Editor’s Note
This season, the fireplace is a focal point for material and color innovation. From classic stone to modern metals and versatile tiles, we explore the key trends and practical considerations for updating this timeless feature.
Materials make all the difference. Wood requires appropriate treatment and safety distances, stone remains a chic classic with marble, granite, or limestone, and metal asserts its modernity with black steel, stainless steel, or copper. For cladding, tiles offer countless options, from dark red zellige to a black and white checkerboard, while a full-height stone veneer sculpts the space.
To modernize at a lower cost, repainting works very well. Acrylic paint on the mantel and jambs, a monochrome look for the wall and fireplace, and high-temperature paint only for the functional firebox. Mineral finishes are popular, from polished concrete to cladding panels in brick, wood, stone, or slate, while patterned tiles inside the hearth catch the eye.
The obvious winter palette: fir green, terracotta, charcoal gray, rosy beige.
If the fire burns, avoid placing objects inside the firebox. Focus on the mantel and nearby walls with a mirror that amplifies light, elegant brass accents, an LED garland, and a discreet fire screen. Useful and beautiful accessories make a difference, like a log basket and a stylish poker, keeping decorations away from the flame.
For an unused hearth, it’s time for staging. Accumulate classic or LED candles, books, plants, or even decorative logs for an authentic effect. LED lighting inside creates a cozy halo, and patterned tiles in the firebox make a decorative statement. During the holidays, figurines and stockings naturally join the scene without constraints.
Above the mantel, the Eirune XXL luminous wreath from Sklum, Ø 60 cm with 50 warm white LEDs, runs on 4 AA batteries and has an IP44 rating, for €25.95. It instantly revives the atmosphere. Another asset, the MOLNART bulb from IKEA, a 15 cm globe with orange-pink glass, emits 150 lumens for 1.8 W, lasts 15,000 hours and costs €12.99, perfect for a reading nook with a candle-like glow, non-dimmable.
As a final touch, two 90s snow globes on the mantel, some reaching a hundred euros, add a nostalgic note.
If the fireplace is sealed or for added comfort, an electric fireplace is a quick solution. Freestanding, wall-mounted, recessed, or as an electric insert, with remote control, energy-saving mode, and log, pebble, or crystal decor options from Chemin’Arte. A freestanding electric stove also offers great placement flexibility. The current trend, the media wall, combines a TV and an insert in a custom composition, to be installed following the setup and ventilation instructions.