1. ADD CHARACTER WITH EXPOSED BRICK
Exposed brick can be a divisive subject but if done well can prove to be an elegant and characterful focal point. As a general rule, the older your house the more beautiful your bricks are likely to be – if your home is pre-1950s, you’ve probably got some beautiful bricks under all that plaster.
2. USE A FIREPLACE TO CREATE A ROOM DIVIDER IN AN OPEN PLAN SPACE
Figuring out where to position a fireplace in an open plan room or studio apartment living room, especially when space is tight can be tricky but with a little clever spatial planning, it can be used as a device to create partitions and section off areas.
3. SURROUND IT WITH PRETTY WALLPAPER
An original fireplace is lovely to celebrate and use to create a statement but can be equally charming to have it feel like it's completely at home in the space nestled into the interior like it's been there forever. Covering the entire wall the fireplace is on with a busy floral pattern can be a way to expand space in a small living too bluring the edges of the room, and by taking it all the way into the hearth too, only helps create a more seamless flow where the dimensions aren't really obvious.
4. CHOOSE A DOUBLE SIDED FIREPLACE
Apart from being a fabulous designer feature, double-sided fireplace ideas are great for optimizing warmth – heating two rooms at once ≠ it's also perfect for sustaining visual and light flow in small spaces.
5. GIVE A FIREPLACE A FACE LIFT WITH TILES
Giving a hearth a face-lift with beautiful fireplace tile ideas is a game-changer for the look and feel of the whole room. Small decorative tiles are an easy way to add pattern and visual interest or be inspired by this space and add loads of texture to a small living room with zellige tiles. And note how the tiles go all the way up the chimney breast, floor to ceiling, which will help give a small room height and elegance.
6. THINK ABOUT THE MATERIALS THAT SURROUND YOUR FIRE
This cozy, compact neutral living room fits a large and beautifully designed eco stove surrounded by stylish comfortable furniture in equally elegant neutral hues – a covetable aesthetic in a small room where light colors can 'expand' space but you still get that cocooning feel. Note how the stove sits upon a stone platform, elevating it slightly so it becomes more of a focal point of the room.
6. THINK ABOUT STYLE AND EFFICIENCY
When choosing a stove for a small living room, along with size and shape, you also need to consider energy efficiency. Be sure to choose a stove that incorporates varied rated heat outputs which allows you to take account of the size of your room and provide the space with the perfect amount of heat.
7. PAINT IT THE SAME COLOR AS YOUR WALLS
In some cases, you may want to downplay your fireplace surround so it doesn't feel too imposing in a small living room. Painting a fireplace the same color as the wall that surrounds it helps it disappear into the room and allows other features to take center stage and of course makes the room feel bigger as a whole.
8. ADD GRANDEUR IN A SMALL ROOM
In a classic Victorian terrace, there is often a common debate, whether to keep the chimney breast and fireplace or remove it for extra floor space. A chimney breast can create dynamism in space, avoiding that boxy feeling you really want to avoid in a small living room. The niches it creates on either side also provide a considered spot for tall furniture pieces or built-in shelves.