New This Week: 5 Comfy Living Rooms Arranged Around a Fireplace
See how designers combine furniture and accessories while celebrating a fiery focal point
A fireplace, if there is one, is a natural focal point in a living room. Rather than try to fight its mass and the attention its flickering flames or decorative mantel can garner, many designers celebrate it and arrange the entire room around it. But when a fixed element in a room dictates the arrangement, coming up with the right mix of furniture pieces can be a bit of a challenge, and there’s often more than one right solution. Here, five designers share how they furnished a living room around a fireplace while delivering the right amount of seating, preserving traffic paths and focusing attention on the fireplace.
2. Cozy and Coastal
Designer: Jesse Vickers of JLV Creative
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 266 square feet (25 square meters); 19 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. Create a fresh, coastal feel with an organic, streamlined aesthetic.
Furniture combination. Matching blue sofa and love seat, and two armchairs. “We needed ample seating but didn’t want the space to feel completely closed off,” designer Jesse Vickers says. “The sofa and love seat offer more cozy, comfortable seating, and the chairs offer an airy, organic modern seating option. Because you see the back and sides of the chairs, it was important to have something aesthetically pleasing.”
Special features. Shiplap fireplace wall and vaulted ceiling. Floating mantel. Bleached hardwood floors. White walls (Marshmallow by Sherwin-Williams). Two-tier chandelier.
Designer tip. ”We decided not to do a hearth and to run the flooring up to the face of the fireplace,” Vickers says. “This added to the more streamlined, contemporary feel of the space. We also added in the console tables on either side of the fireplace to occupy otherwise dead space. Under the consoles we placed ottomans that can be pulled into the room to act as more seating or as a footstool as needed.”
Chandelier: Lismore nine-light chandelier in polished silver, Feiss; rug: Safavieh; chair: Novak in cream and elm wood, Ink+Ivy
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Designer: Jesse Vickers of JLV Creative
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 266 square feet (25 square meters); 19 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. Create a fresh, coastal feel with an organic, streamlined aesthetic.
Furniture combination. Matching blue sofa and love seat, and two armchairs. “We needed ample seating but didn’t want the space to feel completely closed off,” designer Jesse Vickers says. “The sofa and love seat offer more cozy, comfortable seating, and the chairs offer an airy, organic modern seating option. Because you see the back and sides of the chairs, it was important to have something aesthetically pleasing.”
Special features. Shiplap fireplace wall and vaulted ceiling. Floating mantel. Bleached hardwood floors. White walls (Marshmallow by Sherwin-Williams). Two-tier chandelier.
Designer tip. ”We decided not to do a hearth and to run the flooring up to the face of the fireplace,” Vickers says. “This added to the more streamlined, contemporary feel of the space. We also added in the console tables on either side of the fireplace to occupy otherwise dead space. Under the consoles we placed ottomans that can be pulled into the room to act as more seating or as a footstool as needed.”
Chandelier: Lismore nine-light chandelier in polished silver, Feiss; rug: Safavieh; chair: Novak in cream and elm wood, Ink+Ivy
Shop for blue sofas
3. Laid Back and Loungey
Designer: Larry Johnson and Gordon Kessler of Gordon + Johnson Design
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Size: 182 square feet (17 square meters); 13 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. “These clients recently completed a bedroom and bath remodel, and wanted to bring the living areas up to the level of the completed master suite,” designer Gordon Kessler says. “They wanted a fresh vintage vibe, keeping the spirit of the 1940s bungalow.”
Furniture combination. Four oversize custom-slipcovered armchairs and a cushioned ottoman. “We saw the opportunity for an intimate space for the homeowners and guests to gather,” Kessler says. “We wanted to create a pretty, soft and comfortable space for the homeowners to sit, talk and read by themselves or with friends.”
Special features. Light gray shiplap walls (Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore). Light blue paint on the back of the built-in bookcase (Adrift by Sherwin-Williams). Dark gray-blue interior doors (Raccoon Fur by Benjamin Moore). Glass tile fireplace surround. “The room is strong yet soft,” Kessler says.
Designer tip. “We utilized materials that had a sprinkling of color versus solids,” Kessler says. “Building from the floor, we have the light sprinkling of the blue-and-white rug, then the pillows and then the window treatments, and even the tile has a softness due to the variants of the blue shading. Even the tones in the items in the bookcase reflect this concept.”
Painting: Beth Robison, Stellers Gallery
Designer: Larry Johnson and Gordon Kessler of Gordon + Johnson Design
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Size: 182 square feet (17 square meters); 13 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. “These clients recently completed a bedroom and bath remodel, and wanted to bring the living areas up to the level of the completed master suite,” designer Gordon Kessler says. “They wanted a fresh vintage vibe, keeping the spirit of the 1940s bungalow.”
Furniture combination. Four oversize custom-slipcovered armchairs and a cushioned ottoman. “We saw the opportunity for an intimate space for the homeowners and guests to gather,” Kessler says. “We wanted to create a pretty, soft and comfortable space for the homeowners to sit, talk and read by themselves or with friends.”
Special features. Light gray shiplap walls (Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore). Light blue paint on the back of the built-in bookcase (Adrift by Sherwin-Williams). Dark gray-blue interior doors (Raccoon Fur by Benjamin Moore). Glass tile fireplace surround. “The room is strong yet soft,” Kessler says.
Designer tip. “We utilized materials that had a sprinkling of color versus solids,” Kessler says. “Building from the floor, we have the light sprinkling of the blue-and-white rug, then the pillows and then the window treatments, and even the tile has a softness due to the variants of the blue shading. Even the tones in the items in the bookcase reflect this concept.”
Painting: Beth Robison, Stellers Gallery
4. Warm and Welcoming
Designer: Caroline Barr of Caroline Design
Location: Orchard Park, New York
Size: 437 square feet (41 square meters); 23 by 19 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new-build home,” designer Caroline Barr says. “After meeting with my client, I figured out that the feel they were looking for was rustic modern. They had no idea where to start, but I did. Their requirements were basically that they wanted enough seating for when they have get-togethers.”
Furniture combination. Upholstered sofa and love seat. Two leather armchairs. Two cushioned footstools.
Special features. Large painted mantel. Tile surround. Faux-wood beams. Reclaimed-wood coffee table. Double glass-door cabinets. “Once we had the furniture and artwork in place, we accessorized the cabinets with bright and saturated-colored books and accessories to pull it all together,” Barr says.
Designer tip. “I am a big proponent of tonal rooms,” Barr says. “By that I mean we allow for multiple colors throughout the space, but the overall tone of each color is generally the same. This allows for a peaceful-feeling environment.”
Designer: Caroline Barr of Caroline Design
Location: Orchard Park, New York
Size: 437 square feet (41 square meters); 23 by 19 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This was a new-build home,” designer Caroline Barr says. “After meeting with my client, I figured out that the feel they were looking for was rustic modern. They had no idea where to start, but I did. Their requirements were basically that they wanted enough seating for when they have get-togethers.”
Furniture combination. Upholstered sofa and love seat. Two leather armchairs. Two cushioned footstools.
Special features. Large painted mantel. Tile surround. Faux-wood beams. Reclaimed-wood coffee table. Double glass-door cabinets. “Once we had the furniture and artwork in place, we accessorized the cabinets with bright and saturated-colored books and accessories to pull it all together,” Barr says.
Designer tip. “I am a big proponent of tonal rooms,” Barr says. “By that I mean we allow for multiple colors throughout the space, but the overall tone of each color is generally the same. This allows for a peaceful-feeling environment.”
5. Playful and Pretty
Designer: Michelle Sabin
Location: Irvington, New York
Size: 285 square feet (26 square meters); 19 by 15 square feet
Homeowners’ request. A modern, comfortable space for a family of five and their friends to use as a game room and reading room.
Furniture combination. Large, deep sofa. Two side chairs. Red lounge chair. Soft leather ottoman. “We selected a large, deep sofa that was cozy and spacious without being a sectional, so that we could keep the furniture arrangement more like a salon or parlor, since the house is very traditional — 1901 Colonial,” designer Michelle Sabin says. “Instead of a hard coffee table, we have a soft leather ottoman that is great for gathering around and playing games on.”
Special features. “The artwork above the fireplace is sentimental to the family and creates a strong focal point. Naturally we placed it above the mantel because of its size, and since it is a bird, it almost appears to be perched above the space,” Sabin says. “We chose the fireplace as a center of the furniture arrangement because it is so beautifully detailed and still functions.”
Designer tip. “I think keeping the walls, ceiling, window treatments and most of the furnishings neutral and then adding a vibrant color on the floor with the deep blue rug makes this room a success, because it’s vibrant without being overpowering,” Sabin says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “This formal parlor had no overhead light, so lighting the room was our biggest challenge,” Sabin says. “We came to a point in the process of installing this room where we had three lamps in the room and still not enough light. That’s when I thought we needed an overhead light, but didn’t want to get into opening up the old plaster ceiling, which would have been messy and prohibitively expensive. So I started looking for arching floor lamps and found this great one. It has a midcentury vibe, has brass and black accents, and puts off a lot of diffuse overhead light. It also adds a tall sculptural element, which helps reduce the feeling of the room being so long.”
Wall paint: James White, Farrow & Ball
More on Houzz
How to Decorate a Living Room: 11 Designer Tips
How to Remodel Your Fireplace
Get living room design ideas
Find an interior designer near you
Shop for living room furniture and accessories
Designer: Michelle Sabin
Location: Irvington, New York
Size: 285 square feet (26 square meters); 19 by 15 square feet
Homeowners’ request. A modern, comfortable space for a family of five and their friends to use as a game room and reading room.
Furniture combination. Large, deep sofa. Two side chairs. Red lounge chair. Soft leather ottoman. “We selected a large, deep sofa that was cozy and spacious without being a sectional, so that we could keep the furniture arrangement more like a salon or parlor, since the house is very traditional — 1901 Colonial,” designer Michelle Sabin says. “Instead of a hard coffee table, we have a soft leather ottoman that is great for gathering around and playing games on.”
Special features. “The artwork above the fireplace is sentimental to the family and creates a strong focal point. Naturally we placed it above the mantel because of its size, and since it is a bird, it almost appears to be perched above the space,” Sabin says. “We chose the fireplace as a center of the furniture arrangement because it is so beautifully detailed and still functions.”
Designer tip. “I think keeping the walls, ceiling, window treatments and most of the furnishings neutral and then adding a vibrant color on the floor with the deep blue rug makes this room a success, because it’s vibrant without being overpowering,” Sabin says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “This formal parlor had no overhead light, so lighting the room was our biggest challenge,” Sabin says. “We came to a point in the process of installing this room where we had three lamps in the room and still not enough light. That’s when I thought we needed an overhead light, but didn’t want to get into opening up the old plaster ceiling, which would have been messy and prohibitively expensive. So I started looking for arching floor lamps and found this great one. It has a midcentury vibe, has brass and black accents, and puts off a lot of diffuse overhead light. It also adds a tall sculptural element, which helps reduce the feeling of the room being so long.”
Wall paint: James White, Farrow & Ball
More on Houzz
How to Decorate a Living Room: 11 Designer Tips
How to Remodel Your Fireplace
Get living room design ideas
Find an interior designer near you
Shop for living room furniture and accessories
Designer and builder: Ross Huthmacher of Ashwood Designs & Custom Homes
Location: Houston
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters); 20 by 20 feet
Homeowners’ request. Relocate the fireplace to a different wall, add custom cabinets for more storage and establish style with clean lines and an open feel.
Furniture combination. Matching sofa and love seat, and two armchairs. “The placement of the furniture allows the client to sit and talk to guests face-to-face or watch TV comfortably,” says builder and designer Ross Huthmacher, who used this Houzz ideabook of inspiration images to collaborate with his client.
Special features. Soft, neutral furnishings and wall color (Reserved White by Sherwin-Williams). White and gray Moroccan tile on the fireplace surround. White oak floors in a light stain. Dark painted doors (Gibraltar by Sherwin-Williams).
Designer tip. “We feel the light walls and floors combined with the darker doors help make this room stand out,” Huthmacher says. “Originally the doors were a light gray and the room seemed bland. We went with a bolder color, and it really made it all come together.”
Trim paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams
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