Decorating Ideas For A Small Living Room With A Fireplace

Living rooms are arguably the most important areas of the house. They're where you get to chill out, relax, entertain guests, and unwind after a long day. And do you know what makes them even more inviting? Having a fireplace. Getting to kick back and luxuriate in front of a roaring fire is a wonderful thing to look forward to after work or on the weekend. However, a living room with fireplace design can be a tricky interior design challenge. How do you incorporate a living room fireplace into your layout and interior design plans?

There are definitely some extra considerations beyond our basic living room checklist when you're dealing with the design combo of a living room layout with fireplace. Will you want space for TV viewing as well as fireplace seating? Do you want the fireplace to be the main focal point? Does the fireplace actually work or is it just for show?

Read This Next: How to Find the Best Living Room Layout for You

We've put together 11 living room layouts that show you how to design around a fireplace so you can start to envision different possibilities for your home. Keep scrolling to explore the looks!

1. Living Room with Fireplace in the Middle of a Long Wall

This space features a basic living room layout with a fireplace, with the fireplace actively incorporated into the design. It's a conversational setup with enough seating for large gatherings. And while the fireplace isn't the main focal point, it's seamlessly incorporated into the space so everyone can still enjoy it.

The Key Design Elements:

This layout features furniture "floating" in the middle of the room. The foundational furniture pieces are pulled away from walls, making the fireplace the centerpiece of the space, but not the main focal point (learn more about floating furniture). The layout leaves room around the perimeter for other functions you might enjoy, like a reading nook, office space, room for a bar cart, etc.

There is lots of seating here, including the chairs, stools, and sofa. And the best part is that the chairs swivel and stools can easily be moved for a more flexible arrangement. This helps keep the focus on the center of the conversation circle—which is all great for entertaining! Stools in front of the fireplace give you a place to sit and warm up, and you can move them to the other side of the coffee table if needed!

This Layout is Great If You…

Love conversation in front of the fireplace and like to entertain and gather in a cozy setting.

Shop This Look

2. A Seating Area with the Fireplace as the Focal Point

This layout also facilitates conversation, but we specifically arranged the furniture around the living room fireplace to keep it as the main focus of the room. It's a great setup for cozying up in front of a fireplace with intimate seating—as evidenced by the use of wingback chairs, the original "fireplace chairs."

The Key Design Elements:

This layout enables easy conversation but could also work for TV viewing—you can just swap mantel decor for a flatscreen. The view faces out the window so you can enjoy the scenery of nature! The two armchairs are grouped in front of the window and can be incorporated into a cozy conversational area with the sofa.

This design also leaves enough open space behind the sofa to work as a dining area, reading area, office space, etc. This layout is nice if you have a bigger, open living-dining room you want to divide into two zones to maximize space.

This Layout is Great If You…

Enjoy having a view outside the window, or if you like intimate settings and a close-knit gathering place.

Shop This Look

Need layout help for your space?

Get an expert's help designing your living room online.

Start Your Project

3. A Symmetrical Living Room with Built-ins Flanking the Fireplace

We love more formal living room design ideas , where you have matching sofas facing each other. It's optimal for conversation and entertaining purposes. This is not the best layout for TV viewing, but it's great for reading books, having coffee, and entertaining friends.

The Key Design Elements:

This living room features a symmetrical layout that's open on one side so it pulls you directly into the conversation circle. The fireplace wall creates a U-shape area with bookcases for extra visual interest. The fireplace and art are the main focus of the room without the distraction of TV.

The space feels super open and welcoming because the windows and ledge break up the solid wall. The seating is a formal arrangement—it's not versatile as the sofas are large and stationary, but it's a lovely set up for sophisticated entertaining.

This Layout is Great If You…

Love inviting guests into a beautiful formal living area or if you want a quiet space to enjoy your fireplace.

Shop This Look

4. A Casual Living Room with a Corner Fireplace

This casual layout incorporates the stone fireplace into the overall design of the space without it being the centerpiece. It has a lounge feel with rocking chairs and casual decor around the fireplace. The seating is open with space between the fireplace and sofa, creating a warm, inviting layout.

Want more ideas on designing a living room with a corner fireplace layout? Check out this guide to 3 different ways you can tackle this tricky space.

The Key Design Elements:

The floating furniture is pulled away from walls and windows and creates a casual seating area that's not so tight around the heat of the fire. That way, the fireplace is a nice "surprise" in the corner—it's part of the space but not the main focal point! The TV is situated across from the sofa so it's there for easy viewing but doesn't compete with the fireplace—making this a great option for designing aliving room with a TV and a fireplace .

The seating here is more fluid, meaning can move the furniture around to accommodate different uses. (Specifically the two chairs.) This is a great setup for playing games with the family! There's lots of space for foot traffic around furniture pieces and throughout the room.

This Layout is Great If You…

Want to enjoy a lounge feel with TV viewing and a fireplace ambiance.

Shop This Look

5. An Open Living Room Layout with the Fireplace Open to an Adjoining Space

This layout features an L-shaped sectional that faces both the living room fireplace and open kitchen/dining area. The floating furniture layout without pieces anchored on the walls opens the room up to other spaces and allows for conversation without feeling tight and cramped.

The Key Design Elements:

This layout features furniture in line with the fireplace, keeping it open for traffic to move throughout the space. The L-shaped sofa defines the space but also leaves lots of open room so it doesn't feel cumbersome and inhibited in any way. It's a great way to divide open space into distinct areas for different uses.

This Layout is Great If You…

Want an open flow to easily move through the space and to see and converse with people in other rooms.

Shop This Look

6. A Living Room Layout Where the Fireplace is Behind the Sofa

We are super into this unexpected layout idea for a living room with a fireplace! If you have a nonfunctional fireplace and/or don't want to incorporate it into your layout, putting a sofa in front of it is a great way to maximize space. With this living room furniture arrangement, the seating area is spun around, opening up into the larger space. It also uses the fireplace as an architectural backdrop!

The Key Design Elements:

The layout features a sofa facing out, with its back against the fireplace—keeping the view and conversation away from the fireplace. We chose a luxe chaise sectional to create a stunning centerpiece in the room. An office in the living room allows the space to be multifunctional— otherwise, the fireplace might've taken up too much space. The living room features a mix of styles and allows the quirkiness of the layout to feel intentional.

This Layout is Great If You…

Love a unique look in your living room, if you don't plan to use your fireplace but don't want it to create wasted space, or if you want a lounge feel that's open for conversation and cocktails.

Shop This Look

7. A Casual Lounge with a Stylish But Non-Functional Fireplace

This is a great layout if you are using your fireplace as a decorative element, not a functional feature of the space. Plus, the corner fireplace is at the end of the room as a backdrop—it's not the focal point but it definitely makes a statement in this space!

The Key Design Elements:

Give the Fireplace Function: The non-functional corner fireplace acts as functional decor by being used as a bookshelf—with books lined up inside the hearth. The fireplace mantel decor adds an extra dash of style, creating a casual and un-intimidating design.

Play Up the Casual Vibe: When you have a non-functional but stylish fireplace like this, embrace the vibe by creating a casual, bohemian-style lounge to sit and relax. Low furniture pieces like the stool, chair, and pouf all have a super casual, relaxed look. A cowhide rug helps ground the casual seating area, while abstract and textural wall art helps tie this space in with the adjacent dining room.

This Layout is Great If You…

Want a casual, inviting space; if you like lounging near the fireplace and but don't want the actual heat; or if you have a non-functional fireplace that's more for aesthetics.

Shop This Look

8. A Symmetrical Conversational Fireplace Layout

This is another great layout that's all about conversation and face time with your guests. The sofa faces the living room fireplace and the chairs flank the fireplace and face the sofa for the ultimate conversational setup. Furniture floats in the space but is grounded by symmetry and a large rug so the room feels very intentional and put together.

The Key Design Elements:

A visually grounded sofa anchors the seating area, while smaller accent chairs surround the front of the fireplace to create a "circular" conversation center. The pouf comes in handy because it can be used as a footstool in front of any of the seats or as extra seating itself. Chairs can be moved around to face the fireplace or look out the window when you don't want a closed conversation circle. And bookcases flank the fireplace for added visual appeal—you can even add a reading nook or study to the space.

This Layout is Great If You…

Love family game nights, enjoy curling up with a good book or coffee in front of the fireplace, or just want a light, open layout.

Shop This Look

9. A Living Room with a TV to the Side of the Fireplace

Want a TV and fireplace in your living room? When you have a living room with a fireplace, but you also want a TV for watching movies and shows, you're more limited with your layout options. Here, the fireplace is the focal point of the living room, but the TV is just off to the side for easy viewing.

The Key Design Elements:

Choose a Dark Paint Color: By painting the fireplace wall a darker color, the TV blends in and becomes less of a focal point. By helping it not stand out as much, it doesn't take attention away from the fireplace when it's not in use.

Balance Out the TV: Since the TV is to one side of the fireplace, you want to visually balance the fireplace wall by placing another weighty item along the wall. This helps the overall layout feel more polished and intentional. We put a full-length floor mirror and tall plant on the opposite side of the fireplace, but you could also do a bookcase or cabinet if you want extra storage.

This Layout is Great If You…

Enjoy snuggling up by the fireplace but don't want to sacrifice watching TV. It's also great for families with kids, since the sofa directly faces the TV but isn't the main star of the room.

Shop This Look

10. A Living Room With Fireplace on a Slanted Corner Wall

The fireplace in this room is tucked in the corner, with the brickwork popping out into the room a bit, creating an additional slanted wall within the space. This, combined with the large mantle, makes it a pronounced focal point within the room. To celebrate that, we gave this living room an unexpected layout.

The Key Design Elements:

Play Up the Angle: Instead of facing the sofa toward the long wall or the windows, fighting against this architectural element of a corner fireplace, we decided to embrace it. To do this, we placed the sofa at an angle as well, directly facing the fireplace. It's worth noting that this layout only works in an open-concept space where you have the room to put the living room furniture at an angle without blocking walkways or entrances.

Fill Out the Space: Having just a sofa angled toward the corner fireplace in an open room like this would make the space feel pretty sparse. So, we incorporated extra accent furniture to help fill out the space—including a bookcase and a bench along the windows. There's also a sitting chair to the left of the sofa to help fill out the seating area itself.

This Layout is Great If You…

Want the corner fireplace to remain the focal point and want the seating arrangement around it or want a more formal living room set up with an unexpected twist.

Shop This Look

11. A Cozy Seating Area in Front of the Fire with a Chaise Sectional

This layout features living room furniture pulled off the walls and arranged closer to the fireplace for a cozy feeling. The big armchair offers a place to sit, relax, and drink wine by the fire and the sectional creates a more casual, relaxed look. It's an ideal furniture arrangement for conversation and small groups.

The Key Design Elements:

This design features a cozy, intimate seating arrangement with a singular chair to keep the space open. The chaise on the far side from the fireplace creates a cozy feel and a conversation circle without blocking the fireplace. And the setup makes sure to keep the fireplace front and center as the focal point!

This Layout is Great If You…

Want to cozy up in front of the fireplace and like smaller, more intimate settings.

Shop This Look

12. A Living Room that Treats the Fireplace as a Visual Backdrop

This layout features symmetrical sofas that frame the fireplace. Armchairs block in the seating area from the inside in order to keep space open as you walk in, using the fireplace more as a backdrop. It provides a cozy, conversational seating area without closing off the far side of the room.

The Key Design Elements:

Matching sofas and chairs keep the room symmetrical and classy while also providing comfortable seating options for you and guests. The ottoman and chairs are easily movable for different arrangements and needs for space. And you can enjoy the fireplace from the chairs, ottomans and even from the sofas.

This Layout is Great If You…

Love having large groups of people over but don't want your living space to feel cluttered with seating options.

Shop This Look

13. A Basement Family Room with Fireplace

We've talked a lot about main living spaces with fireplaces—but what about a basement family room with a fireplace? This is a super cozy element to have in a space where coziness and comfort is key! But many family rooms are primarily geared toward entertainment and play spaces, so it's important to focus on those functions without ignoring the fireplace.

The Key Design Elements:

Create a Cozy Lounge Space: Opting for a large sectional offers plenty of space for family and guests to spread out and casually enjoy the space. It's facing the TV—perfect for movie nights—but is also a great place to curl up and read or oversee playtime with a cup of coffee.

Get Practical: The fireplace adds a practical touch, helping to warm up a cold basement room. And since the chaise section of the sofa is on the opposite side of the room, the fireplace is more incorporated into the design of the room rather than being blocked off. So, you can easily enjoy the fireplace without it being the focal point of the space.

This Layout is Great If You…

Want to establish a kid-friendly space that the whole family can enjoy.

Shop This Look

14. A Small Living Room with Fireplace

When you have a small living room with a fireplace, you generally don't have much choice but to make the fireplace a focal point. In such a small space, it's really front and center! Balancing furniture on either side of the fireplace helps make the best use of this space.

The Key Design Elements:

Get Cozy: The furniture is closer together than you might have in a typical living room, but it has to be to fit a sofa and two chairs. But since the pieces have simple silhouettes, the space feels snug and open rather than cluttered and cramped.

Keep the Design More Minimal: With both a small living room and a fireplace, you don't want to overfill the space and make it feel cramped. Instead, be picky about what you bring into the space, and lean toward a more minimal aesthetic, making sure everything has a purpose. The neutral palette is soothing and helps keep the room from feeling too busy.

This Layout is Great If You… have a small living space but want it to feel polished and upscale, since the furniture facing each other feels more formal.

Shop This Look

15. A Long, Narrow Living Room With a Fireplace at the Far End

When you have a fireplace at the far end of a long, narrow living room, it can be challenging to know how to approach your room's layout. Grouping all of your seeing around the fireplace would be tight, and it would also mean there was a ton of empty space behind the seating area. The solution? Create two separate seating areas to maximize the long and narrow living room.

The Key Design Elements:

Frame the Fireplace: We used art, an area rug, and chairs to frame the fireplace and make it more a part of the overall design of the space.

Create Two Seating Areas: In this living room, seating is zoned into two areas, but the fireplace is visible and can be enjoyed from both areas.

This Layout is Great If You…

Have a long, narrow space and want to still enjoy the fireplace from all areas of the room.

Shop This Look

16. A Living Room with a Fireplace and TV on the Same Wall

Can't decide between a fireplace and TV when choosing the focal point of your living room? What if you didn't have to decide?? If the wall above your fireplace allows it, you can hang your TV directly above the fireplace, so you can enjoy either element without moving—or even enjoy both at the same time! It's a practical move that doesn't take away from the beauty of your fireplace.

The Key Design Elements:

Create a Sense of Balance: The fireplace is naturally centered in the room, so we balanced the furniture on each side of it. The two chairs are larger, so they visually feel like the same weight as the sofa.

Add in Other Functions: Just because the TV and fireplace combo is the focal point of the living room doesn't mean you can't embrace other functions for the space. In fact, the furniture arrangement itself offers you a great space for conversation, and there's even room behind the sofa to place an exercise bike!

This Layout is Great If You…

Don't have any other solid walls where you can place your TV, or if your living room is also open to your dining room or kitchen and you want to be able to see the TV from each space.

Need help with a living room with fireplace design?

Start Your Project

Decorating Ideas For A Small Living Room With A Fireplace

Source: https://blog.modsy.com/home-design-tips-guides/layout-guides/living-room-with-fireplace-design-layout-ideas/

Posted by: eldercovis1990.blogspot.com

Share this post