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A fireplace can make any setting feel cozier. While it’s nice to have a real one that emits heat and mesmerizing flames, you don’t actually need a working fireplace to enhance your home’s warmth. You don’t even need a non-working one to get the job done. With a little creativity, you can easily dream up a faux one from scratch. To help you move beyond kitschy fireplace decals, we’ve laid out designer-approved ideas to try. Recreate a version of these three faux fireplaces in your own home, or use them to spark your own ideas.
Stack wood under a console table.
In designer Natalie Chong’s former Toronto home, a fireplace couldn’t be added to the historic structure. She improvised by stacking wood underneath a console table by Mkt to give the illusion of one in the living room. Mount a TV above it, and turn on a crackling fireplace video for full effect.
You can tailor this budget-friendly method to practically any style. For modern spaces, consider a console table made of cement or stone. Rustic living rooms would do well with a wood one that has a contrasting finish to the stacks of wood underneath it.
Fill a mantel with faux candles.
HGTV star Alison Victoria is a pro at sourcing vintage pieces. Her new Atlanta loft is packed with incredible finds, including an 18th-century marble mantel that anchors the main seating area. “I had never seen a mantel this big,” Victoria tells House Beautiful of the antique piece salvaged from Architectural Accents. “It will come with me wherever I go.”
She filled it with faux candles that turn on (and even flicker!) with the press of a remote to set the mood. Besides IRL antique stores, you can scour sites like 1stdibs, Chairish, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace for decorative mantels to get a similar look. Antique stone ones, like Victoria's, can be incredibly pricey, but beautiful antique wood mantels are fairly easy to find for a few hundred bucks. Plenty of stores, like Pottery Barn, also sell large faux pillar candles that you can fill one with.
Use tiles with a frame around them.
While this fireplace by Thomas Jayne actually works, it's the perfect inspiration for a faux one. Tiles with a frame around them will add texture and depth. "If you paint the opening dark, have a fire screen in front of it, and even add some andirons, you can pretty easily simulate a fireplace," the designer explains.
By using tiles, you can introduce pattern or another material into your space—whether you love a bold floral pattern or prefer polished marble. Place the tiles on a flat, blank wall, or give an awkward one that juts out new life.
Satori Marble Wall Tile
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Kelly Allen is the current Associate Editor at House Beautiful, where she covers design, pop culture, and travel for digital and the print magazine. She’s been with the team for nearly three years, attending industry events and covering a range of topics. When she’s not watching every new TV show and movie, she’s browsing vintage home stores, admiring hotel interiors, and wandering around New York City. She previously worked for Delish and Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
