It has be true to say that a fireplace is the focal point of a room, whether it is in use or not. Nowadays, we may spend more time relaxing in our living rooms staring a screen, rather than the hearth, but the fireplace remains the big draw on the eye, particularly when the room is first entered.

As such a cool looking fireplace, even if you never light it, says a lot about your interior design. Don’t overlook what a fireplace can bring to a room even if, with central heating, you have no real need of one.

Old fashioned fireplaces look great when use them in contemporary settings but for a more up to date look opt for something a little more modern. The traditional looking chimney breast, hearth, surround and mantel have all been updated and improved so that modern fireplaces will suit nearly any living room, even those which have not been designed with a chimney, or flue, in mind.

Miniature Glow.

Apartments with communal central heating and many modern homes have no place dedicated for a fireplace built into the design. If you are seeking the focal point and glow that a hearth can bring, why not opt for a miniature one?

A flicker of light can be all you need to create the right effect in many space. And mini fireplaces can be moved around from room to room, depending on your mood. These small and portable fireplaces tend to run from a built-in tank of fuel which you simply need to refill from time to time.

Chic Fireplace Kit.

Funky wood burners are on trend for modern living rooms, so why not make the color choice of yours stand out from the rest of the design, to create the focal point a more traditional fireplace would offer. Compliment the look with some fire irons and a cushion, or two, in the same color as your wood burner.

If you have a hearth, update the look of it with a contemporary screen. This will make a feature of the fire even when nothing is burning. Choose a set of fire irons that comes with a holder that will keep them all in one place, tidily. Set your fire irons to one side of the fireplace and balance the look with a sculpture on the other side.

Tiled Surrounds.

To update your fireplace with a more modern look, accessorize its surround with fireproof tiling. Glass tiles are often ideal for this purpose and create shimmer in a living room setting. Sparkling tiles can look very effective if you continue the look all over the chimney breast. And use a bold, primary color, when tiling around your fireplace to create an accent that builds on its role as an eye catching focal point.

Wood Stores.

The perfect fireplace accessory is the wood store. Sure, you can simply stack up your logs, but a proper wood store will add definition whilst keeping the look simple. If you don’t light your fire very often, the wood store need not be large and you can simply keep one next to your fireplace for aesthetic reasons. For an alternative look, why not try a contemporary wall-mounted wood store?

In The Hearth.

Well designed fireplaces can look wrong if there is nothing set into the hearth itself. Dried flowers look good, as do pine kernels. Alternatively set some ceramic gray pebbles into your fireplace.

These, or fake ceramic logs, will withstand any high temperatures that result from burning fuel in the fireplace, but also look great when it is not in use. Like ceramic fire-fillers, metalwork sculptures add structure but don’t create lots of ash which needs to tidied up, so try these out, too.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.