Creative and Beautiful Fireplace Design Ideas: Our Top Picks

Fireplaces add architectural interest to homes. Even small stone fireplace surround design can produce a big impact. Regardless of size, 2024 bodes an increase in asymmetrical designs, floating shelves, and innovative media kits inside fireplaces.

At the same time, eco-conscious homeowners of Columbus and Cincinnati have also honed in on electric fireplaces as an alternative to burning fossil fuels.

Currently, there is an eclectic mix of design trends, with fireplace appearances ranging from ornate to minimalist and rustic. Whether you’re remodeling an old fireplace or designing one from scratch, our natural stone fireplace ideas are full of inspiration.

Most Common Types of Stones Used for Fireplaces

Choosing ill-suited stone fireplace materials can make or break design flow, yet the right type will enhance the character and design of a space. The following options are the best stone for fireplaces:

• Limestone: Best for electric or gas fireplaces. While heat-resistant, it can crack when faced with the heat intensity of wood fires.
• Slate: Available in shades of gray, brown, black, copper, red, green, and gold. Slate is an excellent energy-efficient choice, but like limestone, it should only be used for electric or wood fireplaces.
• Granite: Incredibly durable and available in a large color selection. Granite is unlikely to crack or chip. It’s mid-priced and suitable for gas or wood-burning fireplaces.
• Soapstone: This volcanic stone’s gray tones are loved for their soapy texture. While durable and heat-resistant, it’s more expensive than limestone and granite.
• Marble: Equally durable and as heat-resistant as granite, marble is a high-end option. It is considered the crème de la crème of natural stone and will undoubtedly increase the value of your home.

Our Favorite Fireplace Ideas

Limestone Fireplace Surrounds

Limestone fireplace surrounds provide any living space with a high-quality finish. For homes that embrace natural, earthy textures and designs, limestone offers an effective way to brighten a room with soft, natural textures. It’s durable, not easily nicked, scratched, or dented, making it a great natural stone for fireplace surrounds.

Carvings with intricate detail are easier to see and fabricate on limestone compared to granite, for example. Limestone is also abundantly available and relatively cheaper than marble. Additionally, it comes in a variety of hues, from light to dark tones, each of which exudes a completely different feel. Stone-faced fireplaces fabricated from this material will make your living room alive and warm.

Stunning Dark Stone Fireplace

For contemporary enthusiasts, matte black is the finish of choice, especially when it comes to decor. It's a classic color that never goes out of style, which is why homeowners opt for dark stone fireplaces to complete this moody look. Stone facade fireplace ideas ideal for this palette may include using slate, bluestone, and dark marble or granite. On the contrary, a dark stone fireplace also works well with minimalist designs with contrasting black and white.

Fieldstone Hearth

Fieldstone fireplaces come to mind when you think of a rustic cabin in the woods with a fireplace constructed from rectangular and oval stone. Thousands of years of weather and tumbling softens the edges of these stones, shaping them into irregular sizes.

Fireplace designs with stones like these range in color from dark blues, grays, and browns to light blues, rusts, and light buffs, depending on where the stone was sourced.  A fireplace can be made entirely out of Fieldstone to replicate the appearance of traditional farm buildings or just have ornamental stone facings.

Stone Fireplace with Mounted TV

Current trends have many homeowners opting for sleek fireplaces with televisions above. This is especially prevalent in homes with outdoor entertainment areas that play host to parties, friends, and family. In cases where homeowners want to create beautiful pergolas or gazebos next to their pool with a single focal point, the TV-fireplace combo offers a great solution.

Hanging a flat screen above a mantel also frees up valuable floor space and, in the context of pergolas, solves the issue of not having a wall to mount it on. This design works best with contemporary designs that allow for the position of the TV at eye level. Placing the screen too high can be detrimental to posture.

Chic Marble Fireplace Surrounds

Marble exudes luxury and sophistication. From Roman to Greek, French, and contemporary design, elegant stone fireplaces made from marble make beautiful home features. Fireplaces are focal points, and if you really want to add a touch of glamor to your home, then marble is the way to go. Mostly light in color, with some exotic types available, a marble fire surround can be polished or honed, offering design character and versatility.

Budget Faux Stone

Stone veneer comes with the look of hand-laid natural stone but has the simplicity of a panel system. Like natural stone, it’s molded into various shapes, sizes, and textures and almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It is less expensive than natural stone and uncomplicated for DIY homeowners to install around rounded or curved areas.

Whether you’re envisioning a rustic, colonial, modern, or Old World space, stone veneer fireplace ideas accommodate all types of design styles. As an artificial material, the faux budget stone is non-absorbent and non-porous. This means it's easy to clean the surface with a low risk of damage.

Bathroom Fireplace: A New Trend

A fireplace in the bathroom can be a lavish home upgrade. For real fire, opt for ethanol or gas. However, if it’s strictly for visual appeal, then an eclectic one will do just as well. Bathroom fireplaces enhance intimacy and relaxation, especially when part of master bedroom suites.

Some take up the entire wall; others are in the corner; others form a dividing wall between sections of the bathroom or between the bathroom and an adjoining bedroom, and some are even in the midst of the floor. According to Home & Garden, bathroom trends in 2024 indicate a rise in home spas, with fireplaces signifying the ultimate luxury.

Conclusion

Fireplaces warm winter and provide countless hours of enjoyment for homeowners. At Stone Center, we have an extensive range of materials for natural or modern stone veneer fireplace surrounds. Our team is always happy to offer advice and recommend the best solution for your home’s heart. Don't hesitate to contact us!