Forget the old visions of a chimney breast, these modern designs with classic twists will freshen up your home and add some serious style.
Image source: Shiflet Richardson Architects
If you’re after a few chimney breast ideas then it’s almost certainly because you’ve got a home which either has or used to have a fireplace.
They can sometimes feel like a bit of a nuisance. Something that just sticks out and doesn’t really add much to your home.
Well we’re here to prove to you that your chimney breast can be a stunning focal point of your home, with unique and stylish methods of bringing it to life.
In this article we’ll look at a few of the ways you can decorate or style a chimney breast, plus we’ll run through a few of our favourite ideas for a chimney breast in your home.
Chimney Breast Ideas: 13 Styles For A Modern Look
What Is A Chimney Breast?
A chimney breast is the part of a wall that is surrounding the fireplace or old fireplace in a home. This part of the wall is projected forwards to allow room for the the fireplace to fit and is usually located on the ground floor of a property.
What Can I Do With A Plain Chimney Breast?
A stylish chimney breast, whether active or dormant can elevate your space.
Opening up the space and replacing it with shelves or storage is a great use. Or make it a focal point of your home with a stunning new fireplace and decorated with a lick of paint.
But how do you go about turning an old and plain wall into one that offers a real ‘wow’ factor? Here’s a few trends and methods to help get you started:
Plants
Bring the outside in with a few green friends. Add hanging plants to the hearth such as a String of Hearts or a Philodendron. Why not pop a few floor plants at the bottom of the wall like a Snake or Monstera plant.
Logs
Give it a country feel with a pile of chopped wooden logs. Even if you haven’t got a fire, the logs will help to make it feel homely and provide a more rustic style.
Gas Fire
If the chimney breast doesn’t already have a fire, why not add a stylish, modern gas fire and make it the focal point of a living room.
Paint or Tile
Bring a plain chimney breast to life with a lick of paint or some stunning tiles. You can either paint it the same colour as the room to make it blend in, or choose a more standout colour to make it a feature wall. Adding tiles can give it a unique effect and really bring the chimney breast to life.
Storage
Create some shelving or storage in the alcoves and you’ve got yourself a useful space for books and other items. Try different shapes and designs, and turn it into a proper stand-out space for for your home.
Chimney Breast Ideas For Your Home
Let’s take a look at a few of our favourite designs which you can incorporate into your home and style up your chimney breast.
Take The Chimney Breast Back To Brick
Image source: Ryan Wicks Photography Ltd
No matter what type of style you have in your home, taking the chimney breast back down to its original brickwork is a lovely way of adding character to your living room.
This more traditional look brings out the wonderfully unique colours of the old bricks and contrasts well with other interiors.
Keep it simple with a classic brick design.
Minimalist With A Modern Fireplace
Image source: Des Ewing Residential Architects
Sharp lines and a simple colour choice will look great with a modern fireplace. Here we have a soft grey paint which helps draw attention to the sleek fireplace at the bottom of the chimney breast.
Having the chimney breast as a key feature in your living room makes it a magnificent focal point for the room.
Feel Bigger With A Mirrored Chimney Breast
Image source: Concept Interiors
The great thing about mirrors is add something a bit different to a room and help to make it feel bigger. Cover a chimney breast with mirrors and it will help open up the room. This design does it really well which adds a really cool effect.
Add Width To Your Chimney Breast
Image source: Caldwell-Cline Architects & Designers
For the larger rooms, extending a chimney breast out can make the room feel even bigger whilst making it feel cosy and homely.
An open-plan space works well for a wide chimney breast and the modern brickwork as pictured in this design is ideal to add some contrast to a big room.
Coupe the wide brick with a wide fire or log burner to get the full effect.
White Brick Chimney Breast With TV Unit
Image source: Andrew Howard Interior Design
Integrating your TV into the chimney breast is a great space saver but also hides any of those annoying wires.
I love the painted white brick in this design and a rattan basket for your logs and fireplace accessories. Couple it with some plants or flowers to add a pop of colour.
Bathroom Chimney Breast
Image source: ALL & NXTHING
Working your chimney breast into your bathroom or toilet design adds a totally unique bit of architecture.
This visual masterpiece of simple but stands out from a mile away. The white and grey breaks up the room perfectly, plus having the toilet one side of the breast just makes perfect sense.
Keep Your Kitchen Chimney Inglenook
Image source: Pearce & Co. Woodsmiths
Part of the old recess which adjoins a fireplace, the inglenook in your kitchen is probably no longer needed for fire but keep it in for a truly authentic look.
A wonderful wooden joist stained in dark, contrasts fabulously with the white brick paint and is ideal for squeezing in an AGA.
Blend Chimney Breast Into The Room
Image source: Alexander Waterworth Interiors Ltd
Keep it all one colour if you’re looking to blend the chimney breast into the rest of the room.
This all white interior still keeps the chimney breast in the picture, but matching up the paint means it’s not quite as overpowering and more of a side piece.
Simple Concrete Chimney Breast With Wood Fire burner
Image source: Paul Craig Photography
If you’re a fan concrete then this design is for you. The basic concrete breast is simplistic but stylish and the classic wood fire burner is perfect and inexpensive hack for those colder nights.
The black burner and grey concrete look contrasts well in a room with lots of natural wooden elements.
Make It A Centrepiece
Image source: Reed Design Group
Create a show-stopper with this stunning oak finish chimney breast and gas fire. The magnificent wood style has a wonderfully warming effect, coupled with the actual fire makes for a super cosy room.
This rather grand addition to a home isn’t for everyone, but if it’s a bit of you then it’ll sure turn a few heads.
Office Space Chimney Breast
Image source: Frankel Building Group
Take your chimney breast and turn it into a functional office space. This stunning blue design has wooden panels and storage either side in the alcoves.
Keep it traditional with a marble mantelpiece and leave the fire out for a clean look.
Bookcase Chimney Breast
Image source: GDL Property
Finding another use for your chimney breast is a brilliant way of incorporating it into your space.
A room with alcoves either side the breast sets up perfectly for a bookcase or other storage element and keeping the fireplace area brickwork will help elude to the previous heritage
Tile It Up
Image source: Greg Robinson Architect
Surround the fireplace with a choice of tiles to tie in different colours from around the room.
This room has a mix of teals and blues which blend in nicely with the tiles on the chimney breast. Tiles are a great way to bring a contrast of colours into an area and they work perfectly in this example.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, a look at some of the best chimney breast designs which you can add to your space.
Chimney breasts can often be neglected and looked upon as a bit of a nuisance in your home. But with the right ideas, you can really use them to bring a room to life.
See more ideas for your home.
