spy a fireplace at auction or at a reclamation yard that is of the correct vintage, “but if it was designed for a larger room it won’t necessarily work – though it can be reproduced and then tailored to exactly the right size,” says Tom.
The other benefit of reproduction is being able to choose material. “Limestone has a softer texture which lends itself to the country house aesthetic, or you might want marble which is more refined and some think more appropriate for principal rooms such as a drawing room or a dining room. They’re both porous, so both pick up patina in time.” They start at a similar price, though more elaborate and rarer marbles are priced on a case-by-case basis. “Black marble completely changes the character of a room,” discloses Tom (and is a favourite of House & Garden contributing editor Rita Konig. Wood is usually the least costly option (depending on how much carving there is) and for those for whom Jamb isn’t economically viable, Vinterior generally has a range of affordable options, or you can have something designed by a joiner. Do remember wood can be painted; whether decoratively, as Molly Mahon and Victoria von Westenholz’s fireplaces are, or to resemble something else - Bridie Hall’s MDF chimneypiece is almost indistinguishable from marble.
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Accessories
Next is the chamber, which is the inside of the fireplace – and thus needs to be fireproof. Jamb have a collection of foundry-made register grates, baskets and irons in brass and steel that can be aged and distressed as required, and which can be converted to gas fires, too (“by a professional,” insists Tom, lest you think you can do it via YouTube tutorial) – alternatively, there’s eBay and antiques fairs.
Worth knowing is what each is, and that a register grate must be fitted at the same time as the chimneypiece, as the one depends on the other, being bespoke to the chamber measurements. “It gives a very polished look,” says Tom. A basket is free standing and more versatile; “you can use it for logs or coal, or you could put a tray for bio ethanol inside it, and make it look nicer by way of hand-painted false logs.” (These are available from Bio Fires.) Irons, which are also known as fire dogs, are bracket supports for logs (logs need air from underneath to burn well) and are ideal for smaller chambers.
Then, cast iron firebacks (literally, panels) can add to the attractiveness of the inside of the chamber - Retrouvius consistently has a good stock – while if you’ve got a register grate of a certain age (for instance Victorian) it will almost undoubtedly be tiled.
The hearthstone
Finally, there’s the hearthstone – which needs to be sized according to the dimensions of the fireplace. The purpose is to create a large enough area that if a log tumbles out it won’t incinerate a carpet or floorboards. Current building regulations also suggest that a hearthstone is slightly higher than the surrounding floor, to make clear the danger of being too close to the fire, but there are other ways of doing this, from installing an inlaid metal edge (which is less of a trip hazard), to having a fireguard (Howe has a lovely selection) or fenders (which can make wonderful seating.) The hearthstone itself can match the fireplace “which is especially nice if you’re using limestone,” says Tom. The traditional inexpensive option is slate, for which Google throws up a wealth of options. But “what we think is the most elegant is aged Carrara marble with a thin vein,” finishes Tom, igniting a new dream.
Fireplace ideas from the House & Garden archive
Owen Gale1/40Where better to look for fireplace inspiration than the home of the founders of Jamb, Will Fisher and Charlotte Freemantle? Will bought this early 18th-century stone chimneypiece years ago and found the perfect place for it when they moved into the house. Its simple austerity suits the pared-back interior of the basement sitting and dining room.
Owen Gale2/40Upstairs in the main drawing room at the home of the founders of Jamb, Will Fisher and Charlotte Freemantle is a grander 18th-century chimneypiece, more suited to the formal atmosphere of the room. Charlotte and Will are great believers in the ‘hierarchy of spaces’, and use chimneypieces to mark this out, using more elaborate designs in formal rooms, and simpler designs in more relaxed spaces.
Mark Roper3/40When a large original hearth has been stripped out and a woodburner installed, we love the idea of going a bit wild with the decoration. In this Sussex house by Phoebe Hollond of Studio Hollond, Phoebe commissioned a decorative artist to paint the interior of the fireplace with a striking design reminiscent of flame stitch.
Dean Hearne4/40The owners of this Peak District cottage, Royal Ballet principal Lauren Cuthbertson and her antique dealer partner Matthew Gerrish, have taken a similar approach with the fireplace here, which they have lined with blue and white Mexican tiles from Milagros.
Jasper Fry5/40This huge double height sitting room in a terraced house transformed by interior design studio Spencer & Wedekind has a serious statement fireplace. Tiled fireplaces can add bags of texture and depth to a space – the fact that this one is tiled to what would be ceiling height in normal room makes it especially showstopping.
Paul Massey6/40In this Queen Anne house in Norfolk, Carlos Garcia has toned down the grandeur of the fireplace by painting it in the same colour as the panelled walls (Edward Bulmer’s ‘Celadon’) and embedding modern Delft tiles in the slips.
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Mark Anthony Fox7/40Another chimneypiece that blends elegantly into its surroundings appears in the dining room of this Queen Anne house decorated by Emma Burns. The pine panelling is original to the house, and was carefully stripped back and restored by Lin Connor to reveal its grain, while the Delft tiles add to the sense of a fireplace perfectly in keeping with the period of the interior.
Chris Horwood8/40‘Oh, it’s a bit Alice in Wonderland,' says Nina Campbell of the chimneypiece in her London house. 'Because of the bores in the planning office we couldn’t make a working fireplace, so I filled the grate with crystal logs. The whole thing is insane. You've got logs which won’t burn, and mirrors everywhere, and this gold chimney breast that I dragged back from Atlantic Avenue in the USA. I love the whole nonsense of it.’ Nina has also covered the entire chimneybreast in antiqued mirror panels, which bring light and a sense of extra space to the room.
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Paul Massey9/40Grand kakelugn ceramic stoves are a signature in Scandinavian houses, and it's a shame the rest of the world doesn't incorporate them into interiors more often. In Marie-Louise Sjögren’s historic house on the Stockholm archipelago, shown here decorated for Christmas, the stoves are all original to the house.
Boz Gagovski10/40Having undergone several phases of renovation in the two decades since he first bought it, the flat Daniel Slowik shares with Benedict Foley is now a beguiling blend of comfort and luxury with the pair's signature wit and humour. The fireplace is a painted wooden bolection type salvaged from a bank in Poole; Daniel and Benedict adjusted it to make it flatter, and their friend Charlotte Freemantle from Jamb advised on and supplied the marble slips - a clever way to make the fireplace feel more decorative without doing the entire thing in marble.
Milo Brown11/40In this Holland Park house designed by Lonika Chande, the sitting room is a lovely dual aspect light-filled space. The custom fire surround was made for the space from fossilised stone and bronze by the clients’ husband, sculptor Johannes von Stumm. The inside back of the shelving either side of the fire surround is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back and has been designed to display a pair of Johannes’ sculptures.
Christopher Horwood12/40Zellige tiles show no signs of going out of fashion anytime soon, and we're rather partial to the idea of cladding a chimneybreast in them, as designer Rachael Gowdridge has done at this Georgian townhouse in Clerkenwell. The tiles add a polished feel, whilst also reflecting the light around the room.
Paul Massey13/40Having outgrown their previous space and style, Sarah Corbett-Winder and her husband Ned have devised their own playful take on traditional grandeur in their north London house, combining handsome pieces with a bold, quirky aesthetic. In the sitting room, walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Caddie’ tone with the fireplace, devised by Ned and clad in green tiles from London Encaustic.
Dean Hearne14/40For a Mediterranean aesthetic, a simple white plastered design can be a thing of beauty. In Carolina Irving's house on the Alentejo coast of Portugal, ceramic plates decorate the simple chimneybreast.
Christopher Horwood15/40For a friendly, cheerful feel, a painted fireplace can be just right. In this Arts & Crafts flat in London, Carlos Garcia has taken one of the colours from his own 'Hibiscus’ saffron wallpaper and used it on the chimneypiece, in the form of Fenwick & Tilbrook's ‘Caspian’ shade.
Milo Brown16/40In the playroom of this Stoke Newington family house, Lonika Chande has added a stripey curtain to the painted fireplace, which is such a sweet idea if you are using it for storage rather then fires. Lonika chose ‘Green Smoke’ by Farrow & Ball for the fireplace and cupboard, with walls and woodwork in ‘Slipper Satin’.
Jerome Galland17/40In Laura Gonzalez's playful, imaginative Normandy house, two adjacent sitting rooms were knocked together here and the result is a room in which a pair of chimneypieces dominate one wall, flanking the opening into the dining room. Inspired by this arrangement and in a nod to the tradition of hanging animal heads as trophies, Laura Gonzalez commissioned ceramic artist Laurent Dufour to create giant bas-relief heads of a bear and a monkey within panels of appealing textured tiles, to decorate the chimneypieces.
Michael Sinclair18/40A fireplace doesn't have to be grand – a small woodburner can make just as much impact in a space, as proven in Thea Speke's tranquil country house.
Michael Sinclair19/40The fireplace itself has been pared back to let the Aesthetic Movement wardrobes sing at a London house designed by Lucy Hammond Giles.
Simon Brown20/40Navigating a clock house, coronavirus and a colour blind client, the design duo Salvesen Graham brought their signature charm to this unusual Georgian family home. The entry way into this countryside residence offers a relaxed grandeur - especially with the pared back fireplace. The walls are painted in Paint and Paper Library's ‘Canvas IV’. Curtains in Soane's Paisley Stripe offer the space warmth. Underfoot, a Sinclair Till runner.
Owen Gale21/40The homeware designer Alice Palmer has done practically everything herself in her house in north-west London, from designing the extension to filling it with the pretty lampshades and cushions she creates for her business. The sofa is upholstered in Alice's blue ‘Callaloo’ hand block printed fabric. Alice painted the stripes on the fireplace using ‘Oxblood’ from Francesca's Paints.
Tim Beddow22/40Sue Jones created the shell-encrusted chimneypiece and mirror frame for Annabel Astor's primitive bothy on Jura, one of the Western Isles.
Paul Massey23/40An open-brick fireplace warms Alastair Hendy's restored Tudor home in Hastings. Rustic at first glance, but when more carefully examined, the fireplace is painstakingly detailled.
Paul Massey24/40Katharine Howard's artfully decorated Georgian house features a cosy study painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Hardwick White'. Plaster leaves by Viola Lanari decorate the inglenook fireplace
Michael Sinclair25/40The interior designer Pandora Taylor has made a former wreck of a house in southwest London into a showcase for her witty, unconventional approach to decoration. The fireplace in the same room is a good example of this approach, a straightforward mid-century outline covered in Balineum's glorious glazed 'Terra Firma' tiles.
Paul Massey26/40A marble fireplace with an over-mantel mirror in the sitting room of designer and antiques dealer Max Rollitt.
Paul Massey27/40In designer Bridie Hall’s house, an MDF chimneypiece was painted with a faux marble effect by specialist Ian Harper. Bridie chose this to ‘absorb the shock’ of the red floor in Dulux ‘Hot Paprika’.
Paul Massey28/40Wood-burners are more cost effective than multi-fuel stoves, but make sure you use dry firewood – kiln dried is best – with a maximum moisture content of 20 per cent, as it burns more efficiently. Pleasingly imperfect is an apt description of the angled flue in this rustic project by Christopher Howe – a cabin with walls clad in timber boards, with stone slabs lining the area behind the stove.
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Designer Adam Bray replaced the chimneypiece in this room with a bespoke slim brass trim. Inspired by the minimal look of Sixties houses, this detail ‘is an inexpensive way of creating a cleaner line’, explains Adam. The brass of the border is picked up in the thin frames of the three distinctive mirrors hanging above it and in the handles and hinges of the cupboards. adambray.info
Simon Upton30/40Known for his fashionable restaurants in New York and London - Balthazar owner Keith McNally has applied his obsessive attention to detail to creating a welcoming family home in Notting Hill. In his living room pine was used for the chimneypiece. Keith used Vermont pine, rather than pale English wood, preferring its rich warmth and depth. All this was made in New York and shipped over to the UK.
Rachel Whiting31/40In this Chelsea house designed by Stephan Eicker, a simple fireplace makes a centrepiece in a room filled with opulent pattern. The chimneypiece is the 'Soane' by Chesney's; the painting above it is by Jakob Weidemann.
Paul Massey32/40The home of cult lighting brand Ochre's director Solenne de la Fouchardière is the perfect blend of minimalism and elegance,. The basement scullery features a slim wood burner set into the wall, with a recess next to it for stacking logs.
Michael Sinclair33/40An instinct for recognising talent paid off handsomely for the owners of a Victorian house in north London when they selected the decorator Rachel Chudley to shake up its interiors with her exuberant approach. The art deco fireplace in the bedroom was found in a reclamation yard.
Jake Curtis34/40Symmetry characterises this sitting room in an apartment designed by Adam Bray, where the owner's nineteenth-century wooden armchairs covered in a woollen fabric and a pair of custom console tables from Soane are centred around a Fifties Italian mirror from Tarquin Bilgen and a recently added marble chimneypiece.
Ngoc Minh Mgo35/40Designer Harriet Anstruther's sitting room in her Sussex farmhouse has a fabulous cowskin ottoman from George Smith and a generous fireplace.
Paul Massey36/40Designer Harriet Anstruther has chosen two glass 'Wire Frame' tables from The Conran Shop to sit in the centre of her Edwardian flat's sitting room, which create a contemporary contrast with the reclaimed wood floor and Edwardian chimneypiece.
Lucas Allen37/40In designer Hugh Leslie's nineteenth-century Chelsea studio, the modest chimneypiece was designed to tie in with tongue-and-groove panelling used elsewhere in the flat. A Carrara marble slip with an oak shelf gives the fireplace definition.
Simon Upton38/40Authentic, English country house style is hard to replicate. It is a look that manages to be both timeless and livable, grand but friendly. Having cut her teeth at Colefax & Fowler it is little wonder then that interior designer Vivien Greenock has managed to get the look spot on in her own home.
A plethora of pattern - chintz, checks, muted stripes - and strong carpets, soften the eighteenth century paneling, which is painted a shade between duck egg blue and watery green - darker below the dado rail and lighter above. Pictures are perfectly hung. Large imposing portraits on the walls; and small charming watercolours in tight groups around the intricate fireplace, resplendant with green upholstered club fender. Try Chesneys for a similar style, while Renaissance London do a wonderful selection of similarly detailed antique chimneypieces.
Simon Brown39/40Above this marble fireplace in Ptolemy Dean's Sussex house hangs a large mirror, which makes the most of the natural light in the room.
The owner of this house, architect Ptolemy Dean wanted to do something different than the traditional Sussex barn conversion, so instead opted for a new build that complements the older farm buildings perfectly.
40/40Painted figures and objects cover the fireplace of Charleston, former home of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and weekend retreat of The Bloomsbury Group - that amorphous circle of writers, intellectuals and artists who lived and worked in Bloomsbury before the First World War and beyond. See the rest of the house here.
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