10 Tips on How to Decorate a Living Room with a Fireplace in the Middle

Fireplaces are popular for creating that homey ambiance. Aside from giving warmth, it draws people close to it, often becoming the most memorable part of the house. Whatever your interior style is, whether it’s minimalistic, country, or modern living, a fireplace is an instant accent piece.

It’s a functional and decorative fixture with a lot of design possibilities. If your fireplace is in the middle of your living room, you have the benefit of symmetry. It can be easy to decorate since the look is balanced. At the same time, it can also be challenging to design a furniture layout around a massive centerpiece. How should you decorate a living room with a fireplace in the middle?

Since the fireplace is in the middle, it becomes the instant focal point in the living room. To make it stand out, frame your fireplace by complementing or contrasting the wall color and by adding decorative elements around it. Fit your furniture around your fireplace depending on your lifestyle. Position couches, tables, or rugs around the fireplace with enough space to walk around them.

To help you bring out the best in your furniture arrangement, we’ve created a guide on how to achieve your living room design with a fireplace in the middle.

Framing your Fireplace Wall

With the fireplace at the center, make the most of its visual impact by framing it as an accent wall. You can create a stark contrast to your living room color palette. You can also complement the overall interior style and add decorative elements to make your fireplace design pop out. Keep on reading to get decorating ideas on how to spruce up your fireplace wall. 

1. Blend In

This living room layout has the perfect balance on all sides. The white walls and furniture bring out a crisp, clean look. To blend in, the fireplace wall including the bricks has been painted white. The black firebox matches the black window frames and furniture legs for contrast. The splashes of greenery around the mantel make the room feel alive. The furniture layout is set a bit far from the fireplace facing each other, with an area rug around the same length of the fireplace. 

2.  Embrace that Accent Wall

One of the best ways to highlight your fireplace design is by painting it with a contrasting color. In this home, the black accent wall stands out while serving as a subdued backdrop to the white fireplace. Large light-colored artwork is on top of the mantel and identical mirrors are placed on each side for decor. The furniture is a mix of black and white, making this a perfect monochrome interior.

3. Frame both sides

Another way to enhance your fireplace design is to place artwork on both sides. To tip the symmetry and add some style, the fireplace wall has a ledge on one side and the decorative pieces on the floor have varying heights. In this home, the furniture is set back on the other end showing a sleek floorspace upon entering the living room. 

4. Surround with Shelves

If your fireplace has built-in shelving, you have layers and layers of design space. You can surround your fireplace with vases, trinkets, framed photos, books, anything you want. It’s a purposeful vertical display that puts emphasis on that warm fire and gives you and your friends lots of conversation material. 

5. Stack it 

One of the simplest ways to decorate the center fireplace is by stacking it with another sizable display to draw attention. 

Because fireplaces and televisions are both prominent points in most living rooms, figuring out how to make them work together can be a design challenge. You can place the TV on top of the mantel to enhance the room’s focal point. For a coherent look, the firebox is outlined with a black frame to complement the black TV screen. Chairs and a coffee table are positioned in front of the firebox for those who want to cozy up to the fireplace. Couches at a further distance are best for watching TV.

Another decorative feature to stack on top of the living room fireplace is a big mirror. Being in the center creates more light and space in the room. This neutral-themed living room has a balanced feel all around and creates a relaxing ambiance. 

Fitting Furniture Around the Fireplace

Since you cannot move your fireplace, you have to carefully choose your living room furniture pieces. Arrange the furniture in a way that encourages natural mobility throughout the room to make it more livable. Arrange your living room layout to make moving to and from the fireplace as easy as possible.

6. Sit by the Fire

Since the fireplace is in the middle, you can have two layouts like this living room. If you want to cozy up near the fireplace, you can position your armchair on one side, preferably near the wall. Add a lamp fixture to make your seating corner more comfortable. 

As another seating option, the couch is set facing the fireplace on the other wall. Whether you want to stay beside the fireplace or in front of it, this living room layout is perfect to match any mood. 

7. Set and Go

One of the fastest ways to decorate your large living room is with a couch set. If you have a classic set of a couch and two armchairs, position your biggest piece of furniture opposite the fireplace. Place the two armchairs on both sides of the fireplace to keep the balance and create an enclosed space. 

In this room, the coffee table in the middle matches the wooden furniture and floor. To complete the look, place an area rug large enough to float your furniture arrangement.

8. Big Couches Work Too

With big couches, you can go for a no-fuss design by positioning your furniture on both sides of the living room fireplace to box the area. If you have a rectangular rug, place its shorter side opposite to the fireplace to connect it to your couch space. Since you’re already covering a lot of floor space, place your personalized design touches on high ground, in this case, the top of the mantel is the best spot. 

9. Off-center is Fine

Just because your living room fireplace is in the middle, it doesn’t mean your furniture arrangement has to be centered as well. In this living room design, the couches are positioned L-shaped in the corner of the room with one of the sofas opposite the fireplace. The area rug binds the living room furniture and the front of the fireplace to mark it as one area. This room layout makes the center fireplace appear like a corner design. 

10. As you like it

Sometimes, you just have your favorite pieces put together and it works as you like it. In this modern home, the living room fireplace is in the middle and all other design elements around it are accent pieces on their own. The sofa, coffee table, and armchair are connected through the irregular-shaped rug which is placed in front of the fireplace. The firebox frame blends with the floor making the other pieces stand out.

Additional Tip: Decorating a Fireplace in the middle of Small Living Room

With limited space and a fireplace in the middle, it can be challenging to decorate a small living room without making it look too cramped. Since the fireplace is already an attention hog, your best bet is to visually shrink it so it doesn’t eat up the rest of the room, yet still stand out.

Here are some ways to decorate your small living room with a fireplace in the center:

  • The neutral color palette is soothing and prevents the room from seeming crowded.
  • To maximize room capacity, use the bare minimum of chairs, tables, lamps, and other fixtures. Instead of a bulky sofa, consider grouping a few chairs which you can bring closer to the fireplace or away for more space. 
  • Choose carefully what you bring into the area and go for a minimalist aesthetic, making sure that everything has a purpose.

Having a fireplace in itself is a great addition to any living room. Being in the middle, it takes centerstage and is an instant wow factor however you decorate it. The best way to style it is by adding personal touches that let your visitors get to know you more. After all, nothing is more heartwarming than small talks and short stories exchanged in the warmth of a fireplace.