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Fabulous Shelving Solutions to Frame Your Fireplace

Making use of the space surrounding your fireplace can add instant style and storage to any living room

Joanna Tovia 12 April 2015

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More

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If you’ve been trying to choose the right shelves to go with your fireplace, you’ll know that it isn’t as simple a decision as you might think. Shelving style, material and placement can have a major impact on the rest of the room, but it can be tempting to stick with tried-and-true designs that blend in rather than add something special. Before you settle for the familiar, take a look at the living rooms below to see how interesting shelving can add real appeal that could work just as well at your place.

NICOLEHOLLIS

Low profile. The position and shape of this great fireplace calls for shelving that enhances its sleek design. The low-set shelves echo the rectangular fireplace dimensions and provide a platform on which to display your most stylish wares.

Lucy Call

Off kilter. These timber floating shelves work wonderfully well with the colour of the steel cladding used on the fireplace surround. I love that the shelves vary in length – it adds so much character.

EAG Studio

Clean lines. Floating shelves are one thing, but floating cabinets add an unexpected element to a minimalist living area like this one. Hide any clutter in the cabinets, and show off only the most beautiful of objects.

the evolve group

Enough’s enough. Take care not to plan for more shelves than you really need when you’re weighing up the options. Asian-style homes tend to display only the most thoughtfully-selected items, so simple modern shelves that frame the fireplace top and bottom suit the space perfectly. Consider downlights as a way to give those display items pride of place.

John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA

Perfect symmetry. Just because you love minimalist design doesn’t mean you have to go without when it comes to storage. This unit combines ample space in the lower cabinets with plenty of display space up above. The natural timber contrasts nicely with the tiles wrapping around the fireplace surround. Custom-made cabinets are often the way to go for a polished and professional-looking finish. The cabinets work so well here because they align precisely with the top of the fireplace.

Contemporary Family Room Modern Family Room

Natural tones. The fireplace mantel in this living room invites you to sit down and read a while by the fire. The timber shelving unit ties in with shelving used elsewhere in the room – a nifty trick to prevent fireside storage that looks like it doesn’t belong.

Skale Building Design

Solo ledge. When there’s ample shelving and storage elsewhere in the house, it can make more sense to keep things simple around the fireplace. The single shelf in this living room is enough to add some chic coastal style with accessories.

Urrutia Design

Sitting pretty. When you’re sticking to a simple colour palette such as black and white, not shaking things up with your fireside shelving can be a wise idea. This wall unit has simply been built out from the wall around the fireplace. Such a design can not only house the TV in style, but also creates a spot for recessed shelving to one side.

TELL US
When it comes to open shelving, do you fill the extra storage with anything and everything, go for the ‘organised clutter look’ or only display your pride possessions?

MORE
Have a Hearth: Make Your Fireplace Look Smokin’ Hot All Year Round
Winter Warmers: Where to Put the Fireplace
Stylish Storage: Show-Stopping Shelving Suggestions

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kaystrauss314

I love your fourth tip about how you shouldn't overdo it with shelving around your fireplace! I'm actually planning on having a fireplace pretty similar to that one installed in my home a little later this year. The original plan was to put at least four to six shelves around it, but I like the look of just having two that go across the top and bottom a lot better!

http://www.alpinefireplaces.com/salt-lake-city

Like 1 August 2015 at 7:42am