13 of the Most Stunning Fireplaces We’ve Ever Seen in House Tours

published Sep 13, 2022
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Credit: Viv Yapp

It goes without saying that fireplaces are most popular during the colder, darker months of the year. But don’t think that they don’t serve a purpose throughout the rest of the year, too. Even if you don’t use them for heat, fireplaces tend to make for natural focal points, creating an anchor for furniture and people to gather around. 

As you appreciate the year-round benefits of fireplaces, peruse these 13 house tours to see just how stylish this practical feature can be. From bright paint jobs and lovely tile work to strong brick and wood accents, there’s a hearth here for everyone. 

Credit: Viv Yapp

1. This Stove Fireplace Is a Period Charmer Amid Modern Style

Naomi Wilkinson and Noel Deasington decorated their Victorian terrace home in Bristol, U.K. with splashes of bright colors and patterns. In the living room, their traditional fireplace is balanced by rich teal walls and furnishings. 

2. This Apartment Didn’t Come With a Fireplace, So a Renter DIYed Her Own

Kaitlin Grunder makes great use of her Denver apartment’s 550 square feet with a streamlined color scheme and creative DIYs, including her pad’s faux fireplace. “My dad had found it when cleaning out a relative’s basement… It was disgusting and headed straight for the garbage! (Clearly, I had other plans for it!),” she told Apartment Therapy. With a wooden base and topper, some paint, and mirrored tiles, the piece looks right at home. 

Credit: Anna Spaller

3. Personal Touches Are Built Into This Contemporary Hearth

When Jamie Ekeberg and her wife Sarah Goesling were designing their new Park Ridge, Illinois home, Jamie told Sarah her only must-have was a fireplace. The couple’s loved ones pitched in to create a piece that is representative of their combined style: A good friend did the floor-to-ceiling gray herringbone tile, Jamie’s sister made the mantel out of a live-edge piece of walnut, and Sarah’s sister made the artwork hanging above. 

4. Believe It or Not, This Brick Fireplace Was a DIY

In two years, Carson Baldiviez and Tanya Val built their Anchorage, Alaska, home from scratch. One of their proudest DIYs is the reclaimed fireplace, which displays brick imported from California. 

5. A Bright-Pink Mantel Took the Place of Too Much Beige 

When Kate Forsyth and Dave Bunting bought their Melbourne, Australia, home, they said it was “three shades of beige.” The couple has since repainted almost the entire property, including giving their bedroom fireplace a hot pink makeover. 

Credit: Viv Yapp

6. This Moody Home Employs Fake Flowers for a Romantic Touch 

Jade Oliver never expected faux flowers to be such a huge part of her online shop Heavenly Homes and Gardens — or the decor of her Bristol, U.K. home. Her all-black fireplace got a romantic touch with the adornment of faux flora.

7. The Vibrant Hues of This Hearth Complement This Home’s Colorful Decor

The Brooklyn home that Jennifer and Matt share with their two daughters has two fireplaces, but the one in the living room is the showstopper. In addition to floor-to-ceiling brick, it features a tropical mosaic by artist Manny Vega.

8. This Black Fireplace Adds a Dose of High Contrast in a 1929 Spanish Home 

Peter Quinn and Caitlin Dawson told AT their Los Angeles home‘s style is inspired by its Spanish architecture, the desert, Laurel Canyon in the ’70s, the California landscape, and New Mexico. In a living space decked out in white, wood, and pops of green, the black brick fireplace provides a dramatic punch.

Credit: Viv Yapp

9. You Won’t Find a Neutral Fireplace (or Wall!) in This U.K. Home

Rich O’Gorman moved into his Victorian home in Birmingham, U.K. shortly before COVID lockdowns began in 2020. With nowhere to go, he transformed the formerly beige pad into a colorful wonderland, even using four paint colors on his dining room’s fireplace. 

Credit: Erin Derby

10. Rich Wood Built-Ins Make This Hearth Extra Cozy

Used to classic, white-box apartments, Naj Austin initially had to navigate how to fit her style into her Brooklyn brownstone filled with intricate wood carvings. “I took the approach of leaning into it and not trying to fight it,” she told AT. She adorned the reddish wood mantle and built-ins around her fireplace with plants, artwork, and trinkets. 

11. The Color of This Fireplace Adds a Modern Touch to a Centuries-Old Home

Brent and Caroline Rosen’s creole cottage in New Orleans features crumbling brick walls with patches of paint and plaster that went up sometime in the home’s 200-year history. Picking up on the blue tones in those spots is their fireplace, with a matching coat of paint. 

12. In This Home, a Vintage Majestic Malm Is the Focal Point

Elin and Christian’s home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has undergone additions and renovations to become the mid-century modern gem that’s on display in this house tour. One particularly striking element is the family’s orange vintage Majestic Malm fireplace, which pops against a cement wall.

Credit: Emma Fiala

13. This Living Room’s Fireplace Helps Create a Balance of Old and New 

“I like the permanent items to stay as classic and original as possible, then I add my personality and color with art and furnishings that are easily changed over time,” Jennifer Jorgensen says of the style of her Minneapolis bungalow. That’s clear in her living room, where the original fireplace and bordering built-ins are paired with jewel-tone seating and a gold-detailed coffee table.