Do you have a love or hate relationship with your fireplace? We all love the gentle ambiance and warmth they can bring to a room. But what about when you start to arrange furniture in that room? Do you ever wonder what to do with your fireplace and how to set up the room? We know it can be challenging to arrange a room around a permanent fireplace, but so rewarding when you find the perfect arrangement!

There are a couple of different approaches you can take to your fireplace:

1. 1. Love It: Embrace the fireplace as the focal point of your room. Position your couch or loveseat to face the fireplace head-on. This allows room flanking the fireplace to position some armchairs. Then, you can place a fabulous coffee table in front of the couch. When you make the fireplace the focal point, you want to make sure that you have a fabulous mirror or piece of artwork adorning the mantel. Make it interesting! All that’s left to do is curl up under a blanket and watch the flames.

1. 1. Hate It: You can choose to “ignore” that the fireplace is there by placing more importance to what is in front of the fireplace. When you place a small love seat or set of chairs directly in front of a fireplace, it forces the fireplace to be less prominent in the overall design of the room. It recedes and becomes more of an “accessory” in the grand scheme of the room. The furniture becomes the star of the space and the fireplace becomes more utilitarian, rather than the visual focus.

1. 1. Like It: Flank the fireplace and create and “alley”, if you will, where the fireplace is the final destination. Place couches and chairs perpendicular to the fireplace, allowing for great conversation as well as great views of the fireplace and mantel.

1. Work With It: Maybe you are like many folks who have a fireplace and it’s just, well, there. And in the United States, we often have the focus of our living rooms pointed toward a television. Don’t be afraid to add some angles into the room. Putting a couch/furniture arrangement at a 45 degree angle can often make the space feel larger and open up the possibility to multiple focal points. Then, the fireplace and the tv can both function in the space as focal points and visual destinations.

If we’re being honest, we know that fireplaces can be a challenge in a space. They are permanent, large, and a major part of the space. On the other hand, fireplaces offer great opportunities to add to the design and dimension of the space. Once you’ve decided on how to maximize your space, the possibilities are endless! Fabulous furniture from Old Time Pottery, artwork and accessories for the mantel, rugs and lamps to fill the space, and so much more will help you make your fireplace stand out as the gem it is!

Valerie Morris is a true DIY maven at heart. Before there was Pinterest, she had (and still has) a binder full of magazine clippings and ideas of things she wants to make or ideas for decorating her home. She always has a project in mind and in process. You can almost see the gears spinning in her head when she has a new project idea. Valerie loves finding a great deal and repurposing decor around her home in new ways. Old Time Pottery is one of her favorite shopping locations and she proudly contributes to our Pinterest boards, our blog, and many other creative ventures wherever she can!