Open Fireplace Ideas: What to do with an Open Fireplace

Have you got an underused open fireplace at home? Follow these open fireplace ideas to give it a new lease of life.

Once upon a time, most homes in the UK had multiple open fireplaces. The emergence of central heating and other heating technologies meant they were no longer needed in every reception room and bedroom in the home. Open fireplaces have gradually dwindled to the stage that many new-build homes are now built without any fireplace at all.

But if your home was built before central heating was widespread — or possibly even later — you've probably got at least one open fireplace that you're wondering what to do with.

Your open fireplace might still be fully functioning. Perhaps it is working in theory, but it hasn't been used for a while. Perhaps the chimney has been blocked, or maybe the fireplace itself has been boarded up.

Our open fireplace ideas cover everything from making working fireplaces more efficient to rejuvenating unusable open fireplaces. Whatever condition your open fireplace is in, you'll find an option to suit your home.

What is an open fireplace?

An open fireplace is the most common term for an open-fronted fireplace at the base of a chimney. Coal, logs and other solid fuels are typically burned on an open fireplace.

What size is an open fireplace?

A standard open fireplace in the UK is 16 inches wide by 22 inches tall (or 406mm by 559mm). The fireplace is typically tapered so that the back is not as wide as the 16-inch opening.

Some larger fireplace openings are 18 inches (457mm) wide. They still incorporate the standard tapering, and many of our ideas for open fireplaces are suitable for both sizes.

Top open fireplace ideas

Ready to refresh your open fireplace? Here are some of the best open fireplace ideas.

New fire front

A brand new open fire grate and fire front is a very cost-effective way to give your open fireplace a fresh new look. For as little as £60-£100, you can completely transform your fireplace's appearance.

If you've got an old, grubby and misshapen grate and fire front, you can simply swap it out for a new one. Alternatively, it might just be the case that the current grate and fire front are dated and don't suit the room. Again, you can just swap them over. 

If your open fireplace is disused and has been left empty, you can still place a new grate and front to create a more appealing focal point. Remember to get the chimney checked and swept before using a fireplace that has been out of use.

Fireplace door

Instantly boost your open fireplace's efficiency by adding a fireplace door. These are essentially glass doors for fireplaces that close over what would previously have been an open front into the room.

A fireplace door is one of our favourite open fireplace ideas because it helps you to limit the air supply to the open fire. This means your fuel takes longer to burn, saving you money. This is a big advantage in an open fireplace that can otherwise lose up to 70% of the heat it generates.

Fireplace doors offer many of the same benefits as logburners — not least greater efficiency and less smoke blowing into the room — but are far cheaper to buy and install.

Inset stove

The next step up from a fireplace door is to opt for an inset stove. Sometimes called cassette stoves, inset stoves are wood-burning stoves or multi-fuel stoves that are designed to slot into a fireplace opening.

Whereas you need to leave space around woodburners for air circulation, inset stoves are designed to sit within the fireplace. Depending on the quality of the existing chimney, you may be able to use it. More likely, you can simply drop a flexible flue liner down the chimney and connect it to your stove. 

An inset stove will increase the efficiency even more than the fire door, since you'll have even greater control over air supply and how your fuel burns. Many inset stoves are capable of operating with almost 80% efficiency, meaning you only lose 20% of the energy your fuel creates. This compares favourably with open fires, which can be as little as 30% efficient.

Electric inset fire

If you can't or don't want to burn solid fuel in your open fireplace, an alternative open fireplace idea is to install an electric inset fire. Just like inset stoves, they are designed to slot straight into an open fireplace opening.

Once your electric inset fire is in position, you only need to plug it in and switch it on. Many electric fires come with a flame-only setting, which means you can use your fireplace to create a cosy atmosphere even when you don't want any extra heat.

An electric fire gives you heat at the push of a button, with many modern electric fires controlled by remote control or from your phone. They also get up to heat very quickly, giving a welcome boost of warmth for only as long as you need it.

Wood-burning stove

If your open fireplace is in the style of an inglenook or you're prepared to open it up further, this creates the opportunity to install a wood-burning stove. This offers all the efficiency savings of an inset stove and more, since the sides and top of the stove are all exposed to heat your room.

Many modern woodburners exceed 80% efficiency and are made to Ecodesign standards. This is good news for your fuel costs and the environment.

These additional benefits may require more construction work and installation costs than the other options we've discussed so far. But the results are likely to make it worthwhile.

Media wall

If you're currently stuck with an unusable open fireplace, our final open fireplace idea is to turn your chimney breast into a feature once again. Media wall electric fires are among the most sought-after fireplaces at the moment. You can very easily convert your open fireplace into a media wall.

Building a media wall is no different than building a stud wall. You can simply attach a wooden frame to the front of your chimney breast to extend it outwards and create the structure to house a built-in electric fire. Media wall fires like the Ezee Glow 60" Celestial are only 210mm deep, so this doesn't have to encroach much further into your room.

Explore more open fireplace ideas

That completes our run down of some of the best ways to make your open fireplace a real feature of your room once again. Giving your open fireplace a new lease of life is achievable on any budget, so there is plenty of choice as you plan what's best for your home.

Not yet found the right option for your fireplace? You'll find many more options for rejuvenating your open fire in our fireplace store.