While there are seemingly countless ways to arrange a room, there are certain considerations that can help you create a balanced, well-thought-out room. Here, we’ve gathered our top tips for styling furniture around a fireplace to guarantee a more cozy, inviting arrangement.
1. Figure Out How You Use the Space
Before styling furniture around your fireplace, it’s imperative to think about how you use the room. If it’s a destination for watching the big game every Sunday, your approach might be different than if you’re using it as a more formal sitting room. Will you want guests to be able to put their feet up? Are plenty of surfaces for drinks necessary? How about a game table? Finally, will storage be an issue? Living in your space before you determine the appropriate furnishings as well as the layout is always advisable, especially when you’re also working with existing elements like a fireplace.
2. Keep Sightlines Clear
Chances are you want your fireplace to be the focal point of your space. For that reason, it’s important to keep sightlines as clear as possible. If your fireplace is visible from your front door, ensure the surrounding furnishings aren’t too tall or wide to knock out the view. While it might go without saying, placing an item like a bench directly in front of a fireplace can make the space feel closed in and cluttered. Try to create breathing space around each section or zone of your room. This can give a feeling of a more spacious area while also allowing your fireplace to shine.
3. Determine the Right Scale
If you have a small fireplace, keep that in mind when selecting furnishings as bulky pieces could overshadow what you’re trying to highlight. The same can be said of pairing more petite furnishings with a commanding fireplace. The scale of the two should feel cohesive.
Although you might think it’s all about size, a furnishing’s color, style, and fabric type can all play a role as well. Keep in mind your room’s color palette as well as the style of your furniture and fireplace. Feel free to mix aesthetics, but ensure there is cohesion so the array doesn’t feel cacophonous. Weaving a color throughout the space (even if it is used in various patterns or on a variety of decor items) can achieve just that.
Finally, move things around until you find the right balance. The chair that you originally thought would be perfect next to the sofa might be ideal tucked to the side of the fireplace instead.
4. Keep Traffic Flow in Mind
Traffic flow should always be top of mind when it comes to arranging furniture—regardless of the space. While you might want to stick a big sofa smackdab in front of the fireplace, that might not be a realistic choice if it’s a main thoroughfare. Area rugs can be a great way to organize furniture in a neat way while leaving a path for foot traffic. Consider it a subtle way to point family and friends in the right direction.
5. Focus on Conversation
Fireside chats are the stuff of winter dreams, so keep conversation at the forefront when it comes to arranging your furniture. Ensure seating areas are close enough for more intimate conversation. If the area surrounding your fireplace is large or wide open, consider creating conversation zones, pairing two chairs in one section and a set of perpendicular sofas on the other.
The more spacious your room, the more challenging this might be, so map it out before you commit to a layout. Use painters tape on the floor to show the size and scale of furnishings to help give you a feel of the pacing of the room and how easily guests will be able to carry on a conversation even above the crackle of a roaring fireplace.
6. Create Symmetry
Symmetry can be important when styling furniture around a fireplace. But, in certain applications, asymmetrical layouts work just as well. Consider your space, style, and how you plan to use the room before determining whether or not to create a 1:1 look. Subtle changes like mixing up the seating styles on either side of the fireplace, or adding different wall decor but keeping the furnishings consistent, can elevate the look of your fireplace in a way that’s unexpected.
7. Go for Built-Ins
A surefire way to create more depth and interest around your fireplace is with built-ins. Shelves and cabinets provide ample storage, and they can also act in a role that’s similar to wallpaper when they’re lined with special trinkets, tomes, and collections. If space allows, opt for symmetrical units on either side of the fireplace. Consider adding library lights, sconces, or wallpaper on the back of shelves for added style.
8. Work Around Media
Whether a TV belongs above the mantel or not is an ongoing debate, but no matter which camp you find yourself in, taking media placement into consideration when styling furniture around a fireplace is paramount. Think about the viewability of the screen in addition to your space’s focal point. If your screen is positioned away from the fireplace, you might want to add swivel seating that can quickly switch orientation when the big game is on. Lighter, moveable furnishings like poufs, ottomans, and side chairs can all work in this scenario as well.
If your TV will be centered above the mantel, ensure the surrounding seating is pulled back enough to allow for proper distance when viewing—no one wants a neckache after movie night, after all.
