10 Cozy Fireplaces You'll Love

Designer Meg Braff oriented the seating in this Colonial Revival house in Lattingtown, New York, around the fireplace. "When there's a fireplace in a room, you want to be around it," Braff says. "You can imagine a fire even if there isn't one." A large-scale coffee table from Meg Braff Antiques & Decorations anchors the sofa and the chairs. A vintage chartreuse leather wing chair adds snap. Walls are covered in a taupe grass cloth from Hinson.

Designer Markham Roberts warmed up the "not-so-great room" in this Greenwich, Connecticut, house with tufted fireside chairs of his own design. The designer placed the furniture in groupings throughout the room to make it easier for entertaining big groups of people. "Several intimate arrangements are also the answer for when a family member wants to curl up alone with a cup of tea," Roberts says.

The accent wall painted Benjamin Moore's Coral Rock in the master bedroom of Ken Fulk's Provincetown, Massachusetts, vacation home keeps the atmosphere cozy. "Often one wall of color is all you need to make a room," Fulk says. "The coral fireplace wall warmed up the bedroom. You could achieve the same effect with wallpaper."

In this Los Angeles home, designer Peter Dunham gave an unexpected twist to this bathroom. "I flipped the positions of the bedroom and bath, which is why the bath now has the fireplace," he says. "In a rather plan way, it's extremely sexy and luxe, isn't it?" With the simple addition of an antique grate, Dunham made a mundane fireplace special. The photo, by Miguel Flores-Vianna, is from Nathan Turner. The Chinese tabouret and Caucasian carpet ottoman are from Hollywood at Home.

In this formal Alabama living room, Tracery Interiors opted out of traditional furniture in front of the fireplace. "Although we contemplated putting a traditional pair of sofas facing each other in front of the fireplace, we decided on an antique French daybed facing a smaller-scale sofa," designer Paige Schnell says. "The effect is still balanced and formal, but more interesting than matching pieces would have been." The firm also swapped a heavy limestone mantel for a more delicate antique surround.

Inspired by the work of sculptor Louise Nevelson, California woodworker Althea Patton created the living room fireplace of a weekend house in coastal Marin County with wood from the home’s renovation as well as various woodworkers' shops. "It's not a traditional art piece, but we think of it as art," designer Kim Dempster says. Fellow designer Erin Martin adds, "The fireplace is the heart of the home. This is where you sit around and tell stories."

In his Los Angeles kitchen, designer William Hefner put in a small fireplace. "It's great. Like most people, my wife and I come home at night and go in the kitchen," he says. "The kitchen is really the only room we use during the week, so it had to have the things we wanted—a view of the yard and a fireplace. If we're spending so much time here, let's be able to build a fire and really enjoy it."

Antique meets modern in the living room of a San Francisco Victorian designed by Ken Fulk. He chose a black-and-white palette, softened with neutrals and natural textures. The chimney breast, which is papered in Ralph Lauren's black Yacare Crocodile, adds sex appeal. "It looks great, that texture, and it's fun," Fulk says.

Designer Benjamin Dhong envisioned the living room in this San Francisco home as a serene retreat. "That's why the walls are a little darker and there are big lounge chairs by the fireplace," he says. "At then end of the day, drink in hand, they can put their legs up on that wonderful ottoman. The zebra brings in a tiny bit of edge that doesn't intrude." Armchairs are in Giant's Mohair and the vintage ottoman is in Le Zebre linen by Brunschwig & Fils.

A fireplace and overhead heat lamps make it possible to entertain on the loggia year-round in this California bachelor pad designed by Parrish Chilcoat and Joe Lucas. It's furnished with a Provence love seat in synthetic wicker and St. Barts teak lounge chairs -- all from Restoration.Hardware—an Ikea Brommö deck chair, a white-painted African table from Berbere World Imports, and Brantley lanterns from Circa Lighting.</p>