Cozy Ideas for Decorating Around the Fireplace
Designers share how to restyle and warm up your room so that you and your guests can linger by the fire this winter.

One of the joys of winter is snuggling up next to the fire, but sometimes the room layout makes it tough to enjoy the warmth. The couch may be far away from the flame, or an accent chair may be too cumbersome or too heavy to pull up by the hearth.
So try restyling your room for the winter with these fantastic designer fireside arrangements tips.

Laurel & Wolf Interior Design
OTTOMAN IDEAS
Add a touch of opulence with fur (or faux fur) ottomans like these. The black leather chairs also nestle close to the fireplace, a feature that strategically heats both the indoor and outdoor spaces. The gray sectional and nesting coffee tables complete the room, designed by Laurel & Wolf Interior Design for a warm transitional sitting area.

Jorge Gera
SOPHISTICATED COMFORT
Pull up two matching chairs and center them with an ottoman in front of the hearth, for instant access to the flicker of a fire in the winter. A living room by Chicago designer Tom Stringer is a balance of function and form, with delicate accent pieces anchored by functional furnishings in soft fabrics.

Laurel & Wolf Interior Design
THE ART OF ARRANGING
"It's important to make sure that your seating is arranged in a conversational configuration, so it’s easy for you and your guests to talk amongst one another,” says Kimberly Winthrop of Laurel & Wolf Interior Design. “Arrange a combination of sofa and chairs in a right angle rather than in one line, so your guests are comfortable and don't feel squished together.” This black-and-white sitting room has a great flow, providing comfort and style.

Craig Bromley/Virginia-Highland Home Tour
COZY CHARACTER
Wingback chairs encourage you to settle in and cozy up to the fireplace in this renovated early 1900s home by Atlanta-based Red Level Renovations. Two tables provide places to set drinks, books and other items in the fireside room.

Engel & Völkers Buckhead Atlanta
LOUNGE AROUND
Position your chaise so that people can stretch out in front of the fire and keep their feet toasty during the winter.

Michael Stavaridis
UNEXPECTED SEATING
A contemporary space with a sculptural fireplace by day can be just as cozy and inviting as a traditional space by night. Elements such as a woven chair, which brings in more of a coastal look, are an option for non-traditional fireside seating and don’t distract from the stunning fireplace David Scott Interiors and Blaze Makoid Architecture designed for this East Hampton, New York, home.

Richard Powers
EXQUISITE CHOICES
Magness Design’s “The Townhouse,” which was featured in a 2016 documentary about the restoration of the property on New York’s Upper East Side, boasts classic pieces and accessories with interesting touches, such as gold-sided chairs. A curved and padded bench provides another sculptural element, as well as extra seating near the fireplace.

Michael Stavaridis
MOVABLE OBJECTS
Look for a pair of chairs designed in a way that encourages lounging, such as these “safari chairs” selected by New York-based David Scott Interiors. A decorative side table next to the chair also moonlights as a stool, or grab a large pillow from the sofa to pull up next to the fireplace.

Jan Stittleburg/Atlanta Decking and Fence
SNUG BY THE FIRE
When you have a fireplace on a screened porch, like this one by Atlanta Decking and Fence, draw as many people as possible to the fireside by pulling up a table and set of chairs in front of it. The extra seating on both sides of the console table can be moved to the fireplace when needed.