Like the kitchen, the fire often becomes the heat of the home - a focal point, a place of gathering, and a place of relaxation. The alluring draw of flames creates an unparalleled aesthetic in a residential setting, and as such, selecting the right fireplace surrounds is important. With so many choices available, here’s some ideas to get started.

Stone fire surrounds

Stone can offer an elegant and sophisticated solution for fire surrounds. An incredibly durable, hardwearing and heat resistant material, stone can complete the fireplace in a sleek, contemporary manner, or equally, work well within a more traditional architectural setting. 

Granite is a popular choice of stone for fireplace surrounds, with its unique and defining markings. Selecting the right stone is often about personal preference, and creating either a feature or a seamless movement throughout the home, linking the stone in the fireplace surround with other features in the house such as benchtops.

Plaster fireplace surrounds

Plaster is another popular option for internal fireplace surrounds, offering a diverse range of finishes and textures, as well as the ability to be coloured in a huge range of hues to suit the rest of the decor. 

How to style hearths

A fireplace is a beautiful part of any room, and it deserves to be surrounded in style. Whether its a rustic mantle of brick or stone or a more contemporary material, the options are vast. Often, detailed hearths and mantelpieces work well in more traditional settings, with ornate sculptural elements lending themselves to the traditional styles of days gone by. 

In contrast, a sleek, simple and classic hearth can be the direction of choice in more contemporary settings or when retrofitting a fireplace. 

Delicate mouldings and intricate detail can create a sense of elegance and sophistication, while heavier materials such as large stonework or rustic bricks often work well to create a sense of solidity and permanence.

For the very modern hearth, a firebox set into a wall can create a dynamic yet minimalistic space. Tiles are another popular hearth material, and depending on the designs, colours and sizes chosen can create a unique and bold feature of the fireplace.