5 Tips For Decorating Around Your Corner Fireplace

Perhaps, you've seen a space with a corner fireplace and want to add one to your home. These fireplaces have a unique design that usually looks gorgeous and extra cozy. However, those who have corner fireplaces probably have a different opinion on these design features. Thrifty Decor Chick chose to include a corner fireplace in their living room, and they soon regretted the decision. They believe these models are much harder to style than those placed against a flat wall, and this is because there are some strange angles you'll have to work around. 

However, Decoist says that those who want a fireplace but don't want it to be the main focal point in their space may benefit from a corner design. Or, maybe you don't want to place your television above the fireplace. If so, you'd also benefit from this choice. Whether you already have a corner fireplace or you're thinking about adding one to your home, you'll need to know how to decorate around it. Below are clever tips that will help you create a beautiful setup.

The first thing most people will want to do is create a new focal point in the space. A focal point is what the eye is first drawn to when glancing around a room; typically, this architectural detail becomes the main point of interest for rooms with a fireplace. However, corner fireplaces aren't the best candidates, as they are challenging to orient everything towards. Because of this, they often work better as a smaller detail in the room.

Ballard Designs has a few ideas to create a new focal point that will take attention away from a corner fireplace. If your room has another interesting architectural element, such as French doors or large windows, you could highlight the other feature by surrounding it in bold paint or a wallpaper design. Use height to your advantage — a tall bookcase, mirror, or large piece of artwork will draw lots of attention. An oversized rug or light fixture could also become the focal point in the space. Emily A. Clark says a new focal point is typically created by placing an entertainment center and television against a wall in the room, where all the furniture can be pointed.

Next, you'll want to consider the best place to place your furniture. When spaces have traditional fireplaces that are flat against the wall, most of the furniture typically points towards it. However, as Setting For Four Interiors points out, orienting furniture towards a corner fireplace can look awkward, as everything will be diagonal in the space. Therefore, they suggest aligning the seating to face the television or another focal point. In other words, the sofa or the chairs should be perpendicular to the corner fireplace.

Roomhints adds that, at the same time, you shouldn't block or cover the fireplace with furniture. Instead, there should be room in front of the corner fireplace for people to walk. If the fireplace is far away from the rest of the seating area, you could add two chairs on either side to make the design feature look purposeful. This will also create a cozy seating area for reading or conversation.

Another important aspect of decorating around a corner fireplace is the rug. The placement of this design feature will largely be determined by how your furniture is set up. After placing your couches and chairs perpendicular to the fireplace, Setting For Four Interiors says to ground the seating area with a large rug and place at least the front legs of each furniture piece on top of the rug. 

You could also place another smaller rug in front of the fireplace, per DoItYourself. This is an excellent idea for those who choose to place two chairs on either side of the fireplace, as it will create a separate sitting area away from the main space in the room. However, when adding a rug close to the fireplace, make sure it is a hearth rug made from non-flammable materials, per Vaheed Taheri. Also, keep the rug at least a foot away from the fireplace. If using a flammable rug, make sure it is at least 4 feet away.

You'll also need to know how to decorate the mantel, which can be more difficult if you have a corner option. Emily A. Clark says to frame it and fill it in, making the wall above the fireplace appear flat. Or, you could cover the indent with a large mirror or art piece. Sorting With Style adds that fewer decorations will look best because corner mantels are typically pretty small. You don't want to create a cluttered or chaotic appearance. Therefore, only use a few pieces that will stand out in the space, such as candlesticks, lanterns, picture frames, or other items. 

Further, choose decorations that match the style of the fireplace and your home — for instance, a modern design should have modern décor pieces. To add color and life, make sure to add plants and flowers. You can also add more décor pieces on the floor around the base of your fireplace. However, make sure they are large enough so that they don't get lost in your room's overall design.

While your fireplace will create some ambient lighting, typically, it's not enough for the corner of your room. You can add additional lighting to make your corner fireplace appear more purposeful. For instance, Sorting With Style suggests adding candles for a soothing ambiance. These could be placed on top of the mantel or the floor around the fireplace. Floor lamps or table lamps on side tables around the fireplace could also be used to spotlight this unique design feature in your space. An LED light strip beneath the mantel could also add a nice glow that highlights your corner fireplace.

Home Furniture DIY adds that a chandelier hung in front of the fireplace could look grand. This would be especially beautiful for those that place or hang a mirror over their fireplace, as the beautiful light fixture will be reflected in the mirror. You could also choose to add wall sconces on either side to provide more ambient lighting.