As the mercury drops, nothing holds as much appeal as curling up in front of a crackling fire, hot toddy in hand and the nip of winter at bay. And while your fireplace might be the prime spot to cozy up, hearth and home (to borrow an old aphorism) obviously go hand-in-hand as far as decor is concerned. A mantel, be it bold or traditional, is, naturally, a glowing focal point for your living room, bedroom, or patio. So how do you go about transforming your existing fireplace or designing one from scratch in a way that feels at once functional but has that wow factor? Weve been seeing mantels trend bolder (dare we say hotter?) than ever before. Even so, says ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer, its best to keep things classic when designing a timeless fireplace. The key to any successful contemporary design is to limit the number of materials used and let them be the story, he says. In a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, for example, the designer paired a bold Calacatta Viola surround with sky-blue trim that matched the rooms walls. Many of our clients don't want traditional mantels anymore, Boozer continues, noting he tends to steer clear of clichd materials like stone and brick. They opt for a flatter profile with nothing distracting from the hearth and surround; this allows the fire to be the focus. If youre working on a budget, there are plenty of DIY solutions to give your mantel that special spark. Any mantel can be gessoed to achieve a plaster finish. You can buy gesso at any art store, and it looks just like plaster, says Toronto-based interior designer Colette van den Thillart. Paint remains the cheapest way to refresh anything, affirms Boozer. If you have an old mantel, try painting it the same color as the walls. This will make it look fresh and new.And if all else fails, says van den Thillart, Place a basket of logs beside any gas or electric (or even empty!) hearth, as it renders the effect more cozy and inviting.For more ideas sure to ignite the imagination, weve turned to the ELLE DECOR archive for our 70 most stylish fireplace ideas. Now, fire it up!1Copper-Hued FireplaceStephen Kent JohnsonThe brief for this perfectly-rustic Montana winter home was a "kind of French boho ski chalet" and the Los Angeles-based designer firm Commune totally delivered. The living room got a unique folded chimney breast designed by artist Brian Robles and clad in copper plasterproof you don't need to rely on brick alone for a homey hearth. 2Art Deco-Inspired Marble FireplaceHelenio BarbettaWhen creating this sumptuous Milan apartment, ELLE DECOR A-List architect Hannes Peer looked to the Italian city's design heritage. That inspo was carried through in the gorgeous Giallo Siena marble fireplace, whose geometric lines of concentric rectangles were inspired by the Art Deco movement. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Sculptural Plaster FireplaceStephen Kent JohnsonThis is the New York furniture showroom of ELLE DECOR A-List designer Pierre Yovanovitch, but it's pretty much our dream home. Anchoring the room is an original fireplace, which Yavanovitch covered in plaster and gave a gorgeously curvaceous silhouette, a look that feels retro and fresh at the same time. 4Blue-Bordered FireplaceKelly MarshallIt's safe to say that ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer is the king of using paint color creatively and this living room, in a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, proves it. Here, Boozer covered the walls in Benjamin Moore's Harbor Haze and painted the trim surrounding the fireplace in a slightly darker hue. The simple move makes it feel unified with the framed artwork that surrounds it. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Spanish Revival FireplaceKaryn MilletThis 1928 Los Feliz home, recently revitalied by Joe Lucas, featured beautiful Spanish Revival bones. Lucas left the fireplace intact, painted it white, and incorporated layers of texture and artwork. Above the mantel, he hung a sculpture acquired through the Los Angeles antiques dealer JF Chen. Instead of a painting, why not do something similar with the real estate above your mantel? 6Muted Blue FireplaceSam FrostDesign power couple Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus certainly knew how to set the mood in this Montecito, California estate. They painted the entire living areafireplace included! in a dusty shade of blue. Try the monochrome strategy for yourself by using Portolo Paints Sirene shade. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Mirrored Tile FireplaceStephan JuillardOne of the boldest moves designer Pierre Gonalons made in this 1970s-inspired Paris apartment was cladding the chimney breast in gradated glass panels that are backed in copper, brass, and silver leaf. My idea was to give the impression that a fire had burned the mirror at the bottom, he told us.8Beaded FireplaceElliott FuernissBeads arent just for your favorite bracelet. Here, in an Atlanta home, designer Jessica Davis brought the millegrain look to the plaster fireplace surround. We have a feeling this is a trend thats bound to bubble up...Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Midcentury Cone FireplaceRichard PowersFor a look as groovy as it is graceful, consider a cone fireplace, la this corner in designer Carol Egans midcentury-modern dream house. Because its freestanding, this fireplace (which is original to the house) allowed Egan to create a bold gallery wall directly behind it. 10Muted FireplaceOri HarpazMuted can be mighty chic, as designer David Lucido proves in this soft-spoken Los Angeles home. By matching the fireplace to the cream-colored walls and choosing warming, tan hues for the floor and ceiling, you feel like youre sandwiched inside the worlds most glamorous smore. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Raspberry Marble FireplaceEthan HerringtonBold Breccia Arrabida marble? Check. Bold raspberry paint job? Check. This idea, courtesy Alton Bechara, leans into a maximalist manteland then some. I told them that I really like pink, the homeowner says. Dreams do come true! 12Historic Hearth FireplaceFrancesco LagneseAlyse Archer-Coit amped up the country charm in her 1770 upstateNew York house by painting her kitchen hearth in a happy shade of blue. The shelf is the perfect venue to showing off her ceramics collection. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Room-Spanning FireplaceEma PeterFireplaces are typically reserved as a sitting rooms focal point, but we love how this one, in a West Vancouver, British Columbia, mother-daughter pad designed by PlaidFox, quite literally spreads the love with its room-spanning marble surround. 14Beaux-Arts FireplaceNoe DeWittWe cant all live in a home as grand as this (it used to belong to newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer) but we can certainly admire its wedding cake levels of decoration. Designer Jean Liu, the owner of this unbelievable pied--terre, leaned into the aesthetic of the original marble mantel a vintage bust and a pair of antique candlesticks. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Lime FireplaceYves DriegheThis Belgian manor may have once been a medieval hunting lodge, but Jean-Philippe Demeyer injected it with plenty of color and whimsy. If youre feeling brave, why not paint your fireplace in a similar lime green? 16Midcentury Brick FireplaceChris MottaliniIf your home features amazing period featureslike this midcentury exposed-brick, asymmetrical fireplace in a home ELLE DECOR A-Lister Garrett Hunter designed for his parentsleave them be and let the decor do the work. Here, accessories like Francis Jourdain chairs, a rug by J. James Akston, and an artwork by Irmgard Arvin make the space feel refined, not retro. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Steel-Clad Fireplace Chris MottaliniLeave it to Andre Herrero, cofounder of the architecture and design studio Charlap Hyman & Herrero, to give us a fireplace thats as cool as it is cerebral. In his girlfriends West Hollywood apartment, he clad the fireplace in stainless steel panels, a move that hides the TV and also nods to the Paris home of Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux.18Wainscot-Backed FireplaceIbrahim OzbunarWhat could be cozier than a fireplace? A fireplace with wainscoting behind it! The designers at Istanbul-based firm Sanayi313 brought extra warmth to this stately sitting room via earthy plaster finishes and travertine floors. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Blue Marble FireplaceDouglas FriedmanIf you want your fireplace to be the glowing center of the room, try painting your surrounding walls in a dark hue, la Nicole Hollis in this San Francisco stunner. She selected a dazzling blue-veined marble slab and topped the look off with a tondo by artist Doug Aitken.20Pooch-Perfect FireplaceFrancesco LagneseAdding a few strategic accessories is a simple way to take your mantel to the next level. Here, designer Tom Scheerer used a matching set of plants, a trio of framed artworks, and a lean mirror to give the fireplace roof-raising impact. As if the adorable dog hadnt already won us over. Anna FixsenDeputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ELLEDECOR.com. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the world's most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, she's spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.