Are you looking for a fireplace update?
You are lucky because we have just made your life easier! No need to spend hours searching for the best stone fireplace designs because we have already made a shortcut to them.
Check this great article about 28 Best Stone Fireplace Ideas And Designs that are easy, quick to make, and of course, budget-friendly!
1. Blend The Fireplace
When the room where the fireplace is built in is small and the original colors of the stones are too distracting, you can try the following designer’s trick. Paint the stones the same color as the adjacent surfaces.
This will unite them and create a continuous look. This will instantly change the visual look of the entire space to far airier and more contemporary.
Another advantage the uniform color will offer is the possibility to use more colors and combinations for the decoration.
2. Change The Furniture Location
You can give your living room a new fresh look if you only switch the furniture places. The fireplace is not only for staring at the flame, it is also to feel its warmth.
Placing two armchairs at either side of the fireplace will enhance the coziness of the space and will create a new look without any drastic changes or overhauls.
via Lorraine Levinson Interior Design
3. Masonry Fireplace
The masonry type of fireplace is quite authentic, hence its rustic effect on the overall interior. If you want to smooth it and make it look contemporary, use bright and contrasting decor pieces.
Greenery is a good choice because it coheres with the nature of the fireplace and at the same time stands out with its fresh look.
4. Painted Exposed Stones Fireplace
If you are happy with the stone surface of your fireplace but you are looking for a way to make it a bit more contemporary, we have great news for you! You can paint the stones with chalk paint.
Yes, there isn’t a surface that the chalk paint doesn’t work with. White is a good color choice because it lets the stone shapes differentiate and also gives them a fresh contemporary look. You don’t lose the effect of the stone texture, on the contrary- you enhance it.
5. Cover The Stones With White Dilluted Paint
As easy as it looks, this stone fireplace update is simple, quick and requires almost no investment.
Using white paint and the whitewashing technique, the stones get a brand-new look! And that look is very farmhouse modern that matches perfectly a contemporary home decor.
By the way, you are not limited to the white color for this updated idea. You can choose another color like grey to change the stones’ look without hiding their texture.
6. Decorate Boldly
One of the easiest ways to update the look of your stone or brick fireplace is to change the decoration. No need to paint the structure, or change it. Simply, highlight it!
Wonder how? The greatest advantage of the stone fireplace stone fireplaces is that they are neutral and neutral goes with every color. So it is time to experiment with the colors that will let the stone texture be more visible. Nautical colors, greenery, layered decorations are all good to contrast with the stone surface.
This is also a hack to change the overall look of the space. Adding modern accents, you transform the fireplace into a contemporary feature. Replacing the existing ornaments with farmhouse ones will give the fireplace a retro cozy look.
via Lie Griffith
7. All White Stone Fireplace
If you do not dilute the white paint a lot, you can achieve the effect of this stone fireplace idea. The paint is applied evenly on the entire surface minding all the gaps between the stones.
The result is a modern fireplace feature that surely makes visual interest. You can add a dark mantelpiece to create contrast or leave the shelf in the light color palette in case you are looking for a visual illusion for a taller fireplace.
8. A Mantel To Create Contrast
Another easy way to give the fireplace a new look without changing the stone cladding at all is to change the mantel or at least its surface finish.
Applying a new color of paint is easy and affordable. The end result is fantastic, especially if you choose a color that contrasts with the stone hue.
In this idea, we see a traditional stone fireplace that has a modern look thanks to the black mantel over it. Combining it with some decor pieces in the same hue is a good trick to let the unexpected color feel coherent.
9. Stacked Stone Fireplace Idea
Cladding the entire chimney of the fireplace with stones is a great decor trick to create a visual illusion of a high ceiling.
You can choose from a variety of stack stone colors that can enhance this effect. If you like the original stone colors, you will end up with a fantastic rustic piece that will add so much warmth to the atmosphere.
via Simple Stylings
10. Mantel Decor Idea
We told you that all of the ideas here are easy and affordable and this one will surely prove that!
No change to the stones, no change to the mantel. The change is in the decoration on the mantel. Going for a large mirror in a plain geometric shape will instantly add a modern flair that will transform the overall fireplace look.
Plus, your room will look bigger thanks to the mirror reflection.
11. Dark Grey For A Modern Stone Fireplace Look
From this image, you can source two home decor inspirations. The first one is the monochromatic dark grey color which is capable of turning any item into a modern piece. Secondly, it is the limits of its application.
Instead of having a number of colors and textures on the fireplace and the surroundings, why not unite them by painting them all one color?
The look is continuous, stylish and definitely- eye-catching.
12. Refresh The Stone Fireplace With Paint
If the fireplace stones look dirty, discolored and their texture is no longer visible because of the years of usage, there is one easy way to change that look.
Take a can of paint in the closest color to that of the stones. Before applying it, it is always a good idea to wipe down the stone surface to make sure that the paint sticks well to it.
13. Frame The Stone Fireplace With Wood
The high ceiling of this open-plan room requires an interior that will make it feel more homely. And what decor style could work better in this goal than the rustic style?
The stone fireplace is the focal point of the room which has defined the location of all the other elements. To make its rustic look more visually sensible, two solid wood cabinets are installed tightly on either of its sides.
via Wyckoff Comfort
14. Blend The Rustic Stone With The Modern Interior
The retro look of the wood-burning fireplaces can be easily blended with a modern interior if the stone cladding is used on another room element. That element should be of a contemporary design to act as a uniting piece.
The pillar next to the fireplace in this image is the transition piece that makes the magic. Although the stone texture of these two pieces is different, their colors are the same.
15. Natural Wood Mantel
This cabin-style living room is so cozy you will never want to leave it. The rustic decor is what gives it an inviting overall look.
The centerpiece is a stone fireplace looking like a handmade work. The uneven alignment of the stones gives the feature so much charm!
This effect is enhanced by the added log mantel which has the same handmade look on purpose.
via Susi
16. Multicolored Stone Fireplace Idea
This stone fireplace look is achieved with paints. Colors in the earthy color palette are picked up for creating an appealing multi-colored look that feels so natural!
If you like this stone fireplace design, then you must know that the multi-colored surface requires plain and neutral decoration colors, otherwise, you risk creating a chaotic focal point that will overwhelm the space.
17. Update The Entire Fireplace Wall
This is an interesting idea for giving an outdated fireplace a contemporary look. Apply a coat of paint in a modern color. White and grey are perfect for this update idea because they are light, trendy and go well with any surrounding decor.
You can enhance the effect by repainting the wall where the fireplace is built in also in a new color that coheres with the new stone hue.
18. Make Your Own Stacked Stone Fireplace
This is the time in which everything is possible, including cladding the fireplace with stacked stones yourself!
There is a number of materials mimicking stone that are easy to be installed such as stone veneer panels. You can find them in different shades and sizes, also in vertical or horizontal alignment.
Change the mantel with a piece that pairs well with the new color scheme and voila- there is no sign of the outdated fireplace!
19. Airstone Upgrade Of Existing Fireplace
Airstone panels are great for DIY home decor improvements! They are affordable, modern and easy to install!
Another advantage they offer is that they come in a variety of shades so you can easily pick up the stone color that will suit best your existing interior.
via Kathryn Handel
20. More Warmth With A Rustic Mantel
There are people preferring to leave the fireplace in its original outdated look because of its nostalgic rustic look.
We totally understand that because the stone fireplace makes the atmosphere so cozy and welcoming for family gatherings.
This stone fireplace idea aims to highlight the rustic look of the fireplace and make it even more impacting. The mantel from a solid piece of deconstructed wood adds texture, color and warmth.
via Helm and Home
21. Dark-Stained Mantel For A Rustic Touch
Does the stone fireplace look too cold for you? You can instantly change this by adding a wooden mantel.
Wood is warm and farmhouse authentic and it has this magic property to make an ambiance more homely.
This firestone decor idea features a mantel cut from a wooden board and supported by corbels that give it a rustic design. All pieces are painted with a rich mahogany stain which stands out against the all-white stone fireplace.
22. Dark Storage Unit To Create Contrast
Instead of upgrading the look of the stone fireplace, change the look of the storage unit next to it. This idea is a great way to change the overall decor when you like the stone fireplace the way it is.
Pair the updated unit with the mantel of the fireplace to create a united look of these adjacent interior elements.
via Patrick Schmitt
23. A Place For Art
An easy way to change the general look of the stone fireplace (without any repair work) is to frequently change its decoration.
You can hang a wreath, a big impacting painting, a sign, etc.
via Wyckoff Comfort
24. Give The Modern Gas Fireplace An Authentic Look
If you have just installed an indoor fireplace working with gas but it doesn’t make this homely impact as the wood-burning fireplace does, cover the wall where it is built-in with stone veneer to mimic a fireplace hearth, typical for wood-burning fireplaces.
This will twist the neutral modern look into rustic. The veneer panels are also a good insulator so which makes their installation even more practical.
via CR Gas Logs and Fireplaces
25. Frame The Stone Fireplace With Storage Furniture
The tall windows of this room, the light color palette and the recessed lights give this room a contemporary look.
Wood-burning fireplaces are one of those interior elements that are naturally retro and sometimes it seems difficult or not visually appealing to include them in modern home decor.
This decor idea shows that this restriction is not valid if two simple rules are followed. Blend the fireplace by building it on a wall with a contemporary design pairing with the surroundings.
Make sure that there are other rustic elements close to it that will complement it. The storage units in the niches next to the fireplace have this function and also allow extra places for decorations.
26. Multi-Colored Airstone Fireplace
This is another inspiring idea of covering the old fireplace with stone panels. The airstone design here features two stone colors that create an eye-catching stack pattern.
The brown color matches the marble top and the flooring while the light creamy color works as a contrast to make the fireplace the focal point of the room.
via LJ Decor
27. A Sign To Inspire
A quick update of the old fireplace is possible by adding a large sign with an inspiring message.
The canvas is white to cohere with the brick grouting. The letters are grey to continue the matching pattern with the bricks.
The size of the sign is important for creating a transformed look. It covers an existing mantel decor which works as a frame for the sign. Together they look like a layered piece of wall art that instantly grabs attention.
28. Highlight The Stone Fireplace With Lights
If you like the texture of the stone fireplace surface, you can highlight it with light sources. That can be recessed lights or sconces.
Some natural stone textures have a natural luster that looks magical when lit by the light.
