Giovanni Valle is a licensed architect and LEED-accredited professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is the author and managing editor of various digital publications, including BuilderSpace, Your Own Architect, and Interiors Place.
In interior design, there’s hardly a more standard or more critical component than a fireplace. It’s often—but not always—utilized as an architectural focal point within a room. Of course, it means that it’s essential that you understand how to design your fireplace in accordance with your home.
Your fireplace doesn’t always have to match the room. If you want to accentuate your fireplace, it’s best to let its appearance contrast with the rest of the room. Otherwise, by blending it with the interior, you’re free to highlight other things in your suite.
Within this article, I’ll discuss why the design of a fireplace should depend on your interior composition. I’ll also guide you through using color, material, and location to achieve the perfect look for your fireplace.
Your Fireplace Doesn’t Always Have To Match the Room
Interior design, much like all arts, is about creativity. That means you should have the liberty to compose your home however you like. However, if you’re looking to arrange a suite, you must understand some essential concepts.
Your fireplace design should rely on whether you would like it to stand out in a room or have it sink in and remain subtle. The look you wish to achieve will be directly impacted by how you express your focus points.
Match Your Fireplace With the Room’s Focal Point
It’s essential to understand how the implementation of your fireplace can be versatile. One of the first vital things to know about is focal points.
Focal points (or usually just a focal point, as it’s conventional to have only one per room) are the primary attractions of any given apartment in a house. You can use these points to draw attention and stand out.
While fireplaces tend to be the most common type, as stated on redhousestaging.com focal point, they don’t have to be. According to Gloria Hander Lyon’s book Ten Common Home Decorating Mistakes & How to Avoid Them: if a fireplace isn’t your focal point, you must ensure something else is, be it a painting, window, or anything that could add interest to the room.
All this to say, you can choose to match your fireplace design with the rest of your room and implement a different focal point, or you can accentuate your fireplace as an attention-grabber and intentionally give it a design that contrasts with the rest of the room. You can accomplish this contrast by using colors, materials, and location.
What’s the Best Look for My Fireplace?
The best look for your fireplace is a design that matches its colors and materials. Ensure your fireplace’s colors and designs blend well with the rest of the room. Actively giving it a distinct design will help it stand out and create a focal point.
Whether you wish to match it quietly or have it stand out loudly, undergoing this kind of renovation will always be worthwhile. Doing so allows for a solid and consistent look for your space.
Use the Right Colors for Your Hearth
The easiest way to alter the look of your hearth is by painting it.
Color plays the most crucial role in setting the tone of interior spaces. There are many approaches you can take to accomplish the ideal aesthetic.
Marks Painting sets out a great selection of choices that go hand in hand with the two alternatives already enunciated within this article.
Create a Contrast Between the Fireplace and the Focal Point
The first option is to lean into the natural function of a fireplace as a focal point. You can do this by coating it in a hue that’s distinct, bold, and striking in comparison to the tone of the rest of the room.
It’s possible to take this one step further by creating an internal contrast of color within the furnace itself. Use two or three distinct colors to separate the inner chamber, the mantelpiece, and the chimney to create a genuinely attention-grabbing focal point for the room.
Keep the Colors Subtle
On the contrary, if you have a different focal point in mind or are disinterested in such a full-on fireplace, I can also recommend a more achromatic alternative. By using a similar (or the same) shade as the rest of your room, you can easily blend your furnace into a more subtle composition.
If you want something that caters to a marginal distinction, the use of more neutral shades can work wonders. A coat of black, white, grey, brown, or beige can cause the profound yet quiet style you desire in any given space.
Pick a Material That Suits Your Fireplace
The last thing to note about the particular design is the material used in its display. There are various options to choose from, and each can convey a very different appearance for your interior.
Thanks to Direct Fireplaces and Quality Granite and Marble, here’s a list of potential materials to use in your design:
- Slate: It’s an expensive choice for a darker look.
- Granite: This material introduces some lighter shades for a lower price.
- Oak: It can be for a richer style and a far more reasonable price.
- Pine: It’s an especially lighter-toned and affordable choice.
- Limestone: You can use this to harbor neutral tones for a mediocre price.
- Marble: It’s the most expensive choice for an archaic white look.
Where’s the Best Place for Your Fireplace?
One last thing to note is that sometimes finding the right fit for your fireplace isn’t about appearance so much as it’s about location.
The best place for your fireplace is in the center of the focus in your room. You can achieve this by organizing your home furniture to surround or be directed toward the furnace.
Escea.com has a quality manual if you’re looking for an in-depth guide on the best ways to compose a room around a fireplace. The key is to ensure that you almost always center the room on the fireplace. That doesn’t mean the hearth should be in the middle of the room, but the furniture and composition should focus on the fireplace.
Of course, this is subject to your liberty and is by no means a rule you must follow.
Final Thoughts
In summary, your fireplace doesn’t have to match the room whatsoever, and the boldness of a distinct furnace significantly improves many designs.
I’ve discussed versatility that can be implemented in the design of your fireplace and guided you through the ideal ways to go about doing so.
Through the use of color, material, and location, you can create a stunning interior space with any fireplace.
Sources
- Red House Staging and Interiors: What is a “Focal Point” of a room? Does a room need one?
- Google Books: Ten Common Home Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Mark’s Painting: Paint Color Ideas for a Fireplace
- Direct Fireplaces: What Are the Different Types of Wooden Fireplace Surround?
- Quality Granite & Marble: What Type of Stone is Best for a Fireplace Surround?
- Escea: Living Room Layout Guide: 5 Ways to Position your Fireplace & Furniture Together
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