Skip to content

Top 10 Fireplace Surround Ideas

Fireplace surround ideas

Fireplace design can be tricky. Moreover, coming up with design ideas for your fireplace mantel can prove almost impossible if you aren’t working with an interior designer. However, it doesn’t need to be that difficult. Whether you are just looking to spruce up your current home or you are just starting to have an architect and home builder begin on your home, you’re in luck. We are here to help you with the top 10 fireplace surround ideas for your fireplace area.

Within this article, we’ll begin by covering essential questions about different types of fireplaces. We will then jump directly into finding inspiration for your fireplace, as well as providing our top 10 interior design ideas specifically for you to have a stunning fireplace.

Within The Post Below, You Will Learn All of The Following Things:

  • When Doing a Living Room Remodel or Working on a New Home, Why Are Wood-Burning and Gas Fireplaces Considered Bad Built-In Fireplaces? – Unfortunately, there are still quite a few people out there who are on the fence about what kind of fireplace they should get in regards to how it warms a home. This section covers the issues with both wood and gas when it comes to fireplaces.
  • Why Is an Electric Fireplace With a Nice Fireplace Surround The Best Home Decor Focal Point For New Homes or a Remodel and What Are The Advantages Over a Wood Fireplace or Gas Fireplace? – The benefits of electric fireplaces are astounding. This section extensively covers all of the advantages of using electric fireplaces in your home over gas or wood.
  • What Varieties of Electric Fireplaces Are There, Which Perform The Best, and Which Are Best For DIY Fireplace Surround Ideas? – It can be quite difficult to choose the right fireplace with many different types of electric fireplaces on the market. If electric is the choice for you, this section is going to help point you in the right direction.
  • Regarding Fireplace Surround Ideas For a New Fireplace, How Should Homeowners Find Inspiration, Fireplace Design Ideas, and Other Eye-Catching Decorating Ideas? – Lacking proper inspiration and examples of good designs is a sure way to feel lost in your own fireplace project. This part will help you find plenty of examples and inspiration for your fireplace.
  • What Are The Top 10 Fireplace Surround Ideas For a Living Space Facelift, Fireplace Makeover, or Home Improvement Project? – This section will point out 10 of the best surround ideas for your fireplace so that you can be happy with the interior elements in your home.
  • Which Stand Out Brand of Electric Modern Fireplace Has Fire Effects and Aesthetics That Best Capture The Feel of a Wooden Fireplace or Traditional Fireplace? – If realism is important to you in regard to electric fireplaces, this final section of the article has you completely covered.

When Doing a Living Room Remodel or Working on a New Home, Why Are Wood-Burning and Gas Fireplaces Considered Bad Built-In Fireplaces?

Unfortunately, both wood and gas fireplaces have quite a lot of different issues and disadvantages that make them an inferior choice to warm your home. First, here are the most common varieties of wood fireplaces:

  • Open Hearth
  • Enclosed
  • Enclosed Insert
  • Wood Stove
  • Fire Pit

Although wood fireplaces can seem like a fun, traditional thing to have in your home, they actually have quite a number of problems you can expect:

  • Fire Safety – Fire safety is a big concern with wood fireplaces due to soot build-up and massive exposed flames.
  • Harmful Emissions – There is quite a lot of both carbon monoxide and smoke that can fill your home.
  • Hassle To Use – It’s pretty hard to get away from the fact that wood fireplaces take a lot of work to use and maintain.
  • Heat Loss Problem – No matter what, a lot of heat will find its way to escaping out of the chimney, making wood fireplaces very inefficient.
  • Smell – It’s almost impossible to get away from the lingering smoky smell that will be present in your home for several days.
  • Stains – Any white walls in your home are sure to stain yellow due to the smoke over the years.
  • TV Damage – While a TV above the mantel might sound like a good idea, with wood fireplaces, will ensure permanent damage to your TV.
  • Wood Storage – You are going to need a lot of space in order to store all of the wood for your home.
  • Expensive To Build – If you want to build a new fireplace that burns wood, be ready for a big, very expensive construction project.

Gas fireplaces have a few advantages over wood fireplaces, and that’s why these two main types have been adopted by some people:

  • Direct Vented
  • Ventless

The real truth about gas fireplaces is that they have their own fair share of disadvantages. Here is what to expect:

  • Flame Is Exposed – Soot buildup isn’t so much of a concern, but the exposed flame still adds to a fire risk.
  • Carbon Monoxide – Gas fireplaces still produce harmful carbon monoxide that can fill your home.
  • Ugly Flame Color – Whether it is a dull color trying to mimic a wood fire or bright neon flames, there is no escaping that gas fireplaces have ugly flames.
  • Weak Flame – If you want a fire that moves and flickers realistically, this is almost impossible with the weak flames of gas fireplaces.
  • Costly Installation – Due to safety issues, a professional will be needed to help you install any gas fireplaces, along with gas lines and more.

Why Is an Electric Fireplace With a Nice Fireplace Surround The Best Home Decor Focal Point For New Homes or a Remodel and What Are The Advantages Over a Wood Fireplace or Gas Fireplace?

Now that you have a good understanding of why wood and gas fireplaces are a bad choice, what exactly is so special about electric fireplaces? Living room electric fireplaces have a large number of fantastic benefits and advantages over wood and gas. They are listed here:

  • No Added Fire Risk – No flames present means you don’t have to worry yourself over the added chance of a fire.
  • No Harmful Emissions – Electric fireplaces only put out warm clean air, not smoke or other emissions.
  • No Staining or Smells – Because smoke isn’t present, there is no smells or stains you need to concern yourself with.
  • Using it is Easy – Electric fireplaces are incredibly easy to use and maintain compared to both gas and wood.
  • Easy Installing – For most electric fireplaces, installation is simply putting it in place and plugging it into an open outlet near the fireplace wall.
  • Any Room – The fun of electric fireplaces is the ability to install them in any room of your house. You can put them in the family room, dining room, and more.
  • TV Safe
  • Heat Efficiency – Infrared heating and no chimney make electric fireplaces very efficient.
  • Supplemental Zone Heating – Large homes can benefit from multiple electric fireplaces and keep your heating bill low due to zone heating practices.
  • Remote Control – They usually have a remote or app to control them.
  • Flame Effect Ambiance – Some electric fireplaces have flames that look like the real thing.

What Varieties of Electric Fireplaces Are There, Which Perform The Best, and Which Are Best For DIY Fireplace Surround Ideas?

If you agree that electricity is the way to go for your home, what type do you go with? There are tons of varieties, and the choices can be overwhelming. Here are the main varieties:

  • Flat Wall Mantel Package – These are the most traditional and have removable mantels so you can pick and choose the mantel you want.
  • Corner Fireplace – These are great for saving space and come in a variety of mantel styles.
  • TV Stand Fireplace – They can perform weakly and aren’t good for surrounds.
  • Corner TV Stand Fireplace – One of these has the same problems as the other TV stand fireplace.
  • Wall Mount Fireplace – Great for wall mounting and you can put a surround below or around it.
  • Electric Insert – Versatile because you can build a custom mantel.
  • Freestanding Fireplace Heater – Poor performance and quality. Avoid at all costs.
  • Electric Stove – Weird in modern homes. They are made to look like wood stoves. They aren’t good for mantels.

Regarding Fireplace Surround Ideas For a New Fireplace, How Should Homeowners Find Inspiration, Fireplace Design Ideas, and Other Eye-Catching Decorating Ideas?

Finding proper inspiration can be quite difficult. There are tons of different ways that you can find examples and ideas online. Here are the main ways that can prove helpful to you:

  • Instagram Search – Instagram isn’t just about posting pictures of your food or your latest vacation. There are tons of pictures of just about any subject you can find. Search for fireplace ideas with the aesthetic style you prefer. You are bound to find tons of amazing inspiring examples. Also, be sure to check the hashtags that can lead you to further keywords that will help you.
  • Pinterest Search – Pinterest is made for this exact kind of thing. Decor and home projects are one of the most popular things on Pinterest. There are tons of ideas around fireplaces and more.
  • Google – If you know how to search for the right keywords on Google, you’re bound to find exactly what you are looking for. Googling things like “fireplace ideas” may be too broad, unless you really aren’t sure what direction you want to head in. If you already know the type of fireplace and aesthetic style you are thinking about, then include that in your search term. Something like “rustic design ideas for electric fireplaces” is bound to bring up blog posts and websites that are all about exactly what you want. Keep in mind that if you put quotes around any word that must be included in the results, you will usually get better results. For the above example, the phrases rustic, design ideas, and electric fireplaces, can all have quotes around them. Don’t be afraid to check the image search results for the same terms. You can quickly see many pictures that might catch your eye. These pictures can lead to a helpful blog post or website.

What Are The Top 10 Fireplace Surround Ideas For a Living Space Facelift, Fireplace Makeover, or Home Improvement Project?

  • 01: Classic Brick Fireplace – The red brick of a classic fireplace has a great sense of nostalgia. These kinds of fireplaces have a particularly great look if you are going for a modern industrial look. In fact, an aged red brick tends to look better than bright, new red bricks. If you are building this yourself, consider using older, reclaimed bricks, rather than fresh ones. Vary the coloring throughout the build.
  • 02: Faux Stone Fireplace – There are quite a lot of great faux stone elements where you can convincingly make the surround of your fireplace look like real stone without all of the actual stone. Real stone can be heavy and difficult to work with if you aren’t up for the task. Faux stone allows you to get the same result at a lower cost, less work, and is light enough that concentrated weight isn’t so much of a concern for floors above the ground floor.
  • 03: Natural Stone Fireplace – If you have the space for it and are up to the task, using natural stone for your surroundings can certainly elevate it over a stone that is artificial. Not only will it look a little better, but it will last much longer. Just keep in mind that this is more of a permanent job compared to using faux stone for your fireplace.
  • 04: Reclaimed Wood Mantle – You can build your own mantel from scratch by using beautiful wood that is reclaimed. Old barn wood can be great for something like this. This type of look is especially good for more of a rustic or modern farmhouse type of look. Of course, there is no need to build a complete surround. You can also do a simple hanging mantel with an old beam. Choose your wood carefully and make sure it fits your overall home aesthetic.
  • 05: Marble Fireplace – A marble surround, especially using bright white marble, is a sign of extravagance and luxury. If your home is all about luxury with high-end chandeliers and wall sconces, and a fireplace with a surround made of marble is for you. If your budget is limited, there are some decent faux marble looks you can try as well. However, the real thing will definitely last you much longer.
  • 06: Minimalist Fireplace – There are several ways that you can go with a more minimal style of fireplace. Regardless of what material you go with, the key to minimalism is usually simple lines and little to no intricate, ornate details. With minimalism in regard to your surroundings, you want simple shapes and lines to be the focus of the design.
  • 07: White Fireplace With Oak Wood Mantel – For most modern homes, a mantel made of high-quality wood like oak, beautifully protected with white paint, is always a safe bet. Fireplaces with this kind of mantel are completely timeless and will look good for decades to come.
  • 08: Concrete Fireplace – While it may seem a bit strange, a fireplace with a concrete surround can actually look quite nice. The concrete can have special treatments done to it, cut designs, and even other materials embedded within it. Concrete is particularly popular if this fireplace will be for outdoor use or for a patio that is partially or fully enclosed.
  • 09: Herringbone Fireplace – A herringbone pattern can be beautiful on the wall behind the fireplace. You can choose a beautiful wood, stone, or other material to make a simple, yet beautiful pattern on the wall behind your fireplace just to give it a little extra focus.
  • 10: Tile Fireplace – A tile surround can be beautiful if you choose the right tiles and the right pattern. Make sure to do your research and choose carefully. While using tiles can look amazing, if you use tiles that are outdated or clash with the rest of your home, you may find yourself with a surround you aren’t quite happy with.

Which Stand Out Brand of Electric Modern Fireplace Has Fire Effects and Aesthetics That Best Capture The Feel of a Wooden Fireplace or Traditional Fireplace?

Not all flame effects are created equally when it comes to electric fireplaces. If realistic flames are a priority for you, then MagikFlame is what you want to focus on. While MagikFlame has incredible fire effects, they offer so much more as well. Here is what you get when you claim any MagikFlame fireplace for your home:

  • Ultrarealistic 3D Fire Effects – 3D holographic flame effects are projected onto the physical log set that rests inside of the firebox. These fire effects flicker, move, and dance just like the flames of traditional fireplaces that burn wood. Don’t be surprised if most guests mistake your MagikFlame fireplace for the real thing. There are 30 various flame effects that come with MagikFlame fireplaces. You can cycle between them until you find the perfect one for the mood you want to set.
  • Crackling Log Sounds – Audio enhancement helps take MagikFlame to a higher level. Hearing the sounds of crackling logs whenever you are using your MagikFlame fireplace, it makes the entire experience even more realistic. If you want to further add to the relaxation, you can also choose to play nature sounds with your MagikFlame fireplace.
  • 5,200 BTU HeaterThe fireplace infrared heater that comes inside of every MagikFlame fireplace is incredibly efficient and powerful. This heater uses the minimum amount of electricity to warm an area of up to 1,000 square feet. This is more than enough for most apartments, condos, and houses. For incredibly large houses, a zone heating strategy using MagikFlame fireplaces can allow you to enjoy a warm home while keeping your heating bill manageable.
  • Smartphone App – In place of a regular, boring remote, you can control MagikFlame fireplaces with their intuitively designed app for your tablet or smartphone. The app has large, graphic buttons, making it incredibly easy to change the temperature or control the various visual and audio effects.
Traditional White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
Stand-Alone Electric Fireplace Insert with Sound and Heater
Modern White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
European Style White Electric Fireplace Mantel & Insert with Sound and Heater
Related Posts

Highest Rated Fireplaces

homepage-slider-bg-Athena
homepage-slider-bg-Trinity
homepage-slider-bg-Insert
homepage-slider-bg-Artemis
Athena
Trinity
Stand-Alone Electric Fireplace Insert with Sound and Heater
Artemis

SAVE $300 + FREE SHIPPING

MagikFlame VIP

All the essentials: trends, promotions, and interior design tips.
Be the first to know

VIP DEALS

Celebrate the season with savings directly in your box. Subscribe now for a limited time, exclusive offers, and promotions.

By submitting your email address or phone number, you agree to receive promotional emails and texts from MagikFlame.

Thanks for signing up!

Please check your inbox for a confirmation email, as well as any upcoming emails from us.