Fireplaces have served as focal points of attention in homes ever since they first became a thing. Sure, the circumstances have changed and so have the interior design strategies and styles but the principle is more or less the same one. In the recent years, hanging fireplaces became more and more popular. These sculptural features look spectacular and there’s a lot to love about them.

Modern living room with a black and white interior and a hanging fireplace

First of all, a hanging fireplace doesn’t take up any space on the floor or the wall and that’s a big advantage when there’s not a lot of room to spare in the first place.

Contemporary home office featuring a small covered deck with a hanging fireplace

Also, because hanging fireplaces are not physically linked to any wall, they can be positioned pretty much anywhere, even out on a covered deck or anywhere there’s a roof.

Modern living room with a cozy sitting corner near the window

Another great thing about hanging fireplaces is the fact that they’re better at making lounge areas feel cozy. That’s because they’re not stuck on a wall but rather integrated into the space in a more natural way. The sofas and chairs don’t have to face a wall because the fireplace can be positioned pretty much anywhere in the room.

Contemporary living room featuring a hanging fireplace as a focal point

Hanging fireplaces make wonderful focal points, even more dramatic and eye-catching than traditional fireplaces. It’s mostly because they get to stand out thanks to their positioning in the room.

Casual contemporary living room with a hanging fireplace in the center of the sitting area

A lot of contemporary interior designs feature living rooms and social areas centered around hanging fireplaces. In some cases the fireplace can even become a substitute for the coffee table, being positioned at the center of a seating area.

An iconic hanging fireplace symbol in a contemporary home

There are a lot of iconic fireplace designs to choose from. The most popular ones are usually very simple, with clean lines, soft edges and versatile forms. This allows them to be successfully incorporated in a variety of different decors, layouts and environments.

Modern living room featuring a hanging fireplace above the platform

Hanging fireplaces aren’t typically large or imposing in size. They have this understated sophistication which allows them to look luxurious and glamorous without being opulent or very striking from a visual point of view.

Contemporary family room with double height ceiling and a beautiful hanging fireplace

In spaces with double-height ceilings, hanging fireplaces have a particularly striking look. Their impact on the room’s décor is strong and they look dramatic despite being very simple.

Minimalist sitting area with large windows and a hanging fireplace in the center

What’s beautiful about a hanging fireplace, whatever its size, shape, color or design may be, is the fact that it can be positioned close to a window so those seating in front of it can also admire the view.

Expansive living room with a hanging fireplace as a focal point

In a large and open living space, a fireplace can hang at the center of the seating area. It can be positioned above the coffee table or it can be a central point of attention on its own, with no other elements to distract the attention from it.

A minimalist contemporary home featuring a hanging fireplace complemented by a series of hanging pendant lights

There are also other ways to emphasize a high ceiling. For instance, a hanging fireplace can be complemented by a series of pendant lamps for an especially eye-catching effect.

Luxurious beach house with panoramic views and a central hanging fireplace in the living area

Simplicity can also be a design strategy. For example, a large open space can feature a cozy and circular seating area organized around a hanging fireplace which stands at the center, with no light fixtures or decorations to steal its thunder.

The simplicity and versatility of hanging fireplaces makes them a great fit for beach houses. They add warmth to the décor without interfering with the openness of the space. You can see that in the design of the Seadrift Residence by CCS Architecture.

Thanks to its swiveling design, the hanging fireplace added to this beach house by architect Omar Gandhi gets to be a focal point and design feature for both the indoor and the outdoor areas.

Modern and sophisticated with a little bit of rustic charm, this is the design direction featured by the Areias do Seixo hotel from Portugal. This eclectic style is very nicely materialized into an open, bright but also warm and cozy lounge area featured here.

Casa do Pego by Pedro Ferreira Pinto is a luxury villa with an overall simplistic but elegant and sophisticated interior design. One of the spaces uses a hanging fireplace as a focal point but also as a sort of divider between areas.

After being renovated by Paola Navone, this house in Umbria, Italy feels a lot brighter and has this very cozy lounge space with comfortable armchairs, a few worn metal accents and this iconic fireplace hanging at the center, above a chic little area rug.

Designer Uglyanitsa Alexander had a somewhat different strategy for this duplex residence in Minsk, Belarus. The fireplace is indeed a focal point here but it’s attached both to the ceiling and the floor.

It’s refreshing to see a fireplace so beautifully used to make a space feel complete. This is a space designed by studio Ellis Williams Architects. The team was in charge of transforming an old water tower into a contemporary home and this is what they accomplished.

What a great way to showcase a hanging fireplace. This is House THE, a residence designed by N-Lab Architects in Luxembourg. It has an open floor plan with some extra spaces upstairs. However, there’s a portion of space which has a double-height ceiling. That’s where the fireplace is positioned.

When asked to create a residence that promotes relaxation, meditation and balance between humans and nature, Imbue Design came up with a plan for this retreat in Utah. They made sure that the residence makes the most of the views, that it’s connected to its surroundings and that it embraces peace and serenity in every way. This is one of its rooms.

Rustic on the outside, modern on the inside…this is the simplest way to describe the house designed by Gogl Architekten in Tirol, Austria. The architects used this strategy in order to allow the house to blend in with the surroundings and to mimic the neighboring estates. Features like this hanging fireplace, however, make it fit for a modern lifestyle.

On the other hand, there are houses like the one designed by Matthew Heywood in Kent, England which are a lot more eye-catching on the outside than they are on the inside. This is a house with an interesting facade design and an interior décor meant to give a sense of calmness and peacefulness. The neutral color tones and the stainless steel fireplace help achieve that.

For the V House designed by Shaun Lockyer Architects the hanging fireplace is a design element that smoothens the transitions from the living room into the kitchen and dining area. At the same time, it serves as a visual point of interest taking into consideration the double-height ceiling in this particular section of the house.

Placed in front of the glass wall at the end of the living room, the hanging fireplace is both an obstruction and an element of interest. Its placement in the Nest House by No. 555 Architectural Design Office is practical and aesthetic in a pretty special way.

Once again, a hanging fireplace is being used as a divider, an element that helps delineate a space and create a distinction between the areas in an open plan space. This design is the work of Hammer Architects. It’s a space they designed for a contemporary residence in Massachusetts.

A detail that makes a hanging fireplace more enjoyable than a traditional one is the fact that it can be placed in an open floor plan where it can serve as an accent piece for more than one space. For instance, it can be enjoyed from both the living room and the dining area, being positioned in between them. You can take a cue from the design that JVA created for their clients in Norway.

When placed outdoors (on covered decks and patios), hanging fireplaces let the view be the focal point. In other words, because the fireplace is not physically linked to a wall of the house, it can be positioned in such a way that it has its back on the garden or yard, as you can see here. This is a house designed by Omar Gandhi in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The views are also the focal point of this beautiful design by Platform 5 Architects. It seems as if this section of the space was intentionally given a double-height ceiling just so the fireplace can look amazing in that corner, framed by large glass windows.

Not all hanging fireplaces look the same, although it may seem like it because so many designers are inclined to use the same iconic models. Hotel V Nesplein in Amsterdam, for instance, has an interior design that’s a mixture of old and vintage flair and chic and modern simplicity. As a result, a hanging fireplace was a bold but suitable choice but its design had to be the same mixture of old and new.

It’s amazing how many great designs can be enhanced by the presence of a hanging fireplace. The V4 House by Studio MK27 has a gorgeous living space opened to the outdoors. The fireplace is the element that makes it feel inviting, warm and cozy, complementing the cold concrete flooring and unfinished ceiling.

Another example where the hanging fireplace completes a space is the Shell designed by ARTechnic architects. A nice little detail in this case is the similarity between the shape of the fireplace and that of the entire structure.

It can be quite difficult to make a space feel warm, cozy and welcoming when it’s surrounded by large open views, completely exposed. Sure, the views are great but what about privacy and comfort? It can all be managed with a little bit of creativity. Snøhetta did a great job at making this house feel cozy by giving it smooth, undulated wooden surfaces and a hanging fireplace to serve as a subtle distraction from the overwhelming view.

By now you probably had you fill of all the same-looking hanging fireplaces so let’s have a look at something a bit different. Check out the Shallard House, a beautiful residence designed by Lat Forty Five. It has this gorgeous fireplace that come in the continuation of a custom shelving unit/ TV unit/ space divider.

Few things can be more impressive and eye-catching than a super long hanging fireplace. This house designed by Michael Fitzhugh is the perfect example. For it, there’s no need for artwork, bold colors or any other focal point. The fireplace, although very simple, stands out by simply being very long.

It makes sense for a fireplace to match the décor. Usually they’re black and that’s a color that suits pretty much any space. Still, white somehow fits better in this bright and open living space deigned by Vincent Coste for a house facing the sea in Corsica.

Since you have the freedom to basically position a hanging fireplace anywhere you want in a room, try to find a good spot for it so it can complement the layout and the décor in a beautiful way. Take into consideration the views, the ambiance and the function of the space. The fireplace placement chosen by Audax for this house may seem a little bit odd for some but it makes perfect sense for the owners.

Corners and hanging fireplaces go hand in hand, especially in a space that has full-height windows and a high ceiling, like the room of this residence in Athens, designed by N. Koukourakis & Associates.

Still haven’t decided if and how you could integrate a hanging fireplace into your home? You can check out some of the designs from Focus. They offer some pretty amazing and wonderful design options that would fit nicely in contemporary decors. They range from simple and classic to unusual and intriguing.