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The Right Built-ins for Your Fireplace
Building the perfect storage around your fireplace starts with deciding what it's for. These 14 examples will get you started
Houzz Contributor. Pangaea Interior Design is an award winning design firm specializing in residential projects including new construction, remodeling and kitchen & bath design. Pangaea's style is characterized by clean lines and uncluttered interiors that are warm, comfortable, inviting and reflect the personal taste and interests of her clients. Call to schedule your initial consultation and you'll be well on the way to the home of your dreams. 503-.816.4394
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The depth of a fireplace just naturally creates a void around it begging to be filled with built-ins. But to hold what? Before you haul out your hammer and saw or bring in a contractor, take some time to think about what you actually want and need around your fireplace. By first deciding what items you want to store, display or have handy near the fireplace, you'll then be able to figure out how to provide the needed space — with open display shelving, drawers, closed cabinetry and so on.
The "what" and the "how" are important, but let's not forget the style. Your fireplace is usually the focal point of the room, so this isn't the place to skimp on design or materials. The 14 examples of fireplace built-ins below show what they store, how they provide space for it, and the style decisions made.
More photos of fireplace walls
The "what" and the "how" are important, but let's not forget the style. Your fireplace is usually the focal point of the room, so this isn't the place to skimp on design or materials. The 14 examples of fireplace built-ins below show what they store, how they provide space for it, and the style decisions made.
More photos of fireplace walls
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| What: This fabulous arrangement of built-in cabinetry needed to provide a display area for decorative objects. It also holds wine and most likely glasses, corkscrews, decanters and coasters, as well as a TV and its components. How: For display of decorative objects, there is a large mantel deep enough to hold vases and also open shelves. A niche to one side provides a spot for the TV, with closed storage keeping components out of sight. Open wine storage and a wine refrigerator are unusual twists to this built-in, as is the counter area for serving drinks or snacks. Closed cabinetry provides room for glasses and perhaps snacks to go with the wine. Style: The traditional cabinetry in a painted finish fits the style of the home. The deep color lets that area recede visually so that the lighter stone of the fireplace masonry advances. The scale of the cabinetry and moldings lets them hold their own next to the massive fireplace surround without overpowering it, so that the fireplace remains the primary focal point. Tip: Consider the activities that occur in the room, then plan your storage and display to accommodate those activities. |
| What: These built-ins were designed to accommodate the needs of a family. The TV was in an oversized niche, and all the components were sitting in there too, so it looked cluttered. The children spend a lot of time in this room, so storage for toys was needed. And open display shelving for decorative accents was desired. How: The TV niche was resized to fit the TV precisely. An articulating arm allows it to be pulled forward to reach cables. Below the mantel are cabinets behind doors that are so minimal, you don't even realize they're there. The cabinets hide the components for the TV on one side and the children's toys on the other. Glass shelves were chosen for display to allow maximum light throughout the display area. Style: This family room is part of a great room with the kitchen on the other end. To make it blend with the kitchen, we used the same color of stain on the wood as in the kitchen cabinetry. We wanted clean lines and a more minimal look, so the mantel and hearth as well as the header above stretch wall to wall. To balance the larger TV with the smaller fireplace, we used the same material to cover the the entire bottom portion of the cabinetry and the hearth to give the area below the mantel enough visual weight to offset the larger TV. Lighting below the mantel shows off the copper-patina steel and also gives the lower half more visual weight. |
What: The built-ins here did not need to store anything out in the open except for the TV and the subwoofers. But they did need to hold an extensive DVD collection and miscellaneous storage. A little extra seating in the room was desirable as well.
How: You're just not going to believe how much hidden storage there is in the built-ins around this fireplace. Of course, you can see the fitted alcove for the TV above the fireplace. You can also see that the subwoofers have their own spots near the floor on both sides. You may be thinking that the cabinets on either side are probably just shallow shelves for the DVDs, right?
How: You're just not going to believe how much hidden storage there is in the built-ins around this fireplace. Of course, you can see the fitted alcove for the TV above the fireplace. You can also see that the subwoofers have their own spots near the floor on both sides. You may be thinking that the cabinets on either side are probably just shallow shelves for the DVDs, right?
Wrong! These cabinets hold great slide-out units that allow full use of the depth without the need to rummage blindly for things in the back of the cabinet.
Notice that the depth of this area around the fireplace also accommodates built-in seats with storage underneath to the side of the cabinets. You may be thinking that's all you could possibly fit in the space...
Notice that the depth of this area around the fireplace also accommodates built-in seats with storage underneath to the side of the cabinets. You may be thinking that's all you could possibly fit in the space...
| ...but you would be wrong again. This is pretty slick. The entire TV alcove is hinged to swing open to reveal another spacious storage area behind. Style: The light, natural wood used for the built-ins complements the pale stone and the modern look of the horizontal fireplace. Keeping all of the DVDs hidden creates a minimal look suitable for this room's contemporary style. |
by CWB Architects
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What: If you have a wood-burning fireplace, then providing a spot for enough wood to last for several hours, and one for fireplace tools, is a great idea. This room also has a TV, books and display items.
How: A simple, deep (probably 18-inch), open-faced niche holds enough wood to keep the fire roaring all night, so that no one has to dash through rain or trudge through snow to get to the wood pile. I don't see fireplace tools sitting on the hearth, so it is also possible that there's a hidden spot for those. Allowing space for the chimney, the niche for the TV is just deep enough for it and a couple of display items. Open shelving handles the books and a few other decorative objects, while closed cabinets below provide hidden storage.
Style: Painting all of the built-ins the same cream as the rest of the room instead of brighter white creates a serene and mellow monochromatic palette.
A larger TV above a smaller fireplace can look top heavy, but the solution is to make the wood niche the same height as the fireplace and then have the TV niche extend over both the fireplace and wood niche. Visually the fireplace and wood niche appear as one whole piece and together are larger than the TV. Problem solved through good design!
How: A simple, deep (probably 18-inch), open-faced niche holds enough wood to keep the fire roaring all night, so that no one has to dash through rain or trudge through snow to get to the wood pile. I don't see fireplace tools sitting on the hearth, so it is also possible that there's a hidden spot for those. Allowing space for the chimney, the niche for the TV is just deep enough for it and a couple of display items. Open shelving handles the books and a few other decorative objects, while closed cabinets below provide hidden storage.
Style: Painting all of the built-ins the same cream as the rest of the room instead of brighter white creates a serene and mellow monochromatic palette.
A larger TV above a smaller fireplace can look top heavy, but the solution is to make the wood niche the same height as the fireplace and then have the TV niche extend over both the fireplace and wood niche. Visually the fireplace and wood niche appear as one whole piece and together are larger than the TV. Problem solved through good design!
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| What: Think outside the box with your built-ins. Storage and display aren't the only things that you might want to have around your fireplace. This person needed a place to work. How: You don't often see a desk as part of a built-in around a fireplace, but this one is beautiful. Think how nice it would be to sit beside the fire while you work! Drawers, cabinets, counter space and open shelving handle the storage of additional office supplies, TV components and display objects. Style: The rich cherry tones of the cabinetry provide real warmth in this room. An attractive desk chair carries the look through. |
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What: If storage or display isn't useful to you, how about some extra seating? And again, don't forget the wood for your wood-burning fireplace.
How: Instead of using wood for the seats, the same stucco as the fireplace surround was continued to create benches with angled backs, and custom cushions were made for the top. Wood for burning is nestled below the fireplace. Can't get anymore convenient than that!
Style: Using stucco for the benches was a great choice to create a seamless look with the style of the fireplace surround.
How: Instead of using wood for the seats, the same stucco as the fireplace surround was continued to create benches with angled backs, and custom cushions were made for the top. Wood for burning is nestled below the fireplace. Can't get anymore convenient than that!
Style: Using stucco for the benches was a great choice to create a seamless look with the style of the fireplace surround.
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| What: Photos, collectibles, books and fireplace tools are all handled perfectly around this fireplace. How: The cabinetry provides open shelving for all the collectibles and books, plus drawer space for hidden storage. A pencil-thin mantel provides a neat spot for a line-up of photos. The hearth itself allows room for the fireplace tools. Style: When planning your built-ins, consider the style of the rest of the room and other nearby pieces. You don't have to match everything, but the style and colors should be complementary. The storage around this fireplace carries through the same style as the cabinetry in the rest of the room, and its minimal style works beautifully with the clean lines of the stone surround. |
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| What: Other than the sculpture on the mantel, we don't know what's here. Could be anything: throw blankets, jigsaw puzzles...a secret stash of romance novels? How: If you don't have things to display, then don't build open display areas. Keeping your stuff behind closed doors is perfectly acceptable. Style: The choice to use fresh, white painted cabinetry blends this built-in well with the moldings around the windows. The simple traditional molding and door style fits the home's architecture. |
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What: Display objects and hidden items.
How: Again, we don't know what's inside, but we do see that there are cabinet doors on one side and drawers on the other.
Style: I included this photo mostly because these simple and elegant cabinets have just the right look for the pared-down fireplace. Make sure that your built-ins are in an appropriate scale and style so that they don't overpower the fireplace. In the first photo above, the fireplace was massive and surrounded in heavy stone, so it could handle all of the cabinetry. But this little fireplace with its simple surround needed the cabinetry to be equally minimal in style and scale.
How: Again, we don't know what's inside, but we do see that there are cabinet doors on one side and drawers on the other.
Style: I included this photo mostly because these simple and elegant cabinets have just the right look for the pared-down fireplace. Make sure that your built-ins are in an appropriate scale and style so that they don't overpower the fireplace. In the first photo above, the fireplace was massive and surrounded in heavy stone, so it could handle all of the cabinetry. But this little fireplace with its simple surround needed the cabinetry to be equally minimal in style and scale.
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by Will Waibel
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| What: Art, TV, components, books, books and more books. How: This a great arrangement of open shelving, niches, mantel and cabinets. But more important is the great use of lighting! Remember to include lighting when planning your built-ins. Just about everything looks better with light on it. Lighting is great for shelves that will display art objects, but don't stop there. The shelves on either side of this fireplace hold mostly books, but the whole effect is much more attractive than unlit bookshelves. Remember that when a cheerful fire is blazing away, the surrounding area feels darker by comparison. Adding light helps the surrounding objects stand out even when the fire is going. Style: Wrapping the built-ins around a corner to cover two walls allows the TV and fireplace to share the focal point without having to be above and below each other. The light wood of the cabinetry and shelves echos the color of the hardwood floors, while the white molding complements the home's architecture. |
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| What: This bedroom needed a beautiful focal point, room for a little photo display and space for a TV. How: The material of the fireplace surround is expanded far enough to allow for a niche for the TV. Recesses for the photos cut into the surround and extend past it into the wall. The long, horizontal niches built into this fireplace surround include lighting all along them to highlight the display items inside. Recessed spaces are very hard to illuminate well with spots from the ceiling because they cast shadows. A good plan for lighting assures that your display items will be seen and also adds an element of accent lighting to the room. Style: This asymmetrical design gives the space a distinctly contemporary look. The lighted niches visually balance the fireplace when lit. Large-format metallic tile is a great choice of material for the contemporary style. |
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| What: In all of the above photos, the "what" has been objects that needed to be stored or displayed. But the "what" that this basement needed was style. The built-ins you create can actually set the tone for your room stylistically. Click on the photo to see the builder's caption describing how a beautiful architectural style was created in this basement that previously had no architectural interest. How and style: To create a style in this previously bland room, a heavy fireplace surround with lots of architectural interest was installed. The cabinetry was designed to look like hutches and then filled with display items. |
by FORMA Design
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What: These cabinets provide lots of style, some hidden storage and a really cool spot for rows of candles.
How: Levels shifting forward and back from the main face of the cabinetry offer recessed niches and create the surround that makes the fireplace stand out from everything else. The doors for the cabinets are flush with the main face of the built-in, minimizing them.
Style: These asymmetrical cabinets in rich, deep-toned wood create their own strong style statement. They are sleek, minimal and warm. When you look at this fireplace and the one in the previous photo, you see that the fireboxes themselves are very close in style and size. The different styles of the built-ins create two dramatically different rooms.
How: Levels shifting forward and back from the main face of the cabinetry offer recessed niches and create the surround that makes the fireplace stand out from everything else. The doors for the cabinets are flush with the main face of the built-in, minimizing them.
Style: These asymmetrical cabinets in rich, deep-toned wood create their own strong style statement. They are sleek, minimal and warm. When you look at this fireplace and the one in the previous photo, you see that the fireboxes themselves are very close in style and size. The different styles of the built-ins create two dramatically different rooms.
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What: I think these built-ins were created primarily to offer ambience.
How and style: Built-ins can set the style for any room — not just living rooms and family rooms. The bookshelves in this bathroom give it the feel of a library. How lovely to soak in a bubble bath by the fire with a good book.
We've seen examples of all manner of built-in storage, display shelves, seating, counter space and even a desk. What would you want in your built-in around the fireplace? Add your thoughts in the Comments section below.
More: Where to Put the TV?
How and style: Built-ins can set the style for any room — not just living rooms and family rooms. The bookshelves in this bathroom give it the feel of a library. How lovely to soak in a bubble bath by the fire with a good book.
We've seen examples of all manner of built-in storage, display shelves, seating, counter space and even a desk. What would you want in your built-in around the fireplace? Add your thoughts in the Comments section below.
More: Where to Put the TV?
Ideabook published on Feb. 14, 2012.
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I really appreciate how you have explained how/why each solution works. We see a great number of unimaginative solutions for the main wall in the great room, which leaves the homeowner with an underutilized space (and usually fairly expensive millwork). A little discussion and planning with a design professional will help to develop a comprehensive approach to the individual needs of the home.
Here is my stance on the whole TV/fireplace combo thing: Think over the positioning of both of these items thoroughly and then do what's right for you. There are a lot of things to take into consideration. Some people are working with a new construction or room addition and have the latitude to do just about anything they want. Some people are working with a completed room and need to find the best location they can for their TV given the parameters of the room.
For my client whose fireplace built-ins are in the second photo, their fireplace was already in this position when they bought the home. The space you are required to keep around the fireplace made it impossible to put the TV to either side and windows, pass-through areas and the location of their kitchen made it undesirable to try to locate the TV elsewhere. Moving the fireplace to the right or left on this wall would have involved additional and considerable expense. Add to that the fact that they were already used to the TV in this position and are happy with it and that made the decision to keep this configuration the right one.
If I do nothing else here on Houzz, hopefully I get the message out to consider all your options -- look at lots of examples -- think creatively -- get professional help when you need it (talking designers & architects -- not psychological at the moment -- LOL) -- and personalize your home to fit your needs, budget and style.
stacikapp -- yes, lots of ideas. The reason this isn't working is because you have two unbalanced things side by side -- the tall column of the fireplace and the shorter cabinet. To make this look really spectacular you need a surround custom designed and built that creates one cohesive unit out of the two sides. It can still be asymmetrical, but both sides must be connected in style and balance each other. The 6th, 9th and 13th photos all have elements of this idea. In the 6th photo, the cabinetry fills both sides top to bottom so they balance even though both sides don't have all the same things. In the 9th photo again the cabinetry fills the space top to bottom. The hearth crosses in front of both sides to create connection of the two halves. In the 13th photo the niches cut into both areas. The material of the tile joins the full area as does the connecting hearth running the full length.
The TV over the fireplace is a dilemma for some, and a great space solution for others. The hand-cast concrete mantels provide a perfect heat barrier to protect electronic devices... though I suspect some of you wouldn't mind a complete melt-down!
Look forward to more of your articles.
While it is great to have built in storage, why make sub woofers the focal point. A more harmonious solution might be paneled walls, flush cabinet doors and framelss woofers all in the same material.
The 4th featured project exhibits a successful arrangement. The TV size is proportionally scaled to the wall and the off set fireplace and wood storage is an attractive solution.
In the 7th project featured, although the TV is larger than the fireplace opening, the large scaled mantle and beautifully designed paneled wall
is a well thought out design.
mrmccull -- good points. If you plan to move within the next 5 to 10 years, resale is always a consideration.
beeje -- You are indeed lucky to have the two separate rooms. With downsizing being the current trend, more and more people will not have a separate living and family room, so they will need to find solutions that work for them. And moving a fireplace is an expensive prospect.
dave lapine -- Yes, the people who installed the firebox or who build fireplaces ought to be able to give you the info on how far away any flammable items need to be. But their info is really designed to keep anything (your house) from catching fire. Excessive heat is still not great for electronic components even if nothing will catch fire. Consider using the kind of insulation used inside of fire-walls for additional shielding from heat.