A fireplace is the heart of your living room. There is nothing more comforting than the warm glow of a traditional fireplace, especially during the winter nights.
A beautifully decorated fireplace can add tremendous value as well as character to your home, particularly if you live in a period property.
If you’re struggling with traditional fireplace ideas, the Cawarden team has got you covered. Let's take a look at some stunning ways to make your fireplace the centrepiece of your living room!
Add Elegance with a Victorian Cast Iron Fireplace
To keep everything as traditional as possible, when choosing a fireplace it’s a good idea to pick a design authentic to your house’s period. For a Victorian house, nothing adds character quite like a cast iron fireplace.
Cast iron fireplaces were preferred during this period because of their durability and heat retention, however, it’s undeniable that they also possess a stunning historical look.
Bring a Pop of Colour with a Bright Chimney Breast
A fireplace can quickly become a feature in your living room with a lick of paint. Painting the chimney breast with a bright contrasting colour will not only add a focal point to a room, it will also add a perception of depth. With their extensive range of colours, Farrow & Ball paints are perfect for giving your room a fresh new look.
Create a Cottage Look with Exposed Bricks
When it comes to traditional fireplace ideas, it’s important to pay homage to the original features and materials of your home. A beautiful exposed brick fireplace surround with reclaimed brick slips can create a charming cottage look straight out of a story book. Pair it with a neutral colour scheme and wooden textures and your living room will feel as cosy as a fairy tale cottage.
Celebrate Traditional Design with Decorative Surround Tiles
If you’re looking specifically for cast iron fireplace ideas, you can never go wrong with decorative surround tiles. This heritage style from the Victorian era adds a stunning touch of elegance to any living room. As a period item, the best way to source authentic surround tiles is a reclamation yard.
Give a Rustic Feel with a Reclaimed Beam Mantlepiece
For those after a rustic feel, adding a wooden beam mantelpiece can be a creative way to achieve this. Exposed wood gives a distinct feel of warmth in your living room. Paired with the glistening flames of the fire this can add a whole load of individuality to a home.
How do I Choose a Fireplace?
For a period home it’s important to match the age of the house to the age of the fireplace. This will help you achieve a cohesive look and make your fireplace blend in with the original features of the house.
Depending on the location of your home, you should also research the local architectural styles from the period. Fireplaces used in houses in the south of the country might differ from the ones up north, even if they were built in the same time period.
If you’re actively seeking to preserve the authentic, historic look of your home, then definitely do your research. This way along with finding the perfect fireplace, you will learn about the history of your house and local area.
How do I Style a Traditional Fireplace?
A foolproof way to style a fireplace is by adding a big mirror above the mantle. This will bounce light around the room, really brightening the room. If you pair it with some wall lights on either side or even small lamps on the mantle, the light reflecting in the mirror will add a beautiful glow.
If your fireplace isn’t in use, you can also decorate the area around its grate. A simple styling trick to add warmth to your living room is piling some actual firewood in the fireplace. You can also make a feature of it by experimenting with stacks of old books, candles or other period-inspired décor.
Traditional Reclaimed Fireplaces from Cawarden
Add charm and character to your home with a reclaimed fireplace from Cawarden.
As the UK’s leading reclamation specialists, we stock a great range of cast iron fireplaces. And if you already have a fireplace that needs a refresh, we also have a selection of fireplace accessories, from doors and andirons to wooden fireplace beams and sleepers.
Visit our 10-acre reclamation yard to browse the full range and gather more fireplace ideas for your home.