A living room with a fireplace lends the home a touch of timeless elegance, even when the fireplace is small or essential in design.

The living room is the very heart of a household because it represents the room of welcome, of relaxation, of meeting: this room can become even more special if embellished by the presence of a fireplace, of any size or style. A living room with a fireplace lends the home a touch of timeless elegance, even when the fireplace is small or essential in design. But furnishing the room requires some extra care: let’s find out which ones.

Room with a fireplace: how to furnish it

The presence of a fireplace within a room, be it a living room, lounge, living room or even a bedroom, is a significant architectural element, capable of catalysing the gaze of anyone entering that environment. The seating in the living room should be oriented towards this attractive element, or, if more space is available, you can also place a sofa and a pair of armchairs opposite each other, perpendicular to the fireplace. If the fireplace, on the other hand, is in the bedroom, the bed will have to be oriented towards this focal point and also any armchairs or sofas.

Sferatus: la lampada firmata Bontempi Casa
Sferatus: Bontemi Casa lamp

From the classic fireplace to the electric fireplace: to each his own

There are many types of fireplaces: from the most classic and elegant made of marble or stone to the more informal in brick, to the modern in masonry or chalet-style wood. And again, gas fireplaces with essential shapes, fireplaces with a contemporary design, they are sometimes suspended or set into a partition wall and useful for separating a large space in an original way.

If the fireplace is classic, in marble, it is better to match furniture and accessories with an essential style and homogeneous colours, such as a total grey or choosing beige tones, precisely to enhance the richness of an important fireplace, perhaps even a period one. The usually less demanding brick fireplace can be interestingly accompanied by livelier seating or furnishing accessories for a contemporary New York-inspired style. If, on the other hand, we are talking about an ultra-modern fireplace, then the advice is to respect the minimalism of the room with minimal design, transparent elements, metals, and clean lines.

A furnishing accessory that can be matched to any style of living room is the footstool or puff: in leather or velvet, coloured or matching, it is always perfect to complete a room with a fireplace.

How to enhance the presence of the fireplace: inspiration and tips

Whatever the fireplace, there are two ways to emphasise its presence: by enhancing the wall that houses it, perhaps by painting it in a different colour than the others, and by carefully choosing what to place aboveit. When it comes to setting up the upper part, there are several options: a large painting, classical or contemporary, will bring more solemnity to the living room or the space that houses the fireplace, making the room even more important. A mirror will grant the same effect, also giving brightness and depth to the room. Also original are collections, i.e. elements of a smaller size: composites of pictures, ceramic objects of the same colour range, or a collection of vases, or perhaps a simple series of seedlings all alike can create a truly exclusive scenic feature. Another tip is to place only pictures above the fireplace: maybe all in black and white or with related subjects such as family, nature, passions. And all of them with the equally styled frames but of different sizes or all different in one colour.

Finally, especially when the living room is smaller, the fireplace must coexist harmoniously with the TV: whether it is a classic fireplace topped by an ultra-flat screen, or a classic TV model.

Another detail not to be forgotten for those with a wood-burning fireplace is that the wood itself, sorted into containers or stacked neatly, can be a fascinating piece of furniture.

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