Cosy living room with fireplace ideas

Date Published: October 28th, 2025

There’s a reason most British sitting rooms orbit around a fireplace: a well-chosen fire offers much more than supplementary warmth. It’s an architectural anchor for televisions, furnishings, shelves, and even lighting placement. 

You could be reviving a Victorian chimneypiece or slotting a compact stove into a cottage nook, gas or electric: the finished look depends on how you use your eye for design. 

Once you’ve ticked off the fundamentals for curating a cosy living room with a fireplace (sourcing the right flue and fire type, safe installation, Gas Safe for gas, carbon-monoxide alarm), then it’s time to have fun with styling. 

For Fires2U’s six top cosy living room ideas, have a look below. 

1. Make a statement with marble (or faux marble)

Marble is the instant shortcut to luxury because it does three things brilliantly: it lasts a lifetime, goes with every kind of decor, and looks even better when the fire’s glowing. 

Designers lean on it for that cool, luminous surface and natural veining that you see in magazines. Beyond looks, it’s practical – dense, stable, naturally heat-resistant. It typically stays relatively cool to the touch, even when the fire is on high. 

As for where to use it, there are some important, high-impact zones: the surround and mantelpiece (your flame’s picture frame), where your eye is naturally drawn to, the hearth (a slab or tiled hearth in marble looks great and can be wiped clean). 

Last, the chamber edges or ‘slips’: a marble or marble-effect lining can make the firebox feel especially tailored. Love the look, but not the upkeep? Taking the faux marble route can be equally effective. 

2. Paint the surround the same as the wall colour

Painting the MDF fireplace surround the same colour as the walls is such a simple, effective way to make your room feel design-led. 

If you currently have a massive contrast frame around the opening, removing it can prevent the eye from bouncing between elements and focus on the frame itself. 

Now, the entire chimney breast reads as a single plane (which is especially elegant in smaller rooms). This approach is similar to colour-drenching, but on a smaller scale. The trick is choosing the right paint for the material and the job. 

On timber surrounds and panelling, a durable matt or eggshell designed for woodwork will create a chalky glow. Or, on masonry or plaster, use the matching wall finish, so the surround really disappears into the scheme.

3. Use a big mirror to bounce the glow

Double the magic of your fire with a generously-sized mirror. 

A quick trick for making evenings feel more atmospheric is to hang a mirror above your fireplace: it means the glass can catch and bounce the glow back into the room. Just remember to place it where it can ‘borrow’ brightness. 

Opposite or adjacent to a window is ideal: it’s best to have your mirror reflecting natural light rather than facing a dark corner. But it’s proportion and positioning that make the trick feel considered. 

Aim for a mirror that covers roughly two-thirds of the mantel width: hang it so the bottom edge sits just above the shelf, close enough to feel visually connected but not so low that it crowds your mantelpiece styling. 

4. Add a stove to an old inglenook

Having an old inglenook in your home is such a gift: it’s a natural stage for a compact stove. 

Swapping an open fire for a closed stove keeps the time-softened character of brick or stone but can transform fireplace performance. With modern appliances, you get more usable heat, less draught, and far better control over burn rate and fuel use. 

For UK homes and those in smokeless zones, it’s the sweet spot for a traditional fireplace set-up with all the conveniences of modern-day tech. 

We would always advise speaking to your HETAS installer before you purchase a solid fuel stove to ensure a stove will be suitable for your Inglenook

5. Go dark and moody on the chimney breast

Do you want to make a fire feel moody? Dark tones are especially good in smaller living rooms because they blur corners and visually push boundaries back. 

On normal plaster well away from the firebox, a quality interior emulsion is fine, but areas close to stoves and hot cheeks could benefit from coatings designed to tolerate higher temperatures. 

We recommend a flat or low-sheen finish to keep the look velvety – then, let the contrast do the rest. Using colours like charcoal, inky blue, bottle-green, or oxblood against lighter walls and joinery is a classic technique. 

Shop for gas and electric fireplaces with Fires2U! 

When it’s time to make your living room even cosier, check out Fires2U’s selection of gas fires and electric fireplaces. We’ve got media wall fires from brands like Celsi, DEFRA-approved stoves courtesy of The Gallery Collection, and so many more. 

If you have any questions concerning installation, suitability, or any of the fires on our site, don’t hesitate to contact us.