Whether it’s functional or not, a fireplace can add a lot to a room. With a mantel, it can provide a space for displaying art and trinkets, or, when surrounded by ornate tile work, brick, or even a few coats of paint, it can serve as a piece of art in itself. No wonder why it’s such a covetable feature in a living room.

That said, when you’re designing a space with a fireplace, it’s important to figure out how to make it work with your surrounding furniture — and that doesn’t just mean arranging your sofa or armchairs to face it directly. There are plenty of living room ideas with fireplace placements that might not seem immediately obvious. 

The key is understanding what role you want a fireplace to play in your interior: as a focal point, a decorative element, or a functional piece that doesn’t need to be highlighted in any particular way. The best choice for your space may not be the one that you don’t immediately consider. Here, Havenly designer Kelsey Fischer shares a few of her favorite living room ideas with fireplace and furniture arrangements that show just how versatile this feature can be.

1. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Sitting Room

With a sofa in the adjoining room, this living space works perfectly as a simple sitting room. Two armchairs flank the decorative fireplace to create a cozy vignette — especially with a hodgepodge of mantel decor set in-between.

2. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Off Center

A fireplace doesn’t have to be the focal point of your living room. This space presents a sophisticated alternative: a coffee table, set in front of the fireplace, frames the detail well without making it the central focus of the room. 

3. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Country Cool

Natural textures — like a visible wood grain in the bookshelf and the leather upholstery of this Burrow chair — lend this interior a rustic feel. The visible firewood storage especially evokes a sense of nostalgia.

4. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Grand Scale

Sometimes, the best thing to do is go big — that’s true of this space, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and floor-to-ceiling stone wall that surrounds a fireplace. One extra-large sectional from Burrow provides ample sitting room, ideal for cozying up on chilly nights.

5. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Blended In

It might feel instinctive to design your space around your fireplace, but it can also work just as well as a feature that’s blended in with its surroundings. The painted-black fireplace in this smaller space adds a cool textural detail to the interior without dominating the room — creating the perfect backdrop for two velvet swivel chairs.

6. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Modern Cabin 

Built-in firewood storage acts as wall art in this sleek space. It’s a dynamic, organic detail that’s delightfully unexpected in an overall simple interior. A checkerboard rug and velvet armchair add to the modern look.

7. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Propped Up

Positioned on a ledge, the fireplace in this living room has an unassuming appearance. Instead of a mantel, a shelf positioned directly above frames it well, with a large mirror and a few tapers acting as decor.

8. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: White Brick

The furniture in this living room — like a sleek, square coffee table and an upholstered accent chair with a matching ottoman — nod to classic mid-century style and make perfect complements to the room’s old school architecture. A white-painted brick wall and built-in fireplace feel simultaneously retro and modern.

9. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Tall Tile

Framed by a column of floor-to-ceiling geometric tiles, this fireplace may sit in the background of this serene living space, but it has a transformational impact on the room. The blues of the tiles are a particularly welcome contrast to the interior’s largely warm-toned decor. 

10. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Layered Effect

In a classic, neutral space, a few pops of pattern can go a long way. Black-bordered drapery, a striped armchair, and two layered pieces of art atop the mantel bring a graphic touch to a largely traditional living room.

11. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Curated Collection

Adding built-in shelves alongside a fireplace can help create depth in a space and, of course, open up a lot more styling possibilities for the room. In this minimalist space, a collection of pottery gets pride of place, creating a simple yet artful display.

12. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Strong Foundation

Set between an elevated hearth and a stone pilaster, the narrow fireplace in this living room feels naturally embedded in the space. Because it’s so aligned with its surroundings, it doesn’t compete with other details, like a large piece of art and a few floating shelves.

13. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Classical Monochrome

A few ornate details, like a framed mirror and an elegantly molded fireplace, give this interior a decidedly elevated impression. But a few simpler elements — and a monochromatic color palette — keep it from looking stuffy. An ultra-sleek coffee table and plush, armless sectional do make it a distinctly modern room.

14. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Personal Library

The large, angular fireplace in this space rightfully stands as a key focal point. Contrasting with its gray, dynamic shape, a jumble of wooden bookshelves and a vivid gallery wall give the living room a welcome, playful vibe.

15. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Close Quarters

Especially in a more compact space, a fireplace can be a great feature around which to orient a sitting area. In this contemporary living room, a brown leather sofa nicely complements the warm brick of the fireplace.

16. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Artful Arrangement

A mantel is a great opportunity to put your favorite pieces of decor on display. Careful curation is paramount. Here, a cameo print pairs nicely with a framed photograph, while a blue and white vase and a few taper candles tie in well with a deep blue sofa from Interior Define.

17. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Well Lit

Fireplaces are often associated with moody, more intimate spaces, but they can also make a lovely touch in bright, airy rooms. This interior has the luxury of large windows, but a pair of sconces, a floor lamp, and a decorative chandelier ensure it stays well-lit.

18. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Contemporary Elegance

With such stunning architectural details as ornate crown molding and a decorative mantel, this living room opts for a few simplie pieces to strike the perfect balance of detail and simplicity. A tawny sectional and a playful, three-headed floor lamp perfectly suit the space. 

19. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Pop of Color

Here’s an easy way to make a fireplace pop without requiring any tricky renovation — turn it into an accent wall! A column of dark green above and below this fireplace grounds it in the space and brings a lovely boost of color to the room.

20. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Abstract Arrangement 

There’s an artistic look to this living room, with its angular accent chairs, expansive white chandelier, and collection of curiosities. An understated fireplace — with a subtle pop of brass — adds to the refined space.

21. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Standout Mantel

A variety of prints and textures lend a warm, Nancy Meyers-esque feel to this living room. Ample cushioned surfaces — sofas, armchairs, and even a large ottoman that does double-duty as a table — create a soft atmosphere. A curved, cream-colored mantel fits right in.

22. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Simple Setup

Smaller spaces require a touch more strategic — think of it as furniture Tetris. In this room, a white chaise sectional from Interior Define and a leather accent chair create a cohesive sitting area around a rounded coffee table, which sits just in front of a sleek, modern fireplace.

23. Living Room Ideas With Fireplace: Central Station

The pieces in this small living room — a tufted tan sofa, a black, caned-backed chair, and a white swivel chair — may feel disparate on their own, but together, they create an eclectic, neutral-toned arrangement. The black marble fireplace and an antique-inspired area rug lay the perfect foundation for the space.

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