Design
Let’s Get Cozy: 5 Easy Fireplace Hearth Decorating Formulas Just in Time for (Almost) Fall
I’ve never had a working fireplace. As someone who grew up in Florida, I never needed one. Then, when I lived in my first place in LA, I was so excited to have a mantel and hearth to FINALLY style (it was an old wood-burning fireplace that was non-operable). Most of the time, that area was just a catch-all for our overflow of boxes that hadn’t made it down to recycling yet, our baby’s car seat, a basket of toys, and the usual cluster of crap that accumulates if you don’t have a system in place to avoid it. I loosely styled it when I photographed my living room (see below), but since then, I haven’t had much other experience with what to do in front of a fireplace. A mantel is easier for me as it’s just another vertical surface to make look pretty.
As we enter September (and my fingers are itching to hit play on Gilmore Girls again), I’m faced with the challenge of making the fireplace I inherited in my North Carolina home look far better than it does now. The first three months we lived here, it was covered by a bench that held our TV, but now that it is hung, I’ve been left with the daily visual reminder that I can do better than its current situation: nothing. If you find yourself in a similar design stalemate, not knowing how to decorate the hearth of your fireplace, today’s post is for you!
Pssst: We’ve done other styling formula posts. Don’t miss these: entryway formulas | bed styling formulas | bookshelf styling formulas
I’ve put together five “formulas” for what you can put together to elevate this area; whether your fireplace is in the living room, bedroom, or den, these will work. I recognize that fireplaces take many forms. Perhaps you have a raised hearth that spans the width of your firebox and surround, or even wider by stretching across the full length of the wall; maybe you have an electric or gas fireplace with no hearth at all. Not every one of my formulas is going to work with every home’s configuration, but hopefully they will inspire you to find something that fits your needs and tastes. Let’s take a look at what I came up with.
Formula #1: Stool + Stool (Or One Single Bench)
I’m starting with one of the more formal formulas: The double stool or single bench. I find this look to be so posh and elevated. I’ve never really had the room set up to do it (given that I’m only just now contemplating the styling of my second fireplace in 41 years of living), but it’s a good way to create more of a focal point as well as have some built-in extra seating—I mean…if someone wants to sit on a footstool—or at the very least, something to grab to actually put your feet up. Here are some very pretty examples before we do some shopping.
This home, designed by Kate Marker Interiors, features a mantel by Francois and Co. With that gorgeous detailing, you don’t need much, of course, but the two skirted ottomans really draw the eye to the room’s main event.
Similar technique, very different design vibes. This retro-inspired beauty, by Michelle Boudreau Design, uses the double stool formula, which really rounds out the tidy, organized furniture floorplan. It’s also a great way to fill voids if your sofa and coffee table are set further back.
Finch Interior Design proves you can really squeeze a lot out of a small footprint in this compact but welcoming room. The upholstered cubes are a nice, low-risk way to bring in some pattern. (Also, unrelated, I love the cafe curtain peek behind the full drapery).
Here’s a bit of a departure from the double stool, but it serves a similar purpose. If two stools or ottomans are too much visually but you still want to create a little seating moment in front of the fire, you can always do a bench. The width should be at least half the length of the fireplace or hearth to not look dinky, but feel free to go wider if you have the space.
1. Masha Blue Striped Linen Stool | 2. Pierce & Ward Swivel Vanity Stool | 3. Vincente 17″ Ottoman | 4. Viv Swivel Ottoman | 5. Jebb Upholstered Storage Ottoman | 6. Sanford Accent Stool
As I mentioned, this style moment is a great opportunity to bring in color, pattern, or shape. It feels much less scary when you’re investing $200 rather than $2,000 (or more). I love both the pattern and shape of the Masha stool from Wayfair (#1), and the little ball feet of the Vincente (#3) are a special detail that would be impactful in a duo. Got a small room that you need to really squeeze storage out of? Try #5, which has hidden storage inside. It’s a bit pricier, for sure, but more functional, at least. The open metal legs of #6 keep things light and less blocky, and that cognac leather seat lends itself to a cool, more contemporary room.
1. Fritz Hansen Skagerak VENT Bench | 2. Waverly Bedroom Bench | 3. Journey 60″ Terracotta Red Velvet Bench | 4. Rowan Bench | 5. Luca Leather Bench | 6. Farren Stool
Here are some benches we love at a variety of price points. #1 is a one-of-one from an amazing store I work with called Modern Resale in Culver City (they do luxury furniture consignment—if you’re in the area, you have to go check out their inventory!). I love the compact size of the Rowan from Interior Define, and of course, you can customize it with a ton of fabric choices. #5 is a wood and leather option which has a nice mid-century look to it; for something compact but incredibly special, Katy Skelton has this gorgeous Farren Stool (Jess has the larger bench in her bedroom!).
Formula #2: Cushy or Sculptural Armchair + Drinks Table
Here’s a classic formula I couldn’t skip. Frankly, a fantastic armchair is a design panacea: It can solve many a styling problem, and the fireplace is no different. You’re going to want to put it off to one side and give it a little breathing room, but you don’t have to do much more, especially if you bring in an interesting shape, color, or pattern. Take a look:
The vastly talented Analisse Taft from ALT For Living successfully balanced a slightly off-center sofa and coffee table with a low-slung club chair and cool drinks table (a drinks table, btw, is a side table that’s just large enough for, well, a drink or two) just to the left of that stunning marble fireplace surround.
If your fireplace is near a corner of the room like this one I found on Brittany Venner Studio’s page, the chunky armchair + small table (or low stool) formula works perfectly to fill that space that otherwise not much else could fit in.
Similar to the double stool, you could also go with two smaller armchairs and a drinks table as Alyssa Kapito did above. This creates a natural conversation area in the living room, but I especially love this approach in a primary bedroom that has a fireplace and some walking room in front of it.
For a fireplace that is set into built-ins such as the absolutely charming one above (designed by Studio Day Design), I love a chair off to the side. Adding a sweet little footstool ups the quaintness. Don’t you just want to sit there holding a mug of mint tea and listening to the birds singing outside that open window?!?
1. Kip Flare Arm Chair | Chiseling Solid Wood End Table | 2. Essie Lounge Chair | Round Sleek Metal Martini Table | 3. Craig Expressed Wood Chair | Gerdie 12″ End Table | 4. Halo Chair | Antiqued Brass Drink Table | 5. Rawlin Accent Chair | Vero Side Table | 6. Gavin Accent Chair | Pierce & Ward Scalloped Drink Table (12″)
In terms of pairings, you can go the route of similar profiles (such as the skinny metal arms and legs of the chair from #5 married with a similar silhouette drinks table), or go for opposites. A chunky, no-legged chair like the one from #2 will work really well with a wirey table like the metal martini table next to it. When in doubt, couple like materials, even if the styles are a little different. Chair has a wood frame? Go with a wood side table in either a matching tone or a contrasting wood finish (lighter or darker, just keep the tones similar). Not picking similar materials? Match the colors somehow, even if just loosely. For example, I picked a warm brass side table for the super cool-looking chair at #4 because it picked up the yellow tones of the upholstery.
Formula #3: Decorative Baskets + Indoor Tree
Let’s move on from furniture and instead focus on decor, as not every space or budget allows for more seating. Anywhere I can suggest a beautiful basket, I’ll take the opportunity because they are like the tray of the floor: they corral, contain, and organize. Obviously, you don’t want a ton of baskets full of junk everywhere, but in front of a fireplace, it’s a good spot to stash cozy extras like throws. You could just leave it there, but adding in some larger greenery via a small indoor tree or plant is a nice touch.
Depending on how much width you have to work with, a single larger basket could be enough, but if you have the space, feel free to go with two baskets of a similar style in either the same size or one larger and one smaller. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a tree or plant if you have a wood-burning fireplace that throws up embers, but for gas, electric, or a non-functioning firebox, you’ll want to be sure your tree is only about as tall as the bottom of the mantelpiece if you want it to sit on your hearth. You can also go much larger and just set it off to the side.
The above doesn’t technically fulfill the requirements of basket + tree, but if you squint and cheat it a little, it does. The “tree” part here being long, leggy stems in a vase, which also works well (or even a bonsai set atop a stool or pedestal).
1. Mar Woven Baskets – Set of 2 | Black Olive Tree | 2. Woven Leather Basket Collection – Round | Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai Tree Indoor Plant in Ceramic Bonsai Pot Container, 10 Years Old, 16 to 20 in. | 3. Oversized Tote Basket – 24″ Diam. x 16″H | Money Tree Plant | 4. ferm LIVING Verso Baskets – Set of 2 | Ficus Burgundy Rubber Plant | 5. Handwoven Round Palm Baskets (Set of 2) | The Sacred Ficus (Artificial) | 6. Small Woven Short Basket | Monstera Deliciosa
It’s hard to explain how visually a plant matches the vibe of a basket, but a monstera, with its wild and choppy leaves, seems to work well with something more eclectic or worldly. The sparseness of the (faux) “sacred ficus” from #5 pairs well with the clean look of that basket duo from Quince. But really, just get what draws your eye. You want to be sure the basket isn’t too small, or else it’ll look like someone left it there by accident while mopping the floors and rearranging things. Ideally, it would be at least 15 inches in width, but larger is typically better, unless you’re putting two together side by side.
Formula #4: Log Holder + Fireplace Tool Set + Fire Screen (Sometimes)
The most obvious and straightforward formula here offers the most function to a fireplace, as long as your fireplace actually turns on. You really can’t go wrong with a simple setup of fireplace tools + wood holder + fire screen. If you don’t need wood, you can always skip that part unless you like the aesthetic of it. I mean, I get it, because I do, though I can understand if someone thinks having wood next to a gas fireplace just for the vibes is silly. (But look, the heart wants what the heart wants sometimes, okay?!?)
Our girl Emily sure knows how to put together a fireplace, doesn’t she? Given that her home is her think tank, here is one iteration she’s cooked up with two dog beds for her fluffers and a simple iron tool set on the raised brick sides of the hearth. A tri-fold screen completes the look.
The Mountain House living room showcases a round log holder, and sure, technically we can count the rocking chair as part of it.
It’s pretty dark in this specific part of the photo, but on the left of the hearth is a set of useful tools, a firescreen to keep things safe, and on the right, just off the hearth, is a handled bin of firewood.
In terms of styles of the pieces, you can find things that are super modern, glam, traditional, vintage…it runs the gamut. I think it’s important to match the architecture of the fireplace itself, but feel free to take some liberties, especially if you have, say, modern lighting in a traditional Spanish home. In that case, you could do something more contemporary to match the style of your sconces or lamps if you want. Though here, in this beautiful space by Sarah Stolis, you can keep things classic and subdued to not steal the focus of a stunning tile surround.
I love how Hygge Design matched the rectangular shapes of the fireplace tile surround and firebox to the log holder. We can’t see the other side of the fireplace, but I’d like to imagine a sleek, modern tool set is hanging out over there to complete the look.
1. Mid Century Brass Fireplace Tool Set | Prini Leather Log Holder | 2. Everson Fireplace Tool Set | Fireplace Screen Cover | 3. Modern Ember Walnut Grove 5 Piece Fireplace Tool Set | Deco Metal Fireplace Screen | 4. Industrial 5-Piece Fireplace Tool Set | Waxed-Canvas Log Carrier | 5. Scandinavian Fireplace Tool Set with Stand | ASHI Firewood Basket | 6. Wrought Iron 5-Piece Fireplace Set | Small Winchester Fireplace Screen with Doors
Similar to the plant + basket formula combo, you’ll want to be sure that you’re matching the spirit of your accessories. Pairing a sleek, Scandinavian tool set (like #5) with a cottage-friendly fire screen with iron scrollwork (#6) just wouldn’t look right. For this roundup, I opted for some combos that have the log holder, and others with a fire screen, but you could definitely mix and match here if you wanted all three. I’d put the waxed canvas bag log holder from LL Bean with the grouping from both #6, for instance, and that leather log holder from #1 with #3 (and I’d take that brass fire screen and put it with the two pieces from #1, too).
Formula #5: The One Large Thing
And finally, our final combination: What I’m calling the “one large thing” formula. Sometimes, you really just don’t need much, especially if you don’t like a lot of visual clutter. Here, you can use a large floor vase, an oversized sculpture or object, or even just a low side table or footstool.
In the Atlanta project from many years ago (a time when all my EHD girls were together in one office—what an amazing time), the raised hearth houses a large black vase. You can either search for something specifically labeled a floor vase, or a larger vase with a vertical height of at least 20 inches.
Gosh, I love that wood X-shaped object on the marble hearth of the Portland project’s formal living room.
Another large vase moment in the room-width hearth of Emily’s Glendale house.
The “One Large Thing” is a great opportunity to bring in a quirky vintage or antique find that you don’t know where to put otherwise. I don’t know if that’s the story behind this adorable little table from Anna Booth Interiors, but it works as a concept regardless.
Especially for an elevated hearth, a large vase with some greenery or wispy florals is so beautiful. Quiet yet impactful. Design by Susannah Holmberg Studios.
1. Playa Faux Travertine Indoor/Outdoor Ball Extra Large | 2. French Vintage Turned Wood Stool | 3. Mehmet Floor Sculpture – Small | 4. Cabo Black Terracotta Floor Vase | 5. Pierre Turned Wood Stool in Blue | 6. Oaxaca Large Taupe Cotton Mache Vase 20″
There’s a lot I could have put in this roundup, but mostly, I just wanted to give you some jumping-off points for the kinds of things that work alone near a fireplace hearth. As I mentioned above, large vases (#4, #6), quirky or vintage stools (#2, #5), or objects and sculptures (#1, #3).
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After going through this exercise, I definitely have a better idea for what to do with the hearth in front of my fireplace, but I’m definitely going to play around with some options. Maybe a funky sculpture, a basket is always nice for throws, or go for the armchair with drinks table. At the moment, I have a small potted tree on one end and a wood side table on the other, but I look forward to locking that in and eventually showing you that whole room. Stay tuned!
Opening Image Credits: Design by Ginny Macdonald for EHD | Photo by Zeke Ruelas | From: Silver Lake Hills Living Room Reveal
Great post with great ideas.
When will you do your next mini make- over blog. I have a living room that needs a new rug to complete it and I’m stuck. I would love to submit my pictures for new ideas.
Send some photos my way! arlyn @ emilyhendersondesign dot com (but no spaces and a period instead of the dot, obviously—just avoiding bots spamming me)
For our functional fireplace with a flush hearth, my current style for warm weather months is a pretty wooden children’s table+chairs in front. Keeps little ones from opening the fireplace doors and expands the usable space in the room. In cold weather, everything moves back so we can use the fireplace, so it’s just tools+random snow boots drying on the hearth.
This is inspiring and helping me understand why my fireplace looks so empty.
Suggestions for how to style a raised hearth?
I’m still a bit stumped with my stone raised hearth that is only as wide as the mantel, unlike some of the wider ones featured here. . I’m concerned a log holder and tools, while very necessary, are going to look busy and uneven on the stone.
Would love to know how others are styling their raised hearths!
What do you have on the side of the raised hearth? Is it similar to the Atlanta project under the “One Big Thing” category? If you have a tiny bit of room, I’d say just a small single thing, but if not, and you have room to the left and right of the hearth, you can put the log holder and any tools on the sides on the floor and it should look great, still!
I really needed this post. I’m leaning toward either the one big thing, or doubled up baskets. Thanks, Aryln!
I don’t think you can go wrong with either of those options!
As usual, I ate it up and learned a ton and I dont even have a fireplace! 😆 Great post!
HAHAHA thanks Susan!
These are GREAT! I have a giant stone fireplace with a bench-height elevated hearth and this gave me some fun ideas. Can I also say how much I LOVE that your examples all list the price clearly below? It is so frustrating to have to click through to see that the price is outside my budget, so THANK YOU!
I have a huge rustic fireplace with big raised hearth in a lodge-type living room, and so I have room for multiples of these ideas without it being too much! Let’s see, I have the screen, logs, and tools… I have a big cushy chair with drink table… I have a tree… I have one giant art piece over the mantle… I also have two seats in front of the fireplace but that’s bc my kids keep bringing them over to play with. They will have to go when fire season is here, and they ARE too much visually.