5 small living room fireplace ideas you'll want to cozy up with immediately

When the weather outside is frightful, small living room fireplace ideas are especially delightful. Who doesn't love the idea of snuggling in front of a crackling fire after a long day?

If you're in need of some fabulous fireplace inspo, we've got you covered. We've spoken with design experts to find out what they do to get them looking sparkling. From luscious plants to asymmetrical accents, they have plenty to set your imagination alight.

For those looking for small living room ideas, embracing the size of the space and enhancing the snugness is one of the best things you can do.

Small living room fireplace ideas

When you're making your small living room look cozy, highlighting your small fireplace is one of the best ways to elevate this space.

Wherever possible, we've also found beautiful buys to match our experts' advice, in case you want to give your fireplace a glow-up.

The prices below were correct at the time of publishing this article.

1. Add asymmetrical accents

You can make your small living room fireplace look extra eye-catching by adding fun and playful accent pieces.

“Create an asymmetrical look by putting up two different decorations on the fireplace mantlepiece or even next to the fireplace,” says Artem Kropovinsky, interior designer and founder of Arsight.

Artem Kropovinsky

Artem Kropovinsky is an interior design expert and founder of Arsight, an award-winning interior design studio based in New York. He's designed plenty of different rooms throughout the years, including small living rooms with fireplaces.

He continues, “I like to go for ones not similar in any aspect such as style and size, livening this area up completely.”

You could do this with vases, flowers, and even photo frames and stands (we have this UO Strawberry Photo Stand on our wish list), creating an eclectic mix showcasing your personality.

2. Play with metallic accents

Add sparkle to your fireplace by using materials which will also make your small living rooms look bigger.

Artem explains, “To enhance light, use reflective materials such as a mirrored mantel or metallic accents on the fireplace to create an impression of a spacious room by playing with reflections.”

Not only will these magically do this, but materials in gold, silver, and bronze colors will also make your small space look luxe in a subtle, chic way. We love a win-win.

3. Go for a freestanding fireplace

If you’re reading this and are feeling the fireplace FOMO, don’t stress — you can actually bring a fireplace into your home without having to renovate the whole place.

“Not everyone has a traditional fireplace, but most everyone can get a similar effect with free-standing designs or fireplace inserts for cabinets,” says Lou Anne Dunn, designer and founder of Neatly Dunn.

Lou Anne Dunn

Lou Anne Dunn is the founder of Neatly Dunn. She is a seasoned designer renowned for her expertise in crafting bespoke storage solutions and designs, including small living room fireplaces.

If you are short on space, Lou also recommends going for a small fireplace insert (we like this Betelnut Electric Fireplace on Amazon) in a cabinet instead. 

4. Use it as hidden storage

Have you ever wanted a secret place to hide things in your home? If you have a fireplace you aren't using, you can live out this fantasy with this small living room storage solution.

Artem says, “A clever way of decluttering small living rooms is through integrating hidden storage within the fireplace surround or mantel.”

For example, you could add a small dark storage cupboard (this Iwell Storage Cabinet on Amazon would be perfect) as a hidden compartment.

5. Surround it with indoor plants

It’s not just fabulous, fiery flames you can use to add warmth to your fireplace. Going for a touch of greenery will also do this, too.

“You can also style indoor plants around your fireplace to bring an organic touch to the space, to remind of the natural element of fire,” says Amanda Wiss, design expert and founder of Urban Staging and Urban Clarity.

Amanda Wiss

Amanda Wiss is a design expert and founder of Urban Clarity, a home organizing company. She is also the founder of home staging studio Urban Staging, whose design-savvy team gets homes market ready, which often includes small living rooms with fireplaces.

Artem adds, “Hang plants above the fireplace and on the mantlepiece, and see how fire warmth mixes with the freshness of indoor plants to make a tiny living room more lively.”

Amanda recommends going for leafy plants such as ferns, as these will frame fireplaces beautifully.

By giving your fireplace some serious love, you can create a space in your living room you truly look forward to snuggling up in. Just give us a mug of tea, a throw blanket, and a roaring flame to keep us happy. You could even light a candle or two as well, to add even more coziness.