Long gone are the days when only owners of private city or country houses could afford to admire the flames of a fire in a fireplace. Nowadays, even the owner of the most common apartment can arrange a home or its spectacular imitation. Modern technologies make it possible to install electric fireplaces in any room, and you can create a false fireplace with your own hands. A decorative fireplace in the interior is a great way to create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere in the interior of a house or apartment, an opportunity to add exclusivity and originality. And all this without the construction of a chimney, approval and obtaining permits from various authorities, without risk to households and neighbors - only aesthetics and safety. But to choose a suitable model of a decorative fireplace you will have to work hard - the modern market offers many options.
Materials and design
It is clear that in typical apartments it is not possible to build a full-fledged fireplace. Technically, this task is not feasible, especially in apartment buildings. But for those owners who have long dreamed of decorating their interior with a similar item, there is a way out. After all, instead of a full-fledged fireplace, you can build a so-called false fireplace.
By external signs it is almost indistinguishable from a real hearth, but in this case there is no need to install a firebox and chimney. In addition, making a false fireplace with your own hands is a completely doable task.
Since imitation of a hearth absolutely does not require a complete reconstruction of the home and special skills in its installation, the design of a decorative fireplace will depend only on the imagination and wishes of the owners.
The first step is to arrange the frame of the hearth. The starting material can be metal profiles, wooden slats and bars, or an overlay panel with a beautiful decorative window. The dimensions of the structure will depend on the size of the room in which it will be installed.
Placement
Often such designs are used in city apartments, where installing a real fireplace is impossible. The installation location can be any. In addition to the living room this is:
- cabinet;
- kitchen or dining room;
- bedroom;
- children's room;
- bathroom, if its size allows.
The installation location can also be any:
- middle of the wall;
- in the corner;
- hang up.
Don’t forget that such decorations can be bought ready-made if you don’t have the desire or ability to make it yourself.
Depending on the style of the interior, its design depends. Let's take a closer look:
- Classic. There should be no fakes. The fireplace should look 100% natural. Only expensive materials are used in decoration: marble, natural wood, tiles, Venetian plaster.
- Baroque, Rococo, Empire. The decoration in such living rooms should use stucco, various massive decorations, and gilding. To reduce finishing costs, you can use polyurethane foam moldings and special gold-plated paint.
- Minimalism. Only light materials are used for decoration. You can insert a bioconstruction inside the hearth, in which a real fire burns. It is recommended to use large real stones instead of firewood.
- High tech. False fireplaces made of glass and metal are used here. Suspended structures look organic.
- Authentic design. The finishing should be in the form of decorative stone or brick. Aged wood and cast iron elements are also suitable.
- Modern style. Design of the portal in the form of straight lines, without unnecessary details. You can insert an electric model or a biofurnace into the firebox
In the video you will find detailed instructions on how to make a false fireplace with your own hands.
Features and types of false fireplaces
Designers distinguish between authentic, symbolic and conventional types of false fireplaces. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Reliable fireplace
All the indicators of a full-fledged fireplace are perfectly met here, with the exception of the chimney outlet. Complete similarity is achieved thanks to a burner installed in the “firebox” or a regular electric fireplace. For decoration use wallpaper, stone or tiles.
Home fireplace like a work of art
It is clear that installing a fireplace with a real hearth is often impossible. They can be replaced with electric models. Many designers offer completely original ideas - to install a decorative option and enjoy the beauty and comfort.
Such designs are characterized by some advantages:
- you can do it yourself, it does not require large financial investments;
- You can use available and inexpensive materials: chipboard, plasterboard, brick, cardboard or polyurethane foam;
- the place for the firebox can be constantly changed, so the interior of the living room will not be monotonous;
- For decoration you can use decorative stone, tiles, marble and many other finishing materials.
Thanks to their advantages, fireplaces fit perfectly into various interiors and the photo confirms this. The compositions can be absolutely anything. They will perfectly complement the interior decoration of the room. And creating a structure with your own hands is a creative and exciting process. You can involve your whole family in creativity.
Conditional fireplace
This model is a niche in the wall, a kind of portal that imitates a “firebox” and is decorated with firewood, candelabra and other elements of a real fireplace.
To build a conventional fireplace, a large niche depth is not necessary - 20 cm will be enough, and the internal volume can be added using glued mirror tiles on the back panel and on the sides of the niche.
Library fireplace design
A fireplace in a library can also be of a classic style: a noble geometric shape, decorated with a U-shaped cladding made of wood, or natural or artificial stone.
The variability of fireplace models for libraries is quite high, since the range of any serious manufacturer includes not only complete fireplace sets (firebox + portal), but also separate combustion chambers that can be decorated at your own discretion. Therefore, if you want to arrange in your home, for example, a library with a fireplace in a rustic style, it will be enough for you to buy a wood-burning firebox and a chimney, building them into a false wall with “ragged stone” cladding, and for library shelves use wood with rough raw texture, very fashionable at the moment. You can regulate the temperature in the library room by controlling the combustion process in the combustion chamber using special levers located on the front panel of the fireplace. In automated fireplace versions, the combustion temperature can be set programmatically.
There is another serious aspect that affects the safety of books - dust, which can be combated by covering bookshelves with glass or periodically dry cleaning the shelves. But there are fireplace models that can be successfully used here too - these are electric fireplaces equipped with an ionizer that allows you to capture dust from the air. As a rule, such fireplaces also have a built-in steam generator, which creates the illusion of a burning flame, therefore, in parallel with aesthetic problems, the problem of dry air is also solved.
Avant-garde steel electric fireplaces and biofireplaces running on grape alcohol (bioethanol) are used mainly in industrial-style libraries, where the shelves can have not only a horizontal, but also a diamond-shaped shape.
Modern versions of electric fireplaces and biofireplaces can be very technologically advanced and controlled using a remote control. Their important advantage is the ability to install them in any room - from a city apartment to a country cottage. Installation of this equipment can be carried out by the owner himself, since such models do not emit substances harmful to humans during operation and do not require the installation of a chimney. But, as in the case of a conventional wood-burning fireplace, you should follow all technical instructions from the manufacturer for the safe installation and operation of these devices.
Symbolic (drawn) false fireplace
This solution is more reminiscent of a pattern on the surface of a wall than of any structure. Anyone can make it from the most ordinary skirting boards, while indicating only the silhouette, without depth.
Individuality and style: fireplace made of wood, brick and natural stone
For admirers of antique products, a fireplace made of natural or artificial stone, stylized as the Middle Ages, would be ideal. In a spacious room, such a hearth with a wide shelf and a fairly large niche, which is actively used for decoration, looks great. It could be anything - candlesticks, a family photo, floral decorations, or a stack of firewood.
Ways to create a false fireplace for a modern interior
There are a lot of options for creating a pseudo-fireplace in the interior of a wide variety of rooms. You can use the services of specialists or try your hand at creating a fireplace from the following materials:
- drywall;
- tree;
- tile;
- natural or artificial stone;
- wall panels;
- polycarbonate;
- metal;
- ordinary cardboard and film;
- even art and wall stickers.
Pseudo-fireplaces (which you can make with your own hands) are divided into two types:
- mobile (the structure can be moved to any place);
- stationary (the outbreak is in one place permanently and cannot be transferred).
A mobile pseudo-fireplace is most often a structure similar to a cabinet, but with a facade in the form of a fireplace portal. Such a piece of furniture is, of course, very convenient - it not only decorates the design of the room, adds a special aura, it can be moved, taken with you when moving and used as a storage system, while it is not easy to install books or framed photos on the mantelpiece, but and store necessary things inside the structure.
A stationary pseudo-fireplace in the interior is not only a decorative element, it can perform several functions. It all depends on the purpose of the room itself, the method of execution of the fireplace portal, the material and style of interior design. Of course, it is better to plan the creation of a fireplace, even a decorative one, before the renovation begins. But this does not mean that it will not be possible to integrate a false fireplace into an already decorated room - the work ahead will not be the dirtiest.
Most often, to create a pseudo-fireplace, a frame made of wooden beams is used, which is sheathed with plasterboard or plywood. The design turns out to be reliable enough both for use in its original form and as a portal into which an electric fireplace will be installed. But when creating a frame for the subsequent installation of an electrical device, it will be necessary to use not ordinary drywall, but fireproof one. And it is better to use metal products as a profile for installing drywall.
On such a pseudo-fireplace, created using a wooden frame covered with plasterboard, a fairly durable mantelpiece is obtained. It is quite capable of supporting the weight of photo frames, books and even vases of flowers. In a word, a false fireplace is not only a decorative element itself, but also helps to introduce other functional and useful decor into the interior of the room.
To finish a decorative fireplace, which is created using a frame and plywood or plasterboard sheathing, the following materials are used:
- artificial stone (one of the most popular options);
- laminate dies;
- wall panels of one modification or another (most often imitating brick or masonry);
- liquid wallpaper, decorative plaster;
- metal sheets;
- moldings, stucco moldings made of plaster and its modifications;
- on the fireplace portal you can simply draw the desired surface;
- You can use stickers.
Artificial flame: imitation of fire in a fireplace
Some designers paint an imitation of fire inside the firebox. If you organize the lighting correctly, you will get a delightful effect of a burning flame inside the hearth. An excellent option would be a mobile false fireplace, which can be made by specialists in a furniture workshop. This will allow you not to tie the decorative image to a stationary product, using it in different rooms.
Little tricks of a big interior
The main advantage of a false fireplace is to imitate a real one or make a big accent in the living room. The design of the portal is a purely personal creativity of each person.
Before doing this, you just need to study some design guidelines:
- Candles. This is the most sophisticated method of decorating a firebox. They can be of different sizes. You can dilute regular candles with scented ones. This will add a pleasant aroma to your living room. Such a fireplace will always decorate a romantic dinner or an ordinary meeting with friends.
- Firewood. The entire firebox can be filled with firewood. Here, too, everything depends on imagination. The logs can be laid in the form of a fire and candles can be carefully placed on them, but you need to watch carefully. If the candles fall, the logs may ignite. False fireplaces that are filled to the top with logs with the cut facing outwards look impressive. The size of the firewood may vary.
- Backlight. You can create the illusion of fire using yellow-orange lighting. Logs are placed in the hearth. The working model will look fascinating. In this case, the interior of the firebox should often be framed with metal. This glow looks beautiful on it.
- Christmas decoration. The most festive and magical look is the false fireplace, which is decorated with Christmas tree decorations, garlands, Christmas socks and, of course, gifts. Children will appreciate this decor. A real feeling of miracle and celebration will reign in the house.
If the portal is installed on a single wall that is not decorated with anything, then two small sconces can be hung above the decoration. For aesthetics, the wiring of the lamps should be hidden.
Corner false fireplace - the best option for small spaces
In a compact bedroom or small living room, you can arrange a corner false fireplace, which will not only save additional space for furniture, but also add special charm to the room. It is made according to a principle similar to a corner wall, shelf or cabinet. The depth is chosen based on the size of the room.
Classification
First, it’s worth studying in detail what a false fireplace is. In essence, this is an imitation of a firebox and a portal. By and large, such a model is considered a visual deception and only creates the presence of a fireplace in the living room.
It can be made in various style solutions. The interior volume is decorated individually, based on your preferences and general interior ideas. In most cases, they are used to hide imperfections in a room. If there are protrusions in the room or interior partitions stick out, then a false fireplace will fit perfectly in these places.
Such designs are divided into several main types:
- Reliable. They imitate the real thing 100%. All dimensions and finishes must be observed. You can install a bio-fireplace burner in the hearth. This creates the feeling of real fire. The installation of such a structure will require a lot of financial investment, but it is worth it.
- Conditional. These models are distinguished by the presence of a portal, which must protrude from the wall. You can decorate it however you like. They usually put real firewood inside the hearth or put a lot of large candles.
- Symbolic. The name of such fireplaces speaks for itself. They can be made from absolutely any materials. Neither in size nor in appearance do they resemble the real models. It could even be a drawing on the wall with small protruding patterns.
Often designers use corner false fireplaces in the living room interior. You can create a cozy atmosphere around them. It is enough to put a couple of chairs, throw a small fluffy carpet on the floor and your favorite place to relax is ready.
Raised fireplace in home office
A decorative fireplace in the home office will give a special representativeness to the interior. Such a product is conducive to work and creativity, creates a certain atmosphere, and evokes only positive emotions. Often, a false fireplace is complemented with interesting decorative grilles, thereby enhancing the similarity of the interior with the palace setting of England.
A luxurious decorative structure in the office emphasizes the financial solvency and respectability of the owner.
False fireplace in the children's room
An interesting solution is a decorative fireplace in the baby’s room. Without changing the essence of the design, you can increase the furnace niche and supplement it with shelves where children's toys, books and other items and accessories will be stored. The significant depth of the combustion hole will be an excellent corner for children's games.
And finally, it must be said that, first of all, a fireplace is a significant thing in creating a romantic atmosphere. Even in its decorative design, such a hearth will appeal to both a young family and an elderly couple. A smoldering flame promotes peace and relaxation, brings people together, and gives the interior comfort and coziness.
What does a fireplace in your home mean to you? Which design options did you like best?
