10 Clever Ideas For Chimney Breasts and Alcoves
If you're looking for chimney breast ideas and alcove ideas, you've come to the right blog!
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I’ve worked with many homeowners over the years, supporting them with their interior design. It’s the properties with period features like chimney breasts and alcoves that can prove tricky for them to design, but they bring huge potential and shape to a room.
We (Neil and I!) moved in to our 1930s fixer upper in 2016 and we've been renovating it from grantastic to fantastic ever since. What sold the property to us in the first place were the period features, the deep alcoves and wide chimney breasts. They were untouched and primed for us to experiment on with different chimney breast and alcove ideas.
With 4 rooms of this house having chimney breasts, I had lots of opportunity to try different ways of decorating them, so in this post I want to share 10 chimney breast ideas to help get you inspired for ways to decorate yours!
Our Reno Club student’s Georgie & Matt’s kitchen
1. Line the chimney breast interior in style
Our lovely Reno Club members Georgie and Matt have done something truly special here.
Although the chimney breast has taken on a new life as a hob surround with hidden extractor, they’ve chosen to line the chimney breast with stunning statement tiling. Not only does is look absolutely stunning, it’s also a super practical idea for heat resistance and for wiping down food splatters after you’ve cooked.
Choose a tile to compliment your space and your guests will talk about it forever more.
Idea with Dark paint for feature wall on chimney breast - IMAGE: @tobyshome
2. A wood burner is a classic
Fi & Neil’s living room is an absolutely classic choice. Whether you’ve got an open fire, a bare chimney breast or even an old gas burner that needs to go, installing a wood burner is a smart move which will pay dividends in future.
Do a little due diligence before you decide on which kind of wood burner you want fitted as your area may have restrictions on what you can burn.
By and large, wood burners are safer and better for the environment, plus they look gorgeous and add something amazing to a cosy living room.
Painted chimney breast idea - Image credit: Benjamin Moore
3. The right choice of paint shade can do wonders
If you want to spruce up your chimney breast, no matter which room you’re working with, but don’t know how to do it on a shoestring, you could actually just consider a paint job.
Choosing the right shade will create a focal point in the room and give a level of vibrance that can make a big difference if you don’t want to take on a bigger project.
We’d suggest painting the chimney surround in a contrasting shade to really make the space pop.
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Chimney breast alcove shelving - Image credit: Design & Architecture by Rider Stirland / Photography by French + Tye
4. Built in alcove shelves
One of our all-time favourite things to do with a chimney breast is to use it as the basis for open storage. Alcove shelving is a timeless classic and looks good in just about any home.
You could even have a go at making it yourself if you’re handy with your power tools. This gorgeous chimney breast shows no hint of an open fire but still keeps the shape of the original structure to use the small alcove sections either side to great effect.
This idea is perfect for bedrooms where you definitely wouldn’t want a fire or wood burner.
Tiled chimney breast idea - Image credit: Ca’Pietra
5. Tiling with inspiration from heritage chimneys
On a practical level, tiles make sense around a fireplace. They’re fairly heat resistant, easy to wipe clean from soot and protect the rest of your chimney breast. But, what we love most is how they look.
The heritage-inspired tiling design pictured here uses a tile with a rich green hue, which we like to see as a modern take on something you see a lot in period homes.
If you’re going for an open fire, wood burner or similar kind of setup, consider statement tiling to make a focal point in the room but also know you’ve covered yourself for making a sensible choice.
Fi & Neil’s kitchen chimney breast
6. Consider a kitchen cooker
If you’re the owner of an older home, there’s a fairly high chance you’ll have chimney breasts in more than just the living room. This is because, back when the property was built, indoor fires weren’t just for cosy evenings by the TV, they served to heat each room and much of domestic life revolved around them.
If you happen to have a chimney breast in what is now (or will be) your kitchen, great news. We absolutely love seeing range cookers installed into chimney breasts.
So long as you get the necessary safety and structural bits done by a reputable professional, they can be the ideal setup for an extractor fan to hide in and they look simply stunning.
bathroom chimney breast idea - Image credit: Ca’Pietra
7. Keep it as a decorative highlight
In rooms where you have an old fireplace but will definitely never make it a functional one, there are huge design points in keeping it for decorative purposes.
In this fine example, the fireplace is found in a bathroom and pays homage to the era of the building, like a not to its heritage.
You could even consider fitting an old fireplace in rooms that require an added layer of design-forward thinking, just as a decorative piece.
Stone chimney breast idea - Image credit: Garden Trading
8. A stone surround is timeless
For those of you wanting to keep a functional fire in your home but are not sure how to best work with the chimney breast around it, consider elevating the overall look with something a little grand.
You have three main options when it comes to putting this idea into play. You can get something bespoke made which will likely be quite pricy. Second, you can order a ready-made surround online so long as you can find something that works with your chimney breast dimensions. Or, try antique shops and reclamation yards, you might just come across a hidden gem.
Wallpapered chimney breast idea - Image credit: Original Style
9. Add wallpaper with flair
For those of you who are a little more daring with your interior design choices, consider an attention-grabbing wallpaper.
We love seeing this idea to highlight the chimney breast as a focal point in the room and inject a healthy dose of energy into your living space, really giving it a boost. Choose a design that flows with your overall decor and will coordinate the fireplace surround.
Either focus on just the chimney breast or paper the whole wall to make it blend in seamlessly.
Natural chimney breast idea - Image credit: Garden Trading
10. Honour heritage style with organic materials
Fires are raw, beautiful things. So, it only makes sense to work with natural materials on your chimney breast and fireplace surround if your decor and property period permits.
This exposed brick and timber beam look is genuinely timeless and brings with it so much character.
It’ll acquire a light patina over time and ultimately give the cosiest functional fire possible.
Which one has caught your eye? Do you have other ideas you’ve put into play in your home? From the house renovations to the small weekend facelifts, we hope we’ve inspired you to make the most of your chimney breast, no matter which room it’s in.
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Thanks for reading!
Fifi xoxo
